The Colorado Avalanche will apparently be without forward Valeri Nichushkin for a while.
On Monday, a few hours before the duel against the Canadian in Montreal, journalist Adrian Dater suggested that the Russian was back in the player support program of the National Hockey League and the Players Association.
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Nichushkin was not in the Avs' lineup Saturday night against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. His team simply pointed out that the skater was suffering from an illness.
It would be a serious loss for the Colorado club as the 28-year-old athlete is enjoying his best career moments on the Bettman circuit. In 40 games he scored 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points. He is just 10 points away from his highest point total in a season.
It's not the first time Nichushkin has been in the spotlight for elements that go beyond what happens on the ice. In April 2023, police officers showed up at his Seattle hotel room before a playoff game against the Kraken. According to the report from local authorities, a heavily intoxicated woman was leaving the scene of the accident in the ambulance when officers arrived at the scene. For his part, the player in question removed himself from the entourage of his team, which may have been defeated in the first round of the series.
In addition to this nebulous story, Nichushkin caused a stir when photos of him carrying an assault rifle next to another person were circulated on his social networks last August.