Denver—Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has been placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHL Players' Association player assistance program, the league announced Monday, just hours before the team's playoff game against the Dallas Stars.
Under the terms of the player assistance program, Nichushkin will be suspended without pay for a minimum of six months, with the option to apply for reinstatement afterward, according to a release issued by the NHL and NHLPA. No further details were provided regarding Nichushkin's admission into the program.
With Nichushkin sidelined, Colorado, trailing 2-1 in the series against Dallas, turned to forward Jonathan Drouin, who returned to the lineup following a lengthy absence. Drouin had missed all of Colorado's postseason games before Monday due to a lower-body injury sustained in the regular-season finale on April 18.
According to a league source speaking to ESPN, the player assistance program consists of four stages. Stage 1 involves the initial in-patient treatment with no penalty. Following a violation of the Stage 1 treatment plan, Stage 2 may result in a suspension without pay during treatment, with eligibility for reinstatement thereafter.
Stage 3, triggered by a violation of the Stage 2 treatment plan, leads to a suspension without pay for at least six months, after which a player may apply for reinstatement. Stage 4, following a violation of the Stage 3 treatment plan, involves a minimum one-year suspension with no guarantee of reinstatement.
This marks Nichushkin's third absence from the Avalanche in the past 13 months. His most recent absence began in mid-January when he entered the player assistance program for undisclosed reasons. At the time, it was announced that he would be out indefinitely.
Nichushkin resumed skating with the Avalanche in late February and returned to the lineup in their 2-1 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild on March 8.
His initial absence from the Avalanche occurred last April, when he sat out the final five games of a first-round series resulting in the Avs' defeat to the Seattle Kraken.
During this time, the team cited personal reasons for Nichushkin's departure, coinciding with police officers responding to an incident at the team's hotel in Seattle on the eve of Game 3 of their quarterfinal series.
Upon arrival, officers found a 28-year-old woman in an ambulance, prompting medics to seek further information from an Avalanche team physician.
According to a police report obtained by ESPN and other sources, the team physician informed officers that the woman had been discovered by team staff during a check on Nichushkin. She appeared heavily intoxicated and required EMS assistance, unable to have left the hotel unassisted.
Upon the Avalanche's return for preseason camp, Nichushkin opted not to delve into the matter, stating, "I think we should close it. It's a new season right now. We have to focus on that."
Originally drafted by the Stars in 2013, Nichushkin spent four seasons with the franchise, amassing 23 goals and 74 points in 223 games, falling short of the expectations typically associated with a first-round selection.
Joining the Avalanche at the outset of the 2019-2020 season on a one-year contract valued at $850,000, Nichushkin gradually ascended from a bottom-six role to become a pivotal figure on the team. This progression led to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million annually in 2020, followed by an eight-year contract worth $6.125 million annually, commencing from the 2022-2023 season.
No comments: