Jared Bednar responds to Valeri Nichushkin letting down Avs teammates after six-month suspension for reported drug test failure 

By Srihari Anand

Modified May 14, 2024 07:36 GMT

Valeri Nichushkin did not play in Game 4 because of a six-month suspension he was handed by the NHL and NHLPA, after reportedly failing a drug test. It was announced that Nichushkin has been placed in Stage 3 of the NHLPA's Player Assistance Program and therefore will serve a minimum six-month suspension without pay.

The Avs forward would be reinstated once he finishes serving his suspension, per the statement.

Colorado Avalanche struggled with offense in Game 4 in Valeri Nichushkin's absence and netted only one goal, in contrast to the Dallas Stars' five goals. Up until Game 3, Nichushkin had 10 points from nine goals and one assist in eight games played in this year's playoffs for the Avs.

During the post-game interview, head coach Jared Bednar was asked about Valeri Nichushkin's situation and how much the Russian forward had let his team down, to which Bednar replied:

"I'm not gonna go there. I think Val is obviously struggling with something. Yeah, it sucks for our team, we got to turn the page, we got to go play way better than we did today."

Bednar acknowledged that Nichushkin's absence will hurt the Avalanche, who will now play in a win-or-go-home Game 5 against the Stars on Wednesday, but pointed out there are many players on the team who will attempt to fill the void left because of the forward's absence.

Bednar's response was a personal turn addressing the situation and he wished for Nichushkin to be happy and content with his life, and that he wants what's best for him and his family.

Bednar even seemed to hint that Nichushkin and the Colorado Avalanche may want to move in separate directions in the future.

He said:

"I want him to be happy and I want to be content [with] his life, whether that's with our team or not with our team... We hope he can find some peace and get help."

The Avs HC added that the team will treat Valeri Nichushkin's absence like the indefinite long-term injuries to Logan O'Connor and Gabriel Landeskog. Bednar added that the Avs organization now had separate priorities, one being Valeri Nichushkin and his well-being and the other being the team and players' performance.

Valeri Nichushkin's teammates dejected with forward's decision but hopeful for his recovery

Veteran Jack Johnson shared his thoughts on Nichushkin's suspension after the reported drug test failure. Per Denver Post's Corey Masisak, Johnson's tern reply on the situation was:

“He made his decisions. That’s all I’m going to say on that. He made his decisions.”

Devon Toews missed Game 4 due to an illness. When asked about the impact of Nichushkin and Toews' absence from Game 4, Cale Makar said:

"I mean, it's definitely tough,” Makar said. “Obviously, you go home expecting both to play. It's unfortunate the way that it ended up. At the same time, we have a deep group, we get Drouin back, so there was a lot of confidence in the room.”

Jonathan Drouin, who came back from an injury after missing eight games, and essentially took Nichushkin's role said the news of a teammate's situation can deflate a team. Drouin acknowledged the human nature of Valeri Nichushkin's situation and labeled it "stuff you can't control", being his teammates.

Valeri Nichushkin was tied with Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman for the most goals in this season's playoffs with nine. Despite his absence in the regular season, the Russian forward set career-high numbers of 53 points from 28 goals in 54 games played.