Valeri Nichushkin: His departure is linked to an alcohol problem

The field hockey world was shocked to learn on Saturday that Valeri Nichushkin was leaving the Avalanche for unknown reasons. All that was known at the time was that Nichushkin was not injured and that his departure was not related to disciplinary measures. It was also known that the player was accompanied by security to the Seattle airport, but nothing more. All this to say that the news has given way to concern because of what is happening in Russia at the moment. However, as Frank Seravalli understands it, this has nothing to do with the current situation in the player’s native country. Instead, the Daily Faceoff tipster spoke this morning on Sportsnet 650 about the possibility that his departure was linked to an alcohol-related incident that occurred at the team hotel on Friday night.

My impression is that there was an alcohol-related incident. And I don’t know what the next steps are, I don’t know the depth of it. But it’s clear that something happened at the team hotel Friday night that forced the Colorado Avalanche to get involved. – Frank Seravalli

Nothing has been confirmed yet from the Avalanche, who lost to the Seattle Kraken in overtime last night. This morning, Jared Bednar spoke to a local Denver radio station and explained that to see Nichushkin back at some point in the playoffs would be “incredible”. That doesn’t necessarily look good for the future.

Again, we don’t know what really happened to make Nichushkin leave the team in the middle of the playoffs… But I wish him the best, whatever situation he finds himself in. If it’s really due to an alcohol problem and the Avalanche had to intervene to solve the problem, so much the better.

Not so much in the sense that it’s one less problem to deal with: so much the better in the sense that the organization is helping out a guy who can’t necessarily be happy right now. It’seasy to hide your emotions. In the end, the organization did it for his own good, because at the end of the day, that’s all that’s important. Field hockey becomes secondary when someone has this kind of problem in his life. Here’s hoping that the main player pulls through.

In Brief

– The Bruins captain could be in uniform tomorrow night.

– That’s saying a lot.

– Last game, he had to give way to Jack Campbell.

– Two big additions to the Panthers line-up for tomorrow’s game.