Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin suspended for a minimum of 6 months
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the number of goals Nichushkin scored during the regular season.
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has been suspended without pay for a minimum of six months, the NHL announced Monday.
The announcement came an hour ahead of Game 4 of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Dallas Stars.
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Under the terms of the joint program, the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association have placed the forward in Stage 3 of the Player Assistance Program, the league said.
Stage 3 means Nichushkin violated the terms of the program. He will have to apply for reinstatement.
Nichushkin, 29, entered the league’s Player Assistance Program on Jan. 13 and returned to the ice on March 7. He will miss the rest of the postseason and the first month of next season at minimum.
In the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Nichushkin abruptly left the team in Seattle after a crisis call at the Four Seasons Hotel before Game 3. A 28-year-old woman was found by the Avalanche team physician and was sent in an ambulance when officers arrived at the team hotel.
Before the season, Nichushkin told reporters: “I know you guys want to find something there, but it’s not really interesting.”
Nichushkin played 54 games this season, scoring 28 goals in the regular season. In the 2023-24 playoffs, the Avalanche forward has totaled 10 points and nine goals in eight games.
The Associated Press contributing reporting.
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