Suspended Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will make his return to play on Friday against the Capitals, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed on Sunday.
Nichushkin is in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. His suspension is slated to last until at least mid-November, but Bednar had previously declared his hope he could be back in the lineup on Nov. 15.
The 29-year-old was cleared to return to practice back on Nov. 4.
Colorado has struggled this season, with a 7-8 record through their first 15 games. They also have many injuries, with forwards Ross Colton, Jonathan Drouin, Miles Wood, and captain Gabriel Landeskog all out long-term.
Nichushkin was unavailable for a second straight post-season last May because of circumstances away from the ice. The league and the players’ association announced his suspension an hour before the start of the Avalanche’s 5-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on May 13 during a second-round series Colorado would lose.
The Russian right winger also abruptly left the team in a 2023 first-round playoff series against Seattle for what was described as personal reasons. He missed the final five games of that postseason as the Avalanche lost the series 4-3.
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