Latest news with #NHLPAPlayerAssistanceProgram
Fox Sports
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Nichushkin's personal life is in a 'good spot' ahead of Avalanche-Stars playoff series, coach says
Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin took strides to take his hard-checking, goal-scoring game to another level this season. Same with his life away from the rink, his Colorado Avalanche teammates, coach and GM maintain. It was nearly a year ago against the Dallas Stars when Nichushkin was suspended for six months and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The announcement came just before Game 4 of the second-round series, marking the second straight postseason where the right winger from Russia was unavailable because of circumstances away from the ice. Nichushkin and the Avalanche are facing the Stars — the team that drafted him in 2013 — in a first-round series that starts Saturday in Dallas. 'His personal life's in a really good spot,' Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Friday before the team boarded a plane for Dallas. 'I'm just really happy for him and proud that he put in the work." Added teammate Logan O'Connor: "Anyone that goes through that personal adversity, it's hard not to root for them. The comeback he's had has been remarkable. To play at the level he has, it's definitely something that guys are proud of for him, and we certainly root for him all the time.' When in the lineup, the 30-year-old Nichushkin has been a valuable piece for the Avalanche. The team is 224-79-29 all-time when he plays. But he's missed the past two playoff losses for off-the-ice issues. Earlier this week, general manager Chris MacFarland was asked about potential trust issues given what's transpired with Nichushkin. "I've got the utmost confidence and faith in Val,' MacFarland said. 'I look at what he's done on the ice and what he's had to go through, and again, have the utmost faith in him that he's in a great place, and he'll continue to to grind it out here for us and be a good player.' Nichushkin missed the opening 17 games because of the suspension before making his season debut on Nov. 15 against Washington. He's banged up, too, and sidelined for 21 games due to a lower-body injury. Still, he finished with 21 goals and 13 assists in averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Nichushkin is a 'forechecking machine,' according to defenseman Erik Johnson, and contributes on special teams. He had his first regular-season hat trick last month. 'Just a player everyone needs but not everybody has,' Johnson said of Nichushkin, who was an integral part of Colorado winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. 'We're luck to have him.' It was a blow for the Avalanche losing him against the Stars. Colorado went on to lose the series in six games. This after Nichushkin 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. 'He took the right necessary steps to get in a healthy place. We had his back the whole time,' O'Connor said. "He's been awesome. I think he's really improved on his own well-being, and he's opened up more. As a locker room, we maybe weren't doing as good of a job making him feel open before that as well. It's collectively been really healthy this year. You've seen the results on the ice, and we're really proud of him. "It's been a tough journey for him, but we're happy he's at where he's at. He's in a great place.' ___ AP NHL: recommended
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nichushkin's personal life is in a 'good spot' ahead of Avalanche-Stars playoff series, coach says
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) reacts after getting hit in the face during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang) Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) defends against Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) in the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan) Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) skates against Vegas Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy (10) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan) Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) skates against Vegas Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy (10) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan) Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) reacts after getting hit in the face during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang) Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore (27) defends against Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) in the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan) Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) skates against Vegas Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy (10) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan) DENVER (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin took strides to take his hard-checking, goal-scoring game to another level this season. Same with his life away from the rink, his Colorado Avalanche teammates, coach and GM maintain. Advertisement It was nearly a year ago against the Dallas Stars when Nichushkin was suspended for six months and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The announcement came just before Game 4 of the second-round series, marking the second straight postseason where the right winger from Russia was unavailable because of circumstances away from the ice. Nichushkin and the Avalanche are facing the Stars — the team that drafted him in 2013 — in a first-round series that starts Saturday in Dallas. 'His personal life's in a really good spot,' Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Friday before the team boarded a plane for Dallas. 'I'm just really happy for him and proud that he put in the work." Added teammate Logan O'Connor: "Anyone that goes through that personal adversity, it's hard not to root for them. The comeback he's had has been remarkable. To play at the level he has, it's definitely something that guys are proud of for him, and we certainly root for him all the time.' Advertisement When in the lineup, the 30-year-old Nichushkin has been a valuable piece for the Avalanche. The team is 224-79-29 all-time when he plays. But he's missed the past two playoff losses for off-the-ice issues. Earlier this week, general manager Chris MacFarland was asked about potential trust issues given what's transpired with Nichushkin. "I've got the utmost confidence and faith in Val,' MacFarland said. 'I look at what he's done on the ice and what he's had to go through, and again, have the utmost faith in him that he's in a great place, and he'll continue to to grind it out here for us and be a good player.' Nichushkin missed the opening 17 games because of the suspension before making his season debut on Nov. 15 against Washington. He's banged up, too, and sidelined for 21 games due to a lower-body injury. Still, he finished with 21 goals and 13 assists in averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time. Advertisement The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Nichushkin is a 'forechecking machine,' according to defenseman Erik Johnson, and contributes on special teams. He had his first regular-season hat trick last month. 'Just a player everyone needs but not everybody has,' Johnson said of Nichushkin, who was an integral part of Colorado winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. 'We're luck to have him.' It was a blow for the Avalanche losing him against the Stars. Colorado went on to lose the series in six games. This after Nichushkin 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. Advertisement 'He took the right necessary steps to get in a healthy place. We had his back the whole time,' O'Connor said. "He's been awesome. I think he's really improved on his own well-being, and he's opened up more. As a locker room, we maybe weren't doing as good of a job making him feel open before that as well. It's collectively been really healthy this year. You've seen the results on the ice, and we're really proud of him. "It's been a tough journey for him, but we're happy he's at where he's at. He's in a great place.' ___ AP NHL:
Associated Press
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Nichushkin's personal life is in a 'good spot' ahead of Avalanche-Stars playoff series, coach says
DENVER (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin took strides to take his hard-checking, goal-scoring game to another level this season. Same with his life away from the rink, his Colorado Avalanche teammates, coach and GM maintain. It was nearly a year ago against the Dallas Stars when Nichushkin was suspended for six months and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The announcement came just before Game 4 of the second-round series, marking the second straight postseason where the right winger from Russia was unavailable because of circumstances away from the ice. Nichushkin and the Avalanche are facing the Stars — the team that drafted him in 2013 — in a first-round series that starts Saturday in Dallas. 'His personal life's in a really good spot,' Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Friday before the team boarded a plane for Dallas. 'I'm just really happy for him and proud that he put in the work.' Added teammate Logan O'Connor: 'Anyone that goes through that personal adversity, it's hard not to root for them. The comeback he's had has been remarkable. To play at the level he has, it's definitely something that guys are proud of for him, and we certainly root for him all the time.' When in the lineup, the 30-year-old Nichushkin has been a valuable piece for the Avalanche. The team is 224-79-29 all-time when he plays. But he's missed the past two playoff losses for off-the-ice issues. Earlier this week, general manager Chris MacFarland was asked about potential trust issues given what's transpired with Nichushkin. 'I've got the utmost confidence and faith in Val,' MacFarland said. 'I look at what he's done on the ice and what he's had to go through, and again, have the utmost faith in him that he's in a great place, and he'll continue to to grind it out here for us and be a good player.' Nichushkin missed the opening 17 games because of the suspension before making his season debut on Nov. 15 against Washington. He's banged up, too, and sidelined for 21 games due to a lower-body injury. Still, he finished with 21 goals and 13 assists in averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Nichushkin is a 'forechecking machine,' according to defenseman Erik Johnson, and contributes on special teams. He had his first regular-season hat trick last month. 'Just a player everyone needs but not everybody has,' Johnson said of Nichushkin, who was an integral part of Colorado winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. 'We're luck to have him.' It was a blow for the Avalanche losing him against the Stars. Colorado went on to lose the series in six games. This after Nichushkin 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. 'He took the right necessary steps to get in a healthy place. We had his back the whole time,' O'Connor said. 'He's been awesome. I think he's really improved on his own well-being, and he's opened up more. As a locker room, we maybe weren't doing as good of a job making him feel open before that as well. It's collectively been really healthy this year. You've seen the results on the ice, and we're really proud of him. 'It's been a tough journey for him, but we're happy he's at where he's at. He's in a great place.' ___ AP NHL:
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hyman leads Oilers in 7-1 rout over Utah
EDMONTON — Zach Hyman had two goals and an assist and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Mattias Ekholm all had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oilers won their third straight game in convincing fashion, drilling the Utah Hockey Club 7-1 on Tuesday. Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson also scored for the Oilers (40-24-4) who moved three points up on the Los Angeles Kings for second place in the Pacific Division. Sean Durzi replied for Utah (30-27-11) which has lost two of its last three games in the team's pursuit of a Western Conference wild-card playoff spot. Calvin Pickard made 29 saves to collect the win for the Oilers, while Jaxson Stauber recorded 24 saves in the loss for Utah after coming in to start the second period. TAKEAWAYS Utah HC: With usual backup Connor Ingram unavailable as he has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Vejmelka made his 11th consecutive start for Utah, but looked like the workload might be beginning to take a bit of a toll as he allowed three goals on 14 first-period shots before being replaced to start the second by Stauber, who was playing in just his fifth game this season. Oilers: Despite their offensive explosion, Leon Draisaitl was kept off the scoresheet, ending his points streak at a career-high 18 games. The German-born Draisaitl is the fourth player in Oilers franchise history player with a point streak of at least 18 games, and ended up tied for the fourth longest streak in NHL history by a player born outside of North America. KEY MOMENT Edmonton went up by three goals with just four seconds left in the first period as Ekholm made a long pass out of the zone that was tipped over to McDavid in full flight by Evan Bouchard. The Oilers captain made a pretty highlight-reel deke before sifting home his 26th past Vejmelka. McDavid extended his points streak to 12 games and according to NHL Public Relations became the first player in NHL history to have recorded three-point games against 32 different franchises. KEY STAT In sweeping the three-game seasonal series with Utah, the Oilers have now won 10 of their last 12 home games against Western Conference opponents. Their seven remaining home games — in addition to the seven road tilts they have left — are all against Western teams. UP NEXT Utah Hockey Club: Hosts the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Oilers: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2025. Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Week 21 Primer and Pickups: Trade Deadline Fallout; Fantasy Playoffs Begin
With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the real games begin. It was the most interesting deadline in recent memory with major moves as teams in the Central and Atlantic Division engaged in an arms race, led by the Stars acquiring Mikko Rantanen, the Avs acquiring Brock Nelson and the Panthers acquiring Brad Marchand. (Note Monday's episode of the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast will cover all the significant trade deadline deals. The episode will be available at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET.) Fantasy hockey playoffs will also begin this week or next week, depending on your league settings. As we move ahead in the coming weeks, I'll be posting schedules so you may plan ahead. Note most fantasy leagues will end a week before the NHL season to ensure that teams wishing to rest their players for their playoff runs will not affect fantasy lineups. Note on-nights are the usual busy Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and off-nights are the less busy Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Schedule Pick players from teams at the top of the schedule matrix to maximize games and matchups. Green is good. Red is bad. All advanced stats courtesy All positions and rostered percentages are courtesy of Yahoo Fantasy. Points percentages are as of the conclusion of Saturday's games. Season-long adds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo) Logan Cooley, C, Utah (43% rostered) Utah has a fantasy manager's dream schedule right now with four games and only on off-nights. Cooley has been quiet in three straight games but that surely won't last as Utah's top playmaking center. Matchups against the Ducks, Kraken and Canucks are attractive. Adam Fantilli, C, Blue Jackets (31% rostered) No word on when Sean Monahan will return, but I've been saying for quite a while that I don't expect Fantilli's production to drop much even when Monahan returns. Fantilli scored two goals against the Rangers on Sunday and remains their 1C. Tough schedule this week but I think Fantilli and Cooley are the only remaining top centers who have ROS value. Dylan Cozens, C, Senators (29% rostered) I'm going out on a limb and saying Cozens should be rostered for the rest of the season in multi-category leagues. He had a brilliant debut with the Sens, notching an assist with five faceoff wins and nine (!) hits. I think leaving the Sabres will do him a lot of good, and if you're thinking ahead to next season, he has 30-goal, 200-hit potential. Karel Vejmelka, G, Utah (36% rostered) Utah announced Sunday that Connor Ingram entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and will be out indefinitely, thrusting Vejmelka into the starting job with Jaxson Stauber likely serving as the backup. Utah's still very much in the playoff race and Vejmelka's fantasy value increases due to the quantity of starts. Utah has eight games remaining on off-nights. Spencer Knight, G, Blackhawks (29% rostered) Knight has two wins and .951 SP in two starts for the Blackhawks – that's super impressive considering he's been shelled and the Hawks offense doesn't provide a lot of support. I don't expect this run to continue, but after dealing Petr Mrazek to the Red Wings – not sure what Steve Yzerman is thinking there, but I digress – it's paved the way for Knight to take the starting job right now. Knight's fantasy value increases as a puck stopper with the potential for a high volume of saves but still not a great option for wins. The Hawks have 18 games remaining with nine of them on off-nights. Mid-term holds (< 50% rostered on Yahoo) JJ Peterka, LW/RW, Sabres (48% rostered) Not sure why Peterka was being dangled at the deadline but he's been excellent for the Sabres lately and he's the least of their problems right now. His seven-game points streak was snapped in a 4-0 loss to the Panthers but the Sabres play Monday and Wednesday, providing managers with a good streaming option on those off-nights. Ryan Donato, C/LW/RW, Blackhawks (41% rostered) Donato was featured in this space last week and he has not disappointing, stretching his points streak to eight games. He could've been dealt at the deadline but that may not have improved his fantasy value because he might've played a lesser role on a better team. He's centering L2 with Teuvo Teravainen on his wing and plays PP1 with Connor Bedard. Boone Jenner, C/LW, Blue Jackets (33% rostered) Unsurprisingly, Jenner's scoring has slowed but he remains an excellent option for muti-category leagues. His goals will surely come soon to go with his faceoff wins and hits. I'd like to see him with two scoring wingers than just Kent Johnson, and that may still change. Jonathan Drouin, LW/RW, Avalanche (22% rostered) Drouin's the type of fantasy player you pick when he's hot and then drop when he's cold. He's hot right now with three goals and five points in his past five games and the addition of Brock Nelson is a big upgrade over Casey Mittelstadt, not to mention he still plays with Nathan MacKinnon on the power play. The Avs play four times and do not face a stingy opponent until Sunday against the Stars. Morgan Geekie, C/LW/RW, Bruins (16% rostered) The Bruins are out of it but they'll continue to lean on their top line. Geekie is not your typical top-six talent but has been a mainstay on David Pastrnak's opposite wing. He was held without a point against the Lightning in a shutout loss but won five faceoffs and delivered a hit and a block for multi-category value. Luke Hughes, D, Devils (49% rostered) Hughes is worth rostering as long as Dougie Hamilton is out of the lineup. He's taken over duties on PP1 and scored seven assists in his past seven games. Hughes has little value outside of points; he doesn't block a lot of shots nor does he hit. Don't worry about the lack of Jack Hughes since the Devils power play should still have enough weapons to be effective. Filip Hronek, D, Canucks (44% rostered) As long as Quinn Hughes is out, Hronek is the Canucks' top option. When Hughes is in the lineup, it feels like Hronek defers too much, but he's perfectly capable of being a temporary No. 1. He's notched two assists in consecutive games and the Canucks play four games in Week 21. Alex Vlasic, D, Blackhawks (12% rostered) Don't discount the bad teams until the end of the season. The departure of Seth Jones opened up more ice time for Vlasic, especially on the power play. I think Vlasic provides modest fantasy value in multiple categories. Jake Allen, G, Devils (18% rostered) Given Jacob Markstrom's recent struggles and the Devils' lack of significant moves at the deadline following a season-ending injury to Jack Hughes, I do wonder if they're quietly waving the white flag. It's just not their season. Allen allowed just one goal on 24 shots (.958 SP) to snap the Devils' three-game losing streak and may see more action down the stretch. He's a trusted veteran, and I wouldn't be surprised if he starts one of their two remaining home games in Week 21. Short-term streamers (< 50% rostered on Yahoo) Ivan Barbashev, C/LW, Golden Knights (37% rostered) Based on the schedule matrix, the Knights have one of the easiest schedules in Week 21 and rank No. 1. They're on the road for all four games but play a weekend back-to-back, making Barbashev an ideal pickup later in the week should you need some goals and hits. The only drawback is Barbashev is not playing with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone right now. Ryan O'Reilly, C, Predators (35% rostered) The Preds' recent scoring surge has been a nice surprise. O'Reilly is centering Steven Stamkos – who's been on fire lately – at even strength and on the power play, scoring two goals and three assists in his past three games. The big bonus is the Preds' insanely easy schedule this week with the Sharks and Ducks. Fabian Zetterlund, LW/RW, Senators (24% rostered) Zetterlund will likely make his Sens debut Monday night and it'll be interesting to see where he slots into the lineup. He has the skill to be a top-six winger and the Sens have the ability to score goals in bunches. I like the Sens' schedule early in Week 21 with a back-to-back against weak defensive teams and then Thursday at home against the Bruins, who were big sellers at the deadline. Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Lightning (18% rostered) I think the early returns for Bjorkstrand has been really good, and he's the type of reliable two-way winger who can anchor a third line with Yanni Gourde. He scored a goal in his Lightning debut and added four shots and four hits in two games. He's a good streaming option if you're looking to fill those categories, and his offensive ceiling is now higher with the Lightning than with the Kraken. Remember to bookmark The Hockey News Fantasy site for stats, news, analysis, rankings, projections and more, including the Sleepers and Keepers fantasy hockey podcast!
