Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin appears to be healthy to start the 2025-26 season.
For the first time in over two years, the Avalanche will open a season with Nichushkin ready to play.
More than a year ago, during Colorado’s second-round matchup against the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Nichushkin was suspended for six months and entered Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program following a failed drug test. The announcement arrived just moments before Game 4, marking the second-consecutive postseason in which the Russian forward was sidelined due to off-ice issues.