For the second year in a row, the Colorado Avalanche will be forced to go without Valeri Nichushkin in a pivotal playoff series. Today it was announced that Nichushkin will be suspended for a minimum of 6 months without pay. This comes after violation of NHL policy.
Unlike most suspensions Nichushkin Will not be automatically reinstated. Instead, he will have to apply to the NHL to be approved to return. This comes after last season, when the forward was involved in a situation at a team hotel. After the incident he left during the middle of the night and was not with a team for the remainder of the series.
