Receiving bad news before any game is tough, but finding out a top player is gone for a while can be devastating. The timing varied when players and coaches learned that Valeri Nichushkin was placed in Stage 3 of the NHL Player Assistance Program. No matter when they found out, it was not easy to digest.
"Yeah, I don't got much to say on that. Found out in the morning, talked to CMac (GM Chris MacFarland) and Joe (Sakic, President of Hockey Operations). Obviously, tough for him, his family, and that's all I'm going to say on that," Nathan MacKinnon said on Tuesday after an optional practice.
A player placed in Stage 3 of the program automatically gets an at least six-month suspension without pay and is not eligible for reinstatement until after the determined time has passed.
While the loss hits harder in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team is focused on playing the next game. Devon Toews was out of Game 4 due to illness which made a bad situation worse, but forward Casey Mittelstadt said the sudden lineup changes did not completely throw off the team's chemistry.
Related: Valeri Nichushkin placed in NHL Player Assistance Program, suspended for at least 6 months
“Yeah, I'd probably be lying obviously, you lose Taser (Devon Toews) and Val (Nichushkin) are big pieces. And so maybe a little bit but you know, seems like we’ve got a really close group in here," Mittelstadt said. "Guys are ready to step in. And I mean, you look down even at the guys who come in they're good players. I feel like they're playing on any other team really and yes, maybe a little bit but you know, I think it's also on us to be ready. And like I said, we've got good players coming in. So that's definitely not the concern.”
Bednar said he was not pleased with what transpired but was also hopeful for Nichushkin, personally and professionally.
"Val is obviously struggling with something. I have two thoughts. Yeah, it sucks for our team. We’ve got to turn the page. We’ve got to go play way better than we did today. There's still 20-plus guys in that room that care and want to win and that are here. That's what we have to focus on. It hurts our team. There's no question. He's a great player.
"And the second one is I've gotten to know Val as a person and I’ve gotten to know him as one of our teammates and I want what’s best for him. I want him to be happy and I want him to be content in his life, whether that is with our team or not with our team. I want the best for him and his family. I think all of our guys are the same. We hope that he can find some peace and get help. That’s the other side of it. Hockey is not life and death, even though we treat it like it is. Val is a big priority. And our team is another one. Now they are separated. They’re not together. He’s done for six months plus, whatever that looks like. So we treat it like an injured player who is not able to play for us, like OC (Logan O'Connor) or like Landy (Gabriel Landeskog). We have to worry about the guys who are on the ice and able to play for us."
Top-six forward Jonathan Drouin returned to the lineup after missing nearly a month with a lower-body injury he suffered in the last game of the season. The excitement of his return was unfortunately overshadowed by the Nichushkin news, which impacted the team just before game time.
“Yeah, it does. But like I said, you're a pro, we're all humans, and we're all mature. And that's the stuff you don't really control. Obviously he made a decision and it's going to suck not having him here but you got to move on or get ready for a game and that was our only way,” Drouin said.
Game 5 is Wednesday in Dallas — a must-win for the Avalanche as they are down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
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