Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin is a warrior.

The Avs winger played 22:50 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final and did so in a ton of pain. There were reports before the game that Nichushkin was hobbled, but I don’t think anyone knew just how dire the situation was. From Nichushkin’s Instagram and a report by Peter Baugh of The Athletic, his foot was in terrible shape. Check out the photo he posted after the game:

Valeri Nichushkin played through a foot injury last night and couldn’t get his skate on without medical assistance, according to a league source. Once he had the skate on, it was a question of playing through the pain, which he was able to do for nearly 23 minutes of ice time. pic.twitter.com/VFTaWzhVgU

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) June 27, 2022

Ouch! That is awful looking.

Of course this time of year guys are going to battle through injuries, but needing help to put a skate on and then going out there to battle is some next level toughness. Nichushkin was awesome in the series against Tampa Bay, scoring four goals and adding two assists as the Avs won their first Cup since 2001.

We’ll see if he’s able to move around by the time the championship parade rolls around on Thursday, but he might be on a firetruck getting a ride through the streets of downtown Denver. Regardless, Nichushkin is a world champion with an amazing (and gross) photo to cherish the rest of his life.

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