Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin set to return after six-month suspension

The day for Valeri Nichushkin’s return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup is here.

Nichushkin, who has been suspended for the past six months while in Stage 3 of the player assistance program, is expected to be added to the active roster Friday and make his season debut against the Washington Capitals at Ball Arena. Nichushkin has been suspended since May 13, the morning of Game 4 of the club’s second-round playoff series against the Dallas Stars.

The 29-year-old forward has been practicing with the team since Nov. 4. He returned to Denver on Oct. 19 and was allowed to both work out and skate at the team’s practice facility, but not with anyone who works for the organization.

Nichushkin missed nearly two months of the 2023-24 regular season while in Stage 2 of the program. He still had a career year, with 28 goals and 53 points in 54 regular-season games. He was also the NHL’s leader in goals during the 2024 playoffs with nine in eight games when he was suspended and forced back into the program.

The Avs were down 2-1 in the series against the Stars, but Jonathan Drouin was scheduled to return that night and the team was going to be the healthiest it had been all season. Then Dallas rolled in Game 4 against an obviously shaken Colorado club, and the Stars prevailed in six games.

It was the second straight postseason that ended with Nichushkin being away from the team. The Avs were the defending champions heading into the 2023 playoffs, but the Seattle Kraken upset them in seven games. Nichushkin left the team before Game 3 in Seattle.

A team doctor found an intoxicated woman in Nichushkin’s hotel room the day of Game 3 and called an ambulance to transport her to the hospital, according to a Seattle police report. The Avs called it “personal reasons” for Nichushkin’s absence, then vowed to welcome him back “with open arms” before the start of last season.

Nichushkin spoke to the local media once about the situation in Seattle.

“I know you guys want to find something there, but it’s nothing really interesting,” Nichushkin said. “I think we should close it. It’s a new season right now. We have to focus on that.”

Nichushkin did discuss his 2023 absence with a Russian reporter, which was released in a video over the summer. The Avs have declined to comment on what he said in that video, which included his claim that he was prepared to rejoin the team for the second round had Colorado advanced.

The Avs, led by its top players, have again said they will welcome Nichushkin back with open arms. Former Avs defenseman Jack Johnson did not hold back his emotions over Nichushkin’s absence following Game 4 against Dallas.

“He made his decisions,” Johnson said, while visibly agitated. “That’s all I’m going to say on that. He made his decisions.”

General manager Chris MacFarland and captain Gabe Landeskog both answered questions about Nichushkin shortly after the Avs were eliminated by the Stars and while there was little clarity then what would happen next with the Russian wing, there was also little subtlety about their message — that the future would be determined by Nichushkin’s actions.

“You care for him, and you want him to get help, and you want him to get right,” Landeskog said in May. “Now, what happens here moving forward, that’s up to him, how he’s going to handle it.”

This Avalanche team, which has started 9-8 while also missing Landeskog plus Jonathan Drouin, Artturi Lehkonen and Ross Colton for stretches with injuries, certainly needs a player of Nichushkin’s ability. When available, he is one of the best power forwards in the NHL. He’s one of the best two-way players as well.

Devon Toews called him a “one of one” player when he entered Stage 2 of the program last January. Mikko Rantanen had a matter-of-fact response when asked about Nichushkin’s return to practice last week.