The case surrounding Valery Nichushkin during the Stanley Cup playoffs unfolded with confusing and evolving details.
The Russian forward for the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, Valery Nichushkin, unexpectedly left the team after the second game of the 1/8 finals against Seattle. The official line from the club cited personal reasons for his departure, while head coach Jared Bednar refrained from offering further explanation beyond that.
A few days later, reports emerged from The Denver Post alleging that a drunken young woman was found at the Seattle hotel where Nichushkin was staying with the team. According to the account, officers found him in his room during a routine check, and the team physician concluded that he was too intoxicated to leave the hotel safely by taxi. Emergency services were summoned, and the woman involved was later hospitalized.
The woman identified herself as a person from Russia but stated she was born in Ukraine. She also claimed that she should not have come to the United States because someone was attempting to seize her passport.
Police notes indicate that the woman initially behaved aggressively and struck a Colorado team doctor, though no formal complaint was filed. In the incident report, a Denver Police Department lieutenant who had corresponded with Seattle police stated there were no reports of criminal activity tied to the incident.
Mark Gandler, the hockey player’s representative, publicly denied the presence of a drunken woman in Nichushkin’s room. In a conversation with Sport-Express, Gandler asserted that the claim of a drunk guest in Nichushkin’s room was false and offered no further comment about Nichushkin’s situation.
Well-known journalist Adrian Deiter suggested that media portrayals had oversimplified the facts, noting that the response came not from Seattle Police but from the Seattle Fire Department, and that police involvement was not part of that specific incident. Deiter emphasized that the coverage often ignores the true sequence of responders in such events.
The identity of the woman involved has not been officially released. Colorado-based journalist Aarif Dean claimed in a separate report that the woman’s name is Irina Prudnikova.
History shows Nichushkin has faced scrutiny before. In November 2021, it came to light that a doping test conducted during preparations for the Sochi 2014 Olympics yielded a testosterone-related finding, which could have led to a suspension of up to four years. The sample in question was taken on March 12, 2013, while Nichushkin was with Traktor Chelyabinsk and contributing to a 3-0 victory over Avangard without scoring himself that day.
Exactly one year later, all charges were dropped following additional review by the Swiss Doping Laboratory. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) informed Nichushkin that the charges were cleared. The Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RHF) welcomed his return to the national team once the sport resumed international competition.
In the ongoing NHL playoffs, Nichushkin played in two games, contributing an abandoned goal. Colorado faced Seattle in a five-game series, with the latest matchups tilting toward Seattle, 3-2, in favor of the Kraken. Nichushkin has been part of the NHL since 2013, selected tenth overall by the Dallas Stars. He joined Colorado in 2019, and last season he signed an eight-year extension worth a total of $49 million.
The evolving narrative around Nichushkin’s behavior off the ice has drawn attention to how such incidents are reported, investigated, and interpreted by teams, players, and media outlets. The case underscores the ongoing scrutiny that high-profile athletes endure, both in their sport and in their personal lives.
As the season progresses, observers continue to watch how Nichushkin’s on-ice performance intersects with off-ice events, and how the team communicates with fans and the broader hockey community about his status and any future implications for the lineup.