Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was sidelined from Monday’s 5-2 victory over Washington after being involved in a car accident en route to the rink.
The player was held out of the game as a precautionary measure following the incident.
Coach Jared Bednar confirmed after the match that Nichushkin had sustained minor injuries and was checked at the facility, stating that "everything seems to be OK."
However, he added, "Just not good enough to play tonight. We’ll see what tomorrow brings for him." Bednar offered limited details, noting only that icy roads after an overnight snowfall contributed to a multi-vehicle collision.
He described it as "a fender bender, but serious enough to keep him out of lineup," admitting, "I’m sorry, I don’t know all the details."
The incident marks another period of unavailability for the 30-year-old Nichushkin, who has already missed eight games this season due to a lower-body injury.
He currently has 11 goals and 16 assists. Last May, he received a suspension of at least six months and was placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, making him unavailable during Colorado’s playoff run for the second consecutive postseason due to off-ice circumstances.
In Nichushkin’s absence, the Avalanche swiftly called up forward Alex Barré-Boulet from the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles.
Barré-Boulet made the 60-mile drive from Loveland, Colorado, in time for the game and contributed an assist on Parker Kelly’s opening goal, marking his first NHL point since the 2023-24 season with Tampa Bay.
Nichushkin’s absence adds to a growing injury list for the Avalanche, who are already without Gabriel Landeskog (upper body), defenceman Devon Toews (upper), and forward Joel Kiviranta (lower body). Forward Logan O’Connor has yet to feature this season as he recovers from offseason hip surgery.
Despite these challenges, the Avalanche boast the best record in the NHL at 34-5-8.
Their success is largely driven by the prolific scoring of Nathan MacKinnon, who netted two goals against the Capitals, bringing his season total to a league-leading 38.
He also recorded an assist, reaching 1,100 career points and joining Hall of Famer Joe Sakic as the only players in franchise history to achieve that milestone.
Bednar praised MacKinnon, saying, "He's had a hell of a career to this point, and there’s no signs of him slowing down. I’m sure he’s well on his way to another however many points he’s going to get."
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