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The NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program has four stages into which a player is placed once they enter the program. The NHLPA Player Assistance Program was created in 1996 to help NHL players struggling with mental health, substance abuse and other issues.
The Player Assistance Program offers players and their families multiple resources including but not limited to, access to mental health professionals and counselors, and a hotline. The program has a staged system and players who enter for the first time (Stage One) are paid for the duration of their stay in the program. Only when their case is escalated to Stage Two and further, is their pay cut for a set period.
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Here is the complete breakdown of the four stages of the NHLPA Player Assistance Program:
Stage One - First in-patient treatment; no penalty
Stage Two - For violation of Stage One treatment plan, suspension without pay during active phase of treatment and then eligible for reinstatement
What is Stage 3 of Player Assistance Program?
Stage Three - For violation of Stage Two treatment plan, suspension without pay for at least six months and then eligible for reinstatement.
Stage Four - For violation of Stage Three treatment plan, suspension without pay for at least one year. Reinstatement not assured.
If a player enters a program, their contract AAV is not exempt from the team's salary cap limit. In Valeri Nichushkin's case, the Colorado Avalanche will have to save $6.125M in pro-rated cap space anticipating his return next season.
The duration of a player's time in the program is not pre-determined and varies from player to player. Hence, whenever the NHL or NHLPA announces a player's entry into the program, it's always mentioned that the player will be out indefinitely. Entrance into the program is completely voluntary, but a player's exit from the program can only be authorized and granted by the program's representatives.
The players who have joined the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program during the 2023-24 season are:
- Ethan Bear, Washington Capitals - Joined program on March 28, 2024
- Valeri Nichushkin, Colorado Avalanche (first time) - Joined program in mid-January, 2024
- Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals (before trade to Hurricanes) - Joined program on February 5, 2024
- Patrik Laine, Columbus Blue Jackets - Joined program on January 29, 2024
- Sam Girard, Colorado Avalanche - Joined program on November 24, 2023
Who manages the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program?
The Player Assistance Program is managed by the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), a union for the 750 players currently playing in the NHL. The NHLPA was established in 1967 to help the players in all fields of hockey from contract negotiation, to marketing and insurance.
As mentioned on the official NHLPA website, here are some of the areas in which the Association provides support for players:
- Negotiating terms of the collective bargaining agreement with the NHL
- Certificication Prgram for player agents
- Salary Arbitration
- Player Grievances
- Professional development programs, and
- Improving working conditions and creating player safety initiatives.
The NHLPA has an Executive Board which comprises of one representative from each of the 32 teams currently in the NHL. Every team has an alternative representative as well. These representatives are tasked with communicating the players' grievances, suggestions and more to the Players' Association. The representatives also have the power to vote in the Associations' decisions in policy making and other affairs.
Here's the full list of the current NHLPA Executive Board:
The NHLPA is currently headed by Executive Director Marty Walsh who has previously served as a mayor of Boston and as U.S. President Joe Biden's Secretary of Labor. Other top brass at the NHLPA include Assistance Executive Director Ron Hainsey, General Counsel Don Zavelo, Deputy General Counsel John Gerba and Divisional Player Representatives Rob Zamuner, Steve Webb, Joe Reekie and Chris Campoli.
