Valeri Nichushkin Has Left The Avalanche For Personal Reasons

Getty Images

The big thing on everyone’s mind right now is the absence of Valeri Nichuskin. Unfortunately, there isn’t really any update on the situation.

Valeri Nichushkin has left the Colorado Avalanche for personal reasons, the team has confirmed.

Nichushkin, who was missing from morning skate due to “maintenance,” is no longer with the team. Colorado Hockey Now confirmed with a team spokesperson that he has gone to the airport and is no longer in Seattle. His status for game four is unknown at this point.

Colorado played and won game three without Nichushkin, but when asked if his absence would be a long-term issue, Jared Bednar responded by saying, “I have no idea.”

“He’s not with the team for personal reasons,” Bednar said when asked if he was missing from the team for disciplinary reasons.

It was surprising news coming just hours after the Avalanche’s 6-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Nothing has been made public about his situation.

“I have no idea if it’s a long-term situation,” head coach Jared Bednar said.

The Avalanche are already playing without key player Gabriel Landeskog and losing Nichushkin is a big blow to the team.

Nichushkin is in the first year of his eight-year contract with the Avalanche following their Stanley Cup championship last year. His contract carries an AAV of $6.125 million. He has played two games for the Avalanche in the first-round playoff series versus the Seattle Kraken, scoring one goal.

Nichushkin was present in each of the Avs’ first two playoff games against the Kraken and was expected to dress on Saturday. In Thursday’s 3-2 victory at Ball Arena, Nichushkin scored the game-tying goal in the second period, making it 2-2. Without their rugged winger in the top six, the Avs’ lines were once again jumbled, with both Matt Nieto and Denis Malgin getting time with center J.T. Compher.

Stanley Cup Aspirations Cue’ the Duck Boats Pod

The boys are back after a long break but have plenty to talk about as the playoffs are in full swing. We go series by series, looking at how teams have fared so far and who will come out on top. Thanks for listening! Please rate and review our show on your favorite listening platform. Check out our partner's website at www.insidetherink.com for all your latest hockey news.
  1. Stanley Cup Aspirations
  2. The Final Countdown
  3. Here Come the Playoffs
  4. Home Stretch
  5. Kevy Cooks

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

One thought on “Valeri Nichushkin Has Left The Avalanche For Personal Reasons”

Leave a Reply

NHL Game Preview: Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings with Line Combinations 12/21/2024

Opinion: The Red Wings are Closer than You Think

By the time it was over, the 2023-24 season gave little hope to Red Wings fans. Montreal, Columbus and Ottawa all passed them in points this season, both Ottawa and Montreal broke the playoff barrier and ended their droughts. Fans and media alike deemed this offseason as one where the Red Wings needed to make […]

Read More
Ben Scrivens of the Edmonton Oilers

Ghosts Of Oilers Past: Ben Scrivens

With goaltending becoming a more humongous topic among Oilers fans than it already was prior to this season, why not have some fun and reminisce about one of the very few good highlights during the Decade of Darkness? The most historic performance by a goalie in the regular season happened on a team that, at […]

Read More
Utah Mammoth

Utah Mammoth 2025-26 Games To Watch

Year two of the Utah hockey experience begins in mere months, and the schedule is full of games from Central Division faceoffs to meetings with back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions and even rebuilding Eastern Conference contenders. NOV. 12th – vs Buffalo Sabres Easily able to be described as the biggest offseason move General Manager Bill Armstrong […]

Read More