The Colorado Avalanche will have to make do without one of their top forwards, as Valeri Nichushkin steps away from the rink to enter the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. An announcement made by the league and the union on Monday provided few details, but made clear that the 28-year-old player's return is dependent on clearance from program administrators.
Nichushkin's exit from the lineup is not his first; his conspicuous absence during the last season's playoffs was chalked up to personal reasons, especially after a troubling incident at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle. It was here, before Game 3, that officers responded to a crisis call, finding a heavily intoxicated woman in need of medical assistance, according to a report by KING5. The woman, a Russian-native born in Ukraine, had been spotted by team employees checking in on Nichushkin, prompting an Avalanche team physician to call for EMS. She was later transported to Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
With 22 goals and 20 assists in 40 games this season, Nichushkin's absence is a definite hit to the Avalanche's firepower. He was "under the weather", Coach Jared Bednar said before Saturday's game in Toronto, as per a statement obtained by The Associated Press, just days before the announcement that Nichushkin would be stepping away indefinitely. The right wing is just two games shy of a 500 regular-season game milestone, making the timing of his departure even more stark.
Despite the adversity, Nichushkin is not alone in dealing with personal issues within the Avalanche locker room. Defenseman Samuel Girard took a leave earlier in the season under the Player Assistance Program, citing anxiety and depression leading to alcohol abuse, before making his return in December. These instances shine a light on the mental health and personal struggles that professional athletes navigate, sometimes away from the public eye.
When questioned about his playoff absence and the Seattle hotel incident, Nichushkin remained tight-lipped. "He said he and the team both decided for him to be away for the remainder of the playoff series against the Kraken," noted in a report from The Sentinel Colorado. The Avalanche ultimately lost the series in seven games, a further blow to a team now navigating the complexities of sports and personal well-being off the ice.
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