Valeri Nichushkin saga takes fresh twist as Avalanche physician involved in drama no longer with team

The saga around Valeri Nichushkin has taken a twist as the Colorado Avalanche's training camp opened.

Nichushkin played in the first two games of the Avalanche's first-round playoff series against the Seattle Kraken. Before Game 3, the Russian left the team, which coach Jared Bednar said is due to personal reasons.

However, The Athletic reported that an Avalanche team physician, Bradley Changstrom, encountered a heavily intoxicated woman in Nichushkin’s hotel room before Game 3 and called 911. The team physician determined that the woman was too inebriated to leave the hotel in a rideshare or cap service.

Nichushkin was named in the report, and when the woman was in the ambulance, she told a Seattle police officer “some guy took her passport and that he was a bad person."

Since then, there hasn't been much of an update on the situation, but on Thursday, The Athletic reported that physician Changstrom, who found the woman, is no longer working with the team.

According to The Athletic, an Avalanche spokesperson did not comment on whether Changstrom, the team or UC Health made the decision for Changstrom not to return to the team this season.

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Valeri Nichushkin has not talked about the incident

When the Colorado Avalanche training camp opened, the media did ask Valeri Nichushkin about the incident in Seattle.

However, the Russian wasn't interested in talking about it and said that it's in the past, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.

“It was family reasons. I know you guys want to find something there, but there’s nothing really interesting. I think we should close it. It’s a new season right now. We have to focus on that. ... I told you, let’s close it. I don’t want to talk about it."

According to Nichushkin, he says had the Avalanche made it to the second round, he would have been back in the lineup. However, Colorado lost in seven games to the Seattle Kraken in the first round.

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A look at Valeri Nichushkin's NHL career

Valeri Nichushkin was drafted 10th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2013 and spent the first four years of his NHL career with them. However, after three years with Dallas, he played two years in Russia before returning.

After four years with the Stars, Nichushkin signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. He then signed a two-year deal, and after three seasons, inked an eight-year $49 million deal to remain in Colorado.

In his NHL career, Nichushkin has skated in 458 games and recorded 221 points.