The return of suspended Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin to practice on Monday came as a surprise, even to his teammate Mikko Rantanen, who did a double-take when he saw him on the ice.
Rantanen reacted with a lighthearted comment. “Threw a little joke to him, like, ‘It’s good to see you, Val,’” Rantanen said. “I didn’t even know he was skating with the team today until I saw him on the ice. … I was excited to see him there.”
At this point, Nichushkin is only allowed to practice, as he is still in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and not yet eligible to play in games.
His suspension is expected to last until at least mid-November, but coach Jared Bednar hopes Nichushkin will be able to return to the lineup on November 15.
Nichushkin’s return would be a big boost for a team that has already been struggling with injuries to several forwards this season.
However, things are starting to improve, as Artturi Lehkonen was activated from injured reserve over the weekend and is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday against Seattle. Lehkonen has been out since having shoulder surgery in the offseason.
“Need all the help we can get,” Bednar said, adding that he got word a few days ago that Nichushkin could return to practice. “Every guy we get back in, things start to shape up a little bit the way we want them to look.”
The Avalanche are still without captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Ross Colton (broken foot), Jonathan Drouin (upper body), and Miles Wood, who was placed on injured reserve Monday with an upper body injury. Drouin was seen skating in a red non-contact sweater during Monday’s practice.
“A big boost,” defenseman Cale Makar said about the return of teammates. “I mean, obviously, they play big roles for us.” Makar mentioned that the team has been welcoming to Nichushkin as he returns.
Nichushkin missed a second consecutive postseason last May due to issues off the ice. The league and the players’ association announced his suspension just one hour before the Avalanche’s 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on May 13, during a second-round series that Colorado would go on to lose.
The 29-year-old Russian right winger also left the team suddenly during a 2023 first-round playoff series against Seattle for what was called personal reasons. He missed the final five games of the series as the Avalanche lost 4-3.
“I don’t think there’s anything that really needs to be said,” Makar said. “I think Val is one of those guys he’s going to put the work in, and you’ve got to trust that. If he wants to lean on us, we can always help him.
“It’s awesome to see him back. It’s awesome to see him around the rink smiling and having fun and just being back on the ice with the guys.”
Nichushkin is signed through the 2029-30 season after agreeing to an eight-year, $49 million contract with the Avalanche in 2022. He had his best season last year, scoring 28 goals in 54 regular-season games.
“We need him, obviously. I don’t want to go through the past at all, what has happened before, but we need him in the lineup,” Rantanen said.
“He’s a big part of our team, a really good player, and he’s going to help us win games. So that’s why we’re excited to have him back, because all we care about is winning games.”
