Valeri Nichushkin

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing Russia
World Championships
World Junior Championships

Valeri Nichushkin
Valeri Nichushkin
	Nichushkin with the Dallas Stars in January 2014
Born	March 4, 1995 (age 29); Chelyabinsk, Russia
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team; Former teams	Colorado Avalanche; Traktor Chelyabinsk; Dallas Stars; CSKA Moscow
National team	Russia
NHL draft	10th overall, 2013; Dallas Stars
Playing career	2012–present

Valeri Ivanovich Nichushkin (Russian: Валерий Иванович Ничушкин; born March 4, 1995) is a Russian professional ice hockey right winger for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Big Val", and "the Chu Chu Train", he was selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Nichushkin won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

Playing career

Early career

After one season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Nichushkin transferred from Traktor Chelyabinsk to Dynamo Moscow on May 1, 2013. He then signed a two-year contract with Dynamo. However, the deal was terminated conditionally, allowing Nichushkin to play in the NHL, or return to Dynamo if he failed to make the NHL team.

NHL and KHL

Dallas Stars

Nichushkin played his first regular season NHL game on October 3, 2013, against the Florida Panthers.^[1] He scored his first career NHL goal on November 3, against Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators.^[2]

Following a strong rookie season, registering 14 goals and 20 assists, Nichushkin suffered from hip and groin soreness in the beginning of his sophomore campaign in 2014–15. Five games into the season, Nichushkin opted for hip surgery, which was performed on November 18, 2014.^[3] He rehabbed in New Jersey and re-joined the team in March 2015, practicing in a red no-contact jersey.

CSKA Moscow

As a restricted free agent following the conclusion of his entry-level deal in the 2015–16 season, Nichushkin and the Stars failed to agree to common grounds in contract negotiations. Unhappy with his role within the Stars lineup, his KHL rights were traded from Dynamo Moscow to CSKA Moscow on September 20, 2016. He subsequently signed a two-year contract to return to the KHL with CSKA, with his NHL rights to be kept by the Stars.^[4]

Return to Dallas

After two seasons with CSKA, Nichushkin returned to the Stars organization, in agreeing to a two-year, $5.9 million contract on July 1, 2018.^[5] In his return to the Stars in the 2018–19 season, Nichushkin recorded 10 assists in 54 regular season games, averaging 11:55 time on ice per game. He skated in one game during the playoffs with the Stars and failed to record a point.

After a disappointing 2018-19 campaign, failing to score a goal through 57 games, Nichushkin was placed on unconditional waivers by the Stars and subsequently bought out from the remaining year of his contract with the team on 30 June 2019.^[6]

Colorado Avalanche

Nichushkin signed a one-year, $850k contract with the Colorado Avalanche on August 19, 2019. Nichushkin scored his first goal in two years on November 23. In his first season with the Avalanche, generally perceived to be a successful one, Nichushkin especially received high praise from many hockey analytics proponents for his high rankings in many metrics, especially defensive metrics. ^[7] Nichushkin finished the 2019–20 season with 13 goals and 27 points while leading all forwards in the NHL in defensive goals above replacement.^{[citation needed]} Such strong defensive play helped Nichushkin to receive votes for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the award given to the best defensive forward in the NHL, finishing eighth in voting.^[8]

On October 10, 2020, the Avalanche re-signed Nichushkin, who was a restricted free agent, to a two-year, $5 million contract extension.^[9]

In his third season with Avalanche, Nichushkin elevated in a top-six forward role, scored a career-best 52 points in 62 games, adding 15 points in 20 playoff games. He placed third on the team with nine playoff goals to help the Avalanche claim their first Stanley Cup in 21 years.

On July 11, 2022, Nichushkin signed an eight-year, $49 million extension to stay with the Avalanche. The following season, Nichushkin continued his strong play with the Avalanche, recording 47 points in 53 games as Colorado won the division and matched up in the opening round of the playoffs against the expansion Seattle Kraken, who were making their post-season debut as a franchise. Nichushkin played in two games, recording one goal in Game 2. Shortly after, Nichushkin abruptly stepped away from the team for "personal reasons" amid an incident at a Seattle hotel. Nichushkin was reportedly found with an Eastern European woman suffering from severe alcohol intoxication; the woman was reported to be either a prostitute or victim of human trafficking. Despite the nature of the incident, the NHL and Seattle Police reported that Nichushkin would not face criminal charges and Nichushkin would have played if the Avalanche had moved on to the second round.^[10]^[11] Ultimately, the Kraken would claim an upset series victory, defeating the Avalanche in seven games.^[11]

On January 15, 2024, it was announced that Nichushkin had entered the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program and would be unavailable for the team for an indefinite period while he received care from the Player Assistance Program.^[12] After completing the program, Nichushkin returned to the Avalanche lineup on March 8, in a game against the Minnesota Wild where he scored the overtime game winning goal.^[13] On April 28, Nichushkin recorded his first career NHL hat-trick in a 5–1 win over the Winnipeg Jets in game 4 of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.^[14] The Avalanche would defeat the Jets in five games, but during the series against the Stars two weeks later, Nichushkin's season ended when he was given a six month suspension for having violated the terms set forth by the Player Assistance Program, and again entered the program, this time undergoing Stage 3.^[15]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2011–12	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk	MHL	38	4	6	10	6	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk	MHL	9	4	4	8	0	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Chelmet Chelyabinsk	VHL	15	8	2	10	4	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL	18	4	2	6	0	25	6	3	9	0
2013–14	Dallas Stars	NHL	79	14	20	34	8	6	1	1	2	2
2014–15	Dallas Stars	NHL	8	0	1	1	2	—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Texas Stars	AHL	5	0	4	4	12	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Dallas Stars	NHL	79	9	20	29	12	10	0	1	1	2
2016–17	CSKA Moscow	KHL	36	11	13	24	9	9	1	4	5	4
2017–18	CSKA Moscow	KHL	50	16	11	27	14	19	3	6	9	4
2018–19	Dallas Stars	NHL	57	0	10	10	0	1	0	0	0	0
2019–20	Colorado Avalanche	NHL	65	13	14	27	14	15	2	1	3	2
2020–21	Colorado Avalanche	NHL	55	10	11	21	4	10	1	2	3	10
2021–22	Colorado Avalanche	NHL	62	25	27	52	14	20	9	6	15	8
2022–23	Colorado Avalanche	NHL	53	17	30	47	2	2	1	0	1	0
2023–24	Colorado Avalanche	NHL	54	28	25	53	22	8	9	1	10	2
KHL totals			104	31	26	57	23	53	10	13	23	8
NHL totals			512	116	158	274	78	72	23	12	35	26

International

Year	Team	Event	Place	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012	Russia	U17		5	3	3	6	0
2012	Russia	WJC18	5th	6	2	0	2	0
2013	Russia	WJC		6	1	1	2	25
2013	Russia	WJC18	4th	6	4	3	7	0
2014	Russia	OG	5th	5	1	0	1	0
2017	Russia	WC		6	0	3	3	0
Junior totals				23	10	7	17	25
Senior totals				11	1	3	4	0