Top forward Valeri Nitšuškin was left out of the Colorado Avalanche’s lineup during the playoff series last spring.
So much happened around Valeri Nitshushkin last April in a hotel in Seattle that the player’s season ended there. Zumawire / MVPhotos
A multi-threaded series of events took place around winger Valeri Nitšushkin during last spring’s playoffs. The Russian player was then absent from the activities of the Colorado Avalanche.
Avalanche stated “personal reasons” as the reason.
Since then, it turned out that a woman was found in the hotel room of the star player in the middle of the day, who had to take the team from the hotel to the hospital because of her state of intoxication. However, Avalanche’s doctor could not send the woman to the hospital with an Uber, but instead called an ambulance.
At one point, the woman punched the Avalanche doctor and also resisted the medical staff.
The Russian striker Nitšuškin did not play a single game after the incident
The matter is forgotten
Avalanche’s Finnish star player Mikko Rantanen does not want to go back to the details of the subject anymore.
– That matter has been finalized within the team. It is last winter’s snow, and it is no longer spoken of. It’s nice to have Valeri back in the gang, Rantanen says to Iltalehte.
– Valeri is a top player. He’s a guy who plays in the top court and 20 minutes a night. An important player for us. Everything is fine in the team and we are working towards the new season.
In last season’s regular season, the 28-year-old Russian scored 17+30=47 in 53 matches.
At the beginning of Avalanche’s training camp, the media asked the Russian about last spring’s disappearance. The player briefly dismissed the events as a “family matter.”
Lehkonen is at work again
Artturi Lehkonen (left) and Mikko Rantanen are Stanley Cup winners and regular Avalanche players. JUSSI ESKOLA
On the other hand, Rantanen has something funny to say about his teammates, in this case Artturi Lehkone.
– Ars’s cheeks are dented, his biceps are in good condition and his helmet is crooked, while it weighs on the camp. He is unchanged and always reliable.
– I’m just arriving at the hall and it’s a little past seven in the morning. I bet Arsi has been pedaling the exercise bike in that hall for half an hour already, “Rane” laughs.
Stanley Cup winner Lehkone begins his second full season in Denver.
Avalanche’s other Finnish players are goalkeeper Justus Annunen and the one applying for a job through a try-out contract Joel Kiviranta.