DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program before Monday night's Game 4. . 2nd round series With Dallas.
The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players Association announced the news about an hour before the game against the Stars. This is his second time with the program this season. Stage 3 means Nichushkin violated the terms of the program.
The 29-year-old Russian forward will miss the remainder of the postseason and at least the first month of next season.
His teammates heard the news when they arrived at the rink Monday night, before a 5-1 loss to the Stars put them on the brink of elimination. They lost by a 16-2 margin in the first period, and he lost 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Game 5 will be played in Dallas on Wednesday. Nichushkin leads the team with nine goals in the playoffs this season.
“Val is obviously struggling with something,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said after the game. “Yeah, that sucks for our team. We've got to turn the page. We've got to play a lot better than we did today. We still have 20-plus players in that room and we care about them. , we want to win and that's what we have to focus on. There's no question. He's a great player.”
Asked if Nichushkin had let his team down, Bednar wasn't willing to go down that path.
“I've gotten to know Val as a person and as a teammate. I want what's best for him,” Bednar said. “I want him to be happy and I want him to be happy with his life, whether it's on our team or not. I want what's best for him and his family. I hope he can find some peace and help.”
Stars coach Pete DeBoer echoed that sentiment.
“On the human side, you feel for athletes who are dealing with issues like that,” DeBoer said.
Nichushkin was sidelined for nearly two months earlier this season. receive care from NHLPA/NHL Player Assistance Program for undisclosed issues. This came after he missed the final five games of last season, missing the playoffs for what the team described as personal reasons.
Nichushkin was unable to join the team from January 13 to March 7 after joining the program. He became the Avalanche's second player to join the program during the regular season, joining defenseman Samuel Girard, who said in November that anxiety and depression led to alcohol abuse. Girard returned in mid-December.
in the first round of the playoff series Last spring's game against Seattle, Nichushkin abruptly left the team, giving only an explanation of personal reasons. His absence began after officers responded to an emergency call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle before Game 3. The 28-year-old woman was in the ambulance when officers arrived, and medics spoke with the avalanche team doctor who told them to collect more. detail.
An Avalanche doctor told officers that team personnel spotted the woman while checking on Nichushkin, according to a report obtained by The Associated Press at the time from the Seattle Police Department. The doctor told officers that the woman was so intoxicated that she was not drunk enough to leave the hotel “by rideshare or taxi” and that she requested EMS assistance. she said.
Before the season, Nichushkin dodged questions about the situation, saying only: I think it should be closed. ”
Asked after the game if he could see a scenario in which Nichushkin and the team would reunite someday, Bednar simply said, “I don't know.”
___
Associated Press hockey writer Stephen Wyno contributed to this report.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
