Valeri Nichushkin contrite in first comments since long suspension

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin made his season debut on Friday night against the Washington Capitals.

And even though the Avs lost 5-2, that was the secondary story by a mile. Nichushkin returned from a six-month suspension by the NHL and met with the local media for the first time.

Nichushkin was placed in Phase 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on May 13, mere hours before the Avs and Dallas Stars were slated to play in Game 4 of their Round 2 playoff series. It was Nichushkin’s third time in the program, including stints in 2023 during a postseason series with the Kraken and last regular season.

After the Avalanche’s morning skate on Friday, his teammates welcomed him back with open arms. Nathan MacKinnon spoke glowingly of his “friend” and Cale Makar and Jared Bednar were excited as well.

But Avalanche fans wanted to hear from Nichushkin, and he spoke for nearly five minutes after the game. He was contrite, raw and honest and gave several good answers.

First and foremost, Nichushkin was asked what it’s like to be back.

“Oh, it’s amazing. I’ve been in town the last month, spent time with the guys it’s amazing. It’s been a pretty tough time in my life, but I can enjoy it right now,” Nichushkin said.

And as far as those conversations with his teammates, they’ve been positive overall.

“So many good words, they support me like kind of from the first day, so it’s a huge help when you know that guys are still with you,” Nichushkin said.

As for the last six months, they’ve been hard. Nichushkin has done most of his rehab in Russia before returning to the United States as the season got going.

“It was tough. A lot of work. Lots of things, but I think I’ve made huge progress with my mental health so hopefully this never happens again,” Nichushkin said.

Nichushkin mentioned he hasn’t addressed the team as a whole, but rather has had a lot of individual conversations. He said they don’t ask many questions, but offer plenty of support. The last stretch of his life has been tough, but it’s been worth it.

“Six months, I worked pretty much every day. I’ve made huge progress, they’ve helped me change my lifestyle, changed even like workouts in the gym… a lot of different things,” Nichushkin said. “I feel amazing. I feel strong, I think my mind is in the right spot now.”

As for a message to Avalanche fans from Nichushkin after he’s left during the last two postseasons, it was a strong one.

“Of course, I just want to say thank you. I meet so many people on the streets, restaurants, cafes, everybody talks to me, like supports. I know so many guys text me, so like I want to say a huge thanks,” Nichushkin said.

And how can he earn trust back from his Colorado teammates? It’s going to be a process.

“I live right now by one day, just working. Stay focused on my problems and hopefully it’s going to work,” Nichushkin said.

You can watch the full comments from Valeri Nichushkin below.

And here’s Part 2 of Valeri Nichushkin speaking for the first time since his six-month suspension. I asked him about his message to the fans and he had a nice answer. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ZodvMc7rLe

— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) November 16, 2024