Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Valeri Nichushkin of the Colorado Avalanche was involved in a legal incident during the 2023 NHL Playoffs while the team was playing against the Seattle Kraken.
An intoxicated woman was staying in Nichushkin's hotel room and the paramedics ended up being called. There is bodycam footage of the incident and as it was noted, Nichushkin was not present at the time of the call. This ultimately led to an investigation and some consequences within the league.
While Nichushkin did play 54 games last season, he was eventually placed in Stage 3 of the NHL Players Assistance Program. Furthermore, it was revealed that he would be suspended without pay for six months, minimum.
Recently, Joe Sakic gave Avs fans some good news when he revealed that it is more than likely that we see Nichushkin back on the ice as of November. This is fairly in line with the six-month suspension that was reported all the way back in May.
The Avalanche will certainly be happy to have him back in the lineup. After all, he is a point-per-game type of player when he is focused on the sport. Only time will tell whether or not he can get back to his old production following his recent stint in the assistance program.
