Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin to Receive Care from NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program

Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will be unavailable to the team indefinitely while he receives care from the joint NHLPA and NHL assistance program.

Valeri Nichushkin will be away from the Colorado Avalanche indefinitely to receive care from the NHL and NHLPA Player Assistance Program, the league announced Monday.

Nichushkin, 28, last played on Jan. 10 against the Vegas Golden Knights, scoring twice. He didn't play in Saturday's matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs due to a reported illness. 

The joint NHL and NHLPA assistance program administrators must clear Nichushkin to return to the club. As is typical when a player receives assistance from this program, no other details are revealed unless the individual shares them later on.

In 40 games this season, Nichushkin has 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points while averaging 21:48 in ice time per game. The Chelyabinsk, Russia, native is in his ninth NHL season and his fifth with the Avalanche. Before that, he played for the Dallas Stars, who selected him 10th overall in the 2013 NHL draft. Over 498 career regular-season games, the right winger has 110 goals, 153 assists and 263 points. Nichushkin also has 25 career playoff points in 64 games.

The Avalanche are second in the Central Division with a 28-12-3 record and play Monday at 7 p.m. ET against the Montreal Canadiens.

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