Avalanche coach and players react to Valeri Nichushkin's suspension
Valeri Nichushkin of the Colorado Avalanche has been suspended and the reaction from the team's coach and players indicates not everyone is happy with him
For the second year in a row, Valeri Nichushkin has had to exit the postseason while the rest of the Colorado Avalanche attempt to make it to the Stanley Cup final. Nichushkin has been suspended for at least six months and is entering stage 3 of the NHL's Player Assistance program. While his coach and teammates want what's best for him, there also seem to be some hard feelings as well. It is interesting to note that Nichushkin's nameplate has already been removed from the Avs dressing room.
Following Colorado's 5-1 loss last night to go down 3-1 in their second round series against the Dallas Stars, Avs coach Jared Bednar said Nichushkin's absence is a detriment to the team.
It hurts our team. There's no question.
... I want what's best for him... We hope that he can find some peace and get help."
Avalanche star Cale Makar was quick to bring up that this is the second time he and his teammates have had to deal with this in the playoffs.
Jack Johnson was very blunt when asked about Nichushkin.
Many on social media have mentioned that his teammates seem somewhat annoyed by having to go through this two years in a row. When playing at 100 percent, Nichushkin is an absolute beast on the ice, and it will be hard not to notice his absence. That said, having this happen two years in a row brings up serious and valid questions about Nichushkin's reliability as a teammate.
| POLL | ||
What do you think of the reaction from the Colorado Avalanche on Valeri Nichushkin's suspension? | ||
| They have a right to be annoyed and angry | 186 | 76.2 % |
| They should be supporting him more | 38 | 15.6 % |
| I'm not sure | 20 | 8.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
