Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has been suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in stage 3 of the league's player assistance program. The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association made the announcement just before Game 4 of the second-round series with Dallas.
This is the second time this season that Nichushkin has been in the program, with stage 3 indicating a violation of program terms. As a result, the 29-year-old Russian forward will miss the remainder of the postseason and the first month of next season at a minimum.
Nichushkin leads the team with nine playoff goals this season. Earlier in the season, he was absent for nearly two months to receive care from the NHLPA/NHL Player Assistance Program for undisclosed issues. This absence followed his missing the final five games of a playoff loss last season for personal reasons.
During his time in the program from January to March, Nichushkin became the second Avalanche player to enter the program during the regular season, following defenseman Samuel Girard. Girard had cited anxiety and depression leading to alcohol abuse but returned in mid-December.
In a previous playoff series against Seattle, Nichushkin left the team abruptly with limited explanation. The incident occurred after a crisis call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle, where a heavily intoxicated woman was found by team employees checking on Nichushkin.
Before the season, Nichushkin declined to provide further details on the situation, stating that it was not of significant interest. The Avalanche forward's suspension and placement in the player assistance program mark a challenging period for both him and the team.
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