News about Valeri Nichushkin

Colorado Avalanche star Valeri Nichushkin has been suspended without pay for a minimum of six months after reportedly failing a drugs test - months after a troubling incident at a Seattle hotel. Last spring, police responded to a 911 call from the Four Seasons Hotel, where a woman was found heavily intoxicated and placed in an ambulance before Game 3 vs. the Kraken. He missed the final five games of that series for 'personal reasons.' Now, Nichushkin has been sidelined again after he failed a drugs test, according to the Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, and has been placed in Stage 3 of the league's Player Assistance Program. 

A newly released police body camera video footage has prompted concerns about Colorado Avalonche forward Valeri Nichushkin's mysterious exit from a Seattle playoff game on April 22 after an unidentified and possibly intoxicated woman was removed from his hotel room and thrown into an ambulance. On April 22, shortly before the Avalanche banned the Russian-born Nichushkin from the team due to 'personal reasons,' it was previously revealed that police responded to a crisis call at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle at 3:44 p.m. Following a public-disclosure request from the Seattle Times, the Seattle Police Department released more than 40 minutes of video from the Four Seasons Hotel on April 22. Although Nichushkin appears to be from Ukraine by way of Russia, a woman claiming to be from Ukraine is seen questioning by police, as are team physician Dr. Bradley Changstrom.

Nathan MacKinnon is named as the best-paid player in the NHL's salary cap era, outperforming rival Connor McDavid's $12.5 million average annual salary hike by $100,000 per year. According to a person familiar with the situation, MacKinnon, who turned 27 earlier this month, has signed an eight-year contract worth $100.8 million. Since the team did not reveal the terms of the deal, the individual spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Tuesday. The new $12.6 million salary cap, which goes into place at the start of the 2023-24 season, goes into operation. McDavid's $100 million, eight-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017 was the first annual cap hit since the system was introduced in 2005.