Colorado Avalanche Forward Valeri Nichushkin Enters NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has made the decision to enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, causing him to step away from the team indefinitely. This announcement comes as the league and union jointly revealed his enrollment on Monday. Nichushkin, 28, will return to the Avalanche once he has been cleared by program administrators, although no further details were provided.

Nichushkin becomes the second Avalanche player this season to join the player assistance program. Earlier in the season, defenseman Jared Girard detailed his struggle with anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse, prompting him to seek treatment from the program. Girard made a return to the team in mid-December.

Before missing the game against Toronto on Saturday, Nichushkin was described as “under the weather” by Avalanche coach Jared Bednar. The team is set to face off against Montreal on Monday night.

This season, the Russian forward has showcased his skills with 22 goals and 20 assists over 40 games. Additionally, he is just two games away from reaching 500 regular-season contests throughout his career.

Last season, Nichushkin was also absent from the team during the playoffs, citing personal reasons. The team explained his absence as well, but now it is evident that he was dealing with issues that led him to seek support. In the first round of the playoffs, the Avalanche faced a defeat against the Seattle Kraken, with Nichushkin missing the final five games.

During this period, authorities responded to a crisis call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle, where it was reported that a 28-year-old woman was in an ambulance. Team employees found the woman, who was later transported to Virginia Mason Medical Center. The circumstances surrounding this incident were not disclosed.

In an interview in September, Nichushkin chose not to discuss his absence from the playoff series, emphasizing that he and the team mutually agreed for him to be away for the remainder of the playoffs. Ultimately, Colorado lost the series in seven games against the Kraken.