There have long been rumors that Colorado is not against parting with Valery Nichushkin. Only the Russian’s participation in the NHL player assistance program does not give the Avalanche the right to terminate the contract.

The solution to the problem was provided by Nichushkin himself.

Problem Gambler

For two years in a row, Nichushkin left Colorado at the most crucial moment. This happened in the 2023 Stanley Cup, when a Russian got into a strange situation in a Seattle hotel. Then the club management released the forward on vacation, and then the Avalanche themselves went on vacation, losing to the Kraken in the first round.

The incident did not in any way affect Nichushkin’s status in Colorado. Valery joined the team before the start of the next season and again became an integral part of the Avalanche. The Russian quickly rehabilitated himself for an incomprehensible episode in the series with Seattle, playing well in the regular season of the 2023/24 season. But then the club started having problems with the player again. In mid-January, the hockey player announced that he was going to become a participant in the NHL player assistance program. As a result, Nichushkin was unavailable to the Avalanche for almost two months.

However, before the start of the playoffs, it would hardly have occurred to anyone in Colorado to criticize the Russian. Returning to the team, the forward turned on the usual king of nickel mode and scored a career-high 53 (28+25) scoring points over 54 games. The hockey player also obeyed the “points per game” schedule in the Stanley Cup. Moreover, Nichushkin almost set a record that even Wayne Gretzky could not dream of! He could have become the first hockey player in the history of the league to score in eight games in a row from the start of elimination games, but Valery stopped one step away from a historic achievement.

Valery Nichushkin / Photo: © Michael Martin / Contributor / National Hockey League / Gettyimages.ru

However, among Colorado fans, joy for Nichushkin quickly gave way to anger. In the midst of the second round against Dallas, when Colorado was losing the series with a score of 1-2, the striker left the club again. This time the Russian was included in the third stage of the player assistance program. Only the Avalanche’s victory in the Stanley Cup would have saved Nichushkin from harsh criticism from North American journalists. But no miracle happened – without their leader, the Avalanche were eliminated from the playoffs.

Then talk began that the Colorado management could no longer tolerate Nichushkin’s setups. Moreover, the club does not want to be abandoned for the third time in a row. Journalist Sean Keeler spoke out most clearly.

“It was for real, Val.” God, it was amazing. But this is your stop. The Avalanche train needs engines it can rely on, wrote Sean Keeler.

Opportunity to finish a shared story

But the management and head coach of Colorado spoke vaguely about the future of the Russian. Club general manager Chris McFarland said Nichushkin needs to restore confidence.

“The guy is a damn good hockey player, but it’s a privilege to play in the NHL. And when you sign that contract, there are things that need to be observed. “I hope that Val will get his act together in the next six months,” Avalanche general manager Chris McFarland said.

However, there were rumors that the club was not against terminating the agreement with the hockey player. Only Colorado is not eager to buy out Nichushkin’s contract with an average salary of $6.125 million, which is valid until 2030. And under the terms of the third stage of the program, Nichushkin is suspended without pay for at least 6 months, but after six months he will have the right to apply for return.

Valery Nichushkin / Photo: © Michael Martin / Contributor / National Hockey League / Gettyimages.ru

The day before it became known that the forward would take part in the second season of the Hockey Media League. This was stated by league president Nikolai Osipov. North American journalists saw this as an excellent opportunity for Colorado to break ties with the player.

— Nichushkin’s ability to play in other leagues is limited by his contract with the NHL, which is the main problem when making this decision. This could be the tipping point that gives the Avalanche the authority to terminate Nichushkin’s contract. A material breach of contract will certainly suffice, wrote journalist Jay Tap.

Colorado fans also reacted negatively to the news of Nichushkin’s participation in the summer tournament.

“The Avalanche should be over the moon with the opportunity to terminate this contract,” writes canuck_11.

“I love him as a hockey player and wish him success in his recovery, but perhaps I will really jump for joy when I see that his contract has been terminated,” comments EggplantAlpinism.

“Perhaps this decision will top the top 3 of his stupidest actions,” writes maddscientist.

However, representatives of the Media League said that NHL players’ contract and insurance allow them to take part in the summer tournament. At the same time, similar practices are widespread in North America. Many hockey players participate in amateur tournaments without any problems. But Colorado can still take advantage of the situation, because Nichushkin will play hockey instead of going through the assistance program. And this is definitely not the way to regain the Avalanche’s trust.