NHL makes decision on Valeri Nichushkin's future

If you remember last season and specifically the National Hockey League playoffs, you may recall that Colorado Avalanche right winger Valeri Nichushkin left the team almost without a trace, and there was no comment released.

Fast forward to this season, and Nichushkin entered the National Hockey League Players Assistant Program on January 15th to get help for what one can only imagine as struggles he knew he could not deal with on his own. Today, word dropped that the twenty-eight-year-old from Chelyabinsk, Russia, has been cleared to resume practice with the Avalanche, which will be a boost to his morale and a boost to the team when he's cleared to play, which is currently to be determined.


The players' assistance program has been such that it has helped several players manage various problems and get them back on their feet and in a position to contribute again with their respective teams, and hopefully here it is no different.


What needs to be remembered is that addiction and mental health affect nearly all of us, that it's okay to not be okay, and that requesting help shows strength and not weakness.