DENVER—Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin on Monday night was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in stage 3 of the league’s player-assistance program.
The National Hockey League and NHL Players’ Association announced the news about an hour before the start of Game 4 of Colorado’s second-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Dallas Stars. It’s the second time this season that Nichushkin has been in the program. Stage 3 means Nichushkin violated terms of the program.
