Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will not be on the ice for the remainder of the playoffs.
The league and players association announced Monday night that Nichushkin has been placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
As part of the joint program, Nichushkin was suspended for six months without pay, after which he will be eligible to apply for reinstatement.
The league’s statement did not mention the incident that led to the suspension, but Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Nichushkin “recently failed a drug test.”
Being placed in Stage 3 of the program means that the player has violated the Stage 2 treatment plan, and if he is later found to have violated the Stage 3 plan, he will be suspended for one year. Although he will be subject to disciplinary action, there is no guarantee that he may violate the treatment plan. returned, The Denver Post reported.
The Player Assistance Program was established in 1996 as a collaboration between the league and the association to “assist players struggling with mental health, substance abuse, and other issues.” According to ESPN.
Monday was the third time in just over a year that Nichushkin has been in trouble off the ice, including an incident during last year’s playoffs.
In April 2023, Nichushkin was allegedly involved in an alcohol-related incident at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle before Game 3 of the Avalanche’s first-round series against the Seattle Kraken.
An inebriated woman was found by team staff in Nichushkin’s room.
The forward did not play in the remainder of the playoffs due to “personal reasons.”
Nichushkin left the team earlier this year when he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January to “address his issues and prevent negative outcomes once and for all.”
He rejoined the team in March but did not publicly discuss how long he would be in the program.
The NHLer participated in an optional skate on Sunday and was on the ice for a morning skate at Ball Arena on Monday, according to the Denver Post.
The announcement came just hours before Game 4 of the second-round series between the Stars and Avalanche, with the Stars leading 2-1 entering the game.
Nichushkin had a career year this season, scoring a career-high 28 goals and 53 points.
His nine goals in the playoffs are tied with Oilers forward Zach Hyman for the most in a postseason.
