Why Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has stepped away from team during 2023 NHL Playoffs

Bryan Murphy

Why Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has stepped away from team during 2023 NHL Playoffs image

The Avalanche are in the midst of a competitive first-round series against the Kraken, however, the team continues to be without one of its top forwards.

Valeri Nichushkin left the team before Game 3 for "personal reasons." It is unclear when, or if, he is going to return to the lineup.

A team spokesperson confirmed that Nichushkin is not currently with the team. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said the team has no timeline for Nichushkin’s return, however, said the Avalanche have been in contact with him.

He also previously stated that Nichushkin's absence was not for disciplinary reasons, nor was it a legal issue. 

"We’d like to have Val and (Gabriel Landeskog), two of the best wingers in the league," Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon said after Game 3. "Honestly, it sucks. But it’s life ... We miss him for sure."

The 28-year-old Russian recorded a goal in Game 2 of the series, his only point of the playoffs so far. He played in 53 regular season games, recording 17 goals and 47 points. 

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Why is Valeri Nichushkin out of the Avalanche lineup?

When the news broke that Nichushkin was going to be stepping away from the team, the club stated that it was for "personal reasons." 

There have since been reports of an alleged incident involving alcohol that transpired at the team hotel in Seattle. 

The Denver Post reported on Thursday that a woman was found intoxicated in Nichushkin's bedroom on Saturday night. According to the report, a team doctor had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital. 

"Team employees found the woman when they went to check on Nichushkin in his room at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle where the Avs were staying, according to the incident report," according to the Denver Post. "The team doctor felt she was too intoxicated to safely leave the hotel in a cab, and called 911 at about 3:20 p.m. local time, the report states."

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The alleged woman is a 28-year-old originally born in Ukraine and from Russia.

Seattle Police Department spokesperson Judinna Gulpan said there is no criminal investigation that is coming from the incident. In the police report, it is noted that the woman hit the team doctor, but he is not going to press charges.

A lieutenant with the Denver Police Department told Seattle police that there were "no reports of any criminal interactions," according to the incident report.

The Denver Post's story is similar to reports from earlier in the week from Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. Seravalli told Sportsnet 650 on April 25 that it was his understanding that "something happened in the team hotel on Friday evening" and "it’s related to the alcohol." 

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.