Valeri Nitšuškin was suspended for six months after violating the rules of the NHL’s treatment program.
In the ice hockey NHL, the Colorado Avalanche got an important reinforcement in their ranks when the Russian forward Valery Nitshuškin returned to the trough.
The Stanley Cup winner, representing Colorado in his sixth season, scored the highest points of his career in the regular season last season, 53 points in 54 games (28+25).
In particular, the 29-year-old Russian star has been in the headlines for other reasons in recent years.
In the spring 2023 playoffs, Nitsuškin left his team midway through the Seattle playoff series due to personal reasons. Before that, the team’s doctor had found a woman in a confused state in the player’s hotel room, who was taken to be treated by an ambulance.
The Russians also missed the spring 2024 playoffs. In January, Nitšuškin was enrolled in the treatment program of the NHL and the players’ association NHLPA. Nitšuškin returned to a treatment program over the winter, but in the middle of the spring playoffs, he was suspended for six months without pay when he failed a drug test.
Nitsuškin was placed in the third level of the treatment program because he had violated the rules of the treatment program.
The team is excited
At the beginning of November, Nitšuškin was able to return to training in Colorado, which surprised, for example, the Finnish star Mikko Rantanen.
– I made a little joke to him that “it’s fun to see you too, Val”. I didn’t even know he was skating with the team today until I saw him on the ice. I’m excited when he’s back, Rantanen described.
The head coach of the Avalanche, which suffered from long-term injuries Jared Bednar was excited about the return of the Russian striker.
Also a star defender Cale Makar was happy:
– He has been working for the last six months. It’s great to see how he’s doing now. It looks like she’s happy. So that’s good.
Nitsuški also played in the second field Casey Mittelstadt and also for someone who has returned to the ring after an upper body injury of Jonathan Drouin with. The return was not the best possible, as Nitšuškin got 19:49 playing time, but his power statistic was -3 when Colorado lost to the Washington Capitals 2–5.
Colorado’s Finnish guard Justus Annunen had to be replaced at the beginning of the second inning after allowing three hits.
“I have changed my lifestyle”
After the match, Nitšuškin told the media about his time in the third level of the treatment program and suspension. He assured that he was a changed man.
– It was difficult. A lot of work, a lot of things. I believe I have made tremendous progress with my mental health and I hope that this will never happen again.
– I have people in Russia with whom I work all year round, and we have made enormous progress. I have changed my lifestyle, changed my ways of training. Lots of different things. I feel amazing. I feel like my mind is in the right place now.
The Russian player said he was in Denver for about a month before returning to the NHL arena.
Head coach Bednar assured that it is time to turn a new page regarding Nichushkin.
– Yes. Now he has to continue his path, learn from this season and continue to be an important factor for our team in the future.
Nitshushkin’s contract extends to the 2029–30 season. He signed an eight-year, $49 million contract with the Avalanche in 2022.