Nichushkin cleared by NHL to play — but when will we see him again?

Valeri Nichushkin has not been seen or heard from by media since he left the team for personal reasons during the playoffs.

There was — and still is — speculation about Valeri Nichushkin’s future with the Colorado Avalanche ever since he was involved in an off-ice incident while in Seattle during the first round of the playoffs.

What is certain is that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said there will not be an investigation into the incident and that the team handled it “appropriately.”

But it’s still a mystery why he left. And more importantly, why he didn’t return to the team.

Head coach Jared Bednar told the media that Nichushkin had left Seattle for personal reasons after Game 3 against the Kraken. He hasn’t been seen or heard by the media since then.

Bednar confirmed the team had been in contact with Nichushkin days later and repeatedly told reporters that the team couldn’t comment any further on the situation.

Whatever the outcome, his absence was a big reason why the defending Stanley Cup champions failed to advance past the first round this year.

Nichushkin battled injuries this season, but still managed to score 47 points in the 53 games he played. He’s a big body that the Avalanche need and his departure for Games 4, 5, 6 and 7 was noticeable in the team’s early playoff exit — especially after what he did in last year's playoffs, having scored nine goals and 15 points in 20 games.

While what happened at the hotel in Seattle may never be explained, it’s irrelevant to his play. What is relevant is the team’s reaction to it. None of the players commented specifically on the situation, only that he was missed on the ice.

“He was a very important part of our team in the past and we hope, that’s our hope, he’s going to be a very important part of our team in the future," general manager Chris MacFarland said about Nichushkin on May 9 in a news conference. 

Could the team have gotten past the Kraken had this incident never happened and Nichushkin didn’t leave the team? No one will ever know. But professional hockey players are people too. And whatever personal reasons took him away from competing had to have been much more important than playing. A highly competitive player like Nichushkin wouldn’t have left his team if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.

For his and the team’s sake, whatever removed him from the playoffs is hopefully resolved and he’ll be ready for training camp in September. He was an important part of the Stanley Cup-winning team and is an intricate piece to help them get back there.

Body camera video from the Seattle Police Department revealed two things that the incident report alone did not.

On April 22, an ambulance was called to take a “highly intoxicated” woman to the hospital from the Four Seasons hotel where the Avalanche was staying. She was found in a hotel room by the Avs team doctor when he went to check on Nichushkin, according to the police report.

Body camera video of the incident released showed the officer speaking with the team doctor involved, Bradley Changstrom. Parts were muted by SPD, but when audio came back in one conversation, Changstrom is heard saying “that’s a separate issue.”

The officer spoke with the off-duty Denver Police Department officer who was traveling with the team as security. While he was speaking with him, the DPD officer got a call from his partner who was allegedly with Nichushkin and they were out of the hotel.

Later, Changstrom asked the officer if he could explain something about Nichuskin’s medical health in confidentiality, but the officer warned him against it since he was recording. Changstrom then told the officer they were inside and then outside the room and that “we just tried to get them in separate rooms.”

No criminal charges were filed in the incident and there was no need for follow-up as it ended up being a detoxification call.