On November 16, Valery Nichushkin played for the first time for Colorado after a six-month suspension. Over the course of this month, the Russian striker returned to the court almost painlessly and again took a leading role in the Avalanche. In addition, at the end of November, Nichushkin went on a four-game points streak, and in the last four games he scored 5 points (4+1).

We tell you how a Russian forward who failed a drug test returned to the NHL.

Why Nichushkin was disqualified

On May 14, 2024, the NHL suspended Valeri Nichushkin for at least six months. The Colorado forward was included in the third stage of the NHL player assistance program, as announced by the league and the hockey players’ association. Under the terms of the program, the striker was suspended from hockey without pay for at least 6 months, and after six months he received the right to apply for return.

Journalist Adrian Deiter spoke about what caused Nichushkin’s removal.

— I heard that Nichushkin failed a drug test. “I have no idea what kind of substances we are talking about,” a journalist from Denver wrote on the social network.

Valery Nichushkin / Photo: © Codie McLachlan / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Nichushkin’s problems first became known on January 15. That day, he left Colorado for an indefinite period of time to undergo the NHL Player Assistance Program, which helps hockey players treat alcohol and drug addiction and deal with various psychological problems. The forward returned to the squad only in March.

“I decided to seek help and take part in the player assistance program. The goal is to solve my problems and prevent any negative consequences once and for all. I want to thank my wife, my family and friends, the Avalanche organization and all of our fans for their understanding and support. “I will do everything possible to return to the ice as soon as possible and join my teammates,” the Colorado press service published Nichushkin’s words.

What they said about Nichushkin’s disqualification in Colorado

Colorado and the players supported Nichushkin. Avalanche general manager Chris McFarland said that the club was not considering terminating the contract with the Russian, and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog spoke about how Valery would be accepted back into the team.

— Val is our teammate. He is our friend. He’s the one we lifted the Stanley Cup with. I want him to get help, I want him to get back to normal. What happens next is up to him, how he handles it,” Landeskog told the Denver Post.

Colorado head coach Jared Bednar also supported Nichushkin.

“It hurts our team, no doubt.” He’s a great player. I’ve gotten to know Val as a person, and I’ve gotten to know him as one of our teammates and a player, and I want the best for him. I want him to be happy and I want him to be happy with his life, whether it’s with or without our team. I want the best for him and his family. We hope that he can find peace and get help,” Bednar is quoted as saying by the NHL’s official website.

How Nichushkin returned to the NHL after disqualification

On October 19, Nichushkin arrived in Denver and began training individually, on November 4 he was allowed to train with the team, and on November 16 he played his first match after the suspension, taking to the ice against Washington (2:5). Valery spent 19 minutes 27 seconds on the court, made one shot and received the worst “-3” in the team.

— For six months I worked almost every day. I feel amazing. I feel strong. I think my mind is in the right place now. You know, now I live one day at a time. I’m just working, concentrating on my problems, and I hope that it will work,” Nichushkin was quoted as saying by the NHL’s official website after the match with Washington.

Valery Nichushkin and Colorado Avalanche hockey players / Photo: © David Lipnowski / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

— I spent the last month in Denver. Spending time with the guys is amazing. It was a very difficult period in my life, so now I am enjoying it. From the very first day, the guys said so many good words to me to support me. This is a huge help. And, of course, I want to say thank you to the fans. I meet so many people on the streets and in restaurants and everyone supports me. It was hard. A lot of work. Lots of things. I think I’ve made tremendous progress in terms of my mental health and I hope it never happens again,” Nichushkin told The Denver Post.

Already in his fourth game, Nichushkin opened the scoring with points. Valery scored three scoring points (one goal and two assists) with Florida (7:4), and then scored points in three more matches in a row. Nichushkin had an assist with Tampa (2:8) and one goal each with Vegas (2:1) and Dallas (3:5). Now Nichushkin has produced another four-game streak with points: he scored a double against Carolina (3:5), scored against Detroit (2:1), made an assist against New Jersey (4:0) and took part in victory over Pittsburgh (6:2). The puck against the Penguins was his seventh in 13 matches. He also has four assists.

Nichushkin has been impressive with his performance since his suspension. He is already Colorado’s seventh leading scorer, although he has played only 13 matches. If Nichushkin continues in the same spirit, then he has every chance of helping Colorado in the fight for the Stanley Cup. So far it seems that the Avalanche made the right decision, that they did not give up on the Russian and gave him another chance.