Intoxicated woman found in Avalanche’s Valeri Nichushkin hotel room hospitalized: reports
Nichushkin has not played since Game 2 for personal reasons
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police in Seattle say a heavily intoxicated woman was hospitalized after being found in the hotel room of Colorado Avalanche star Valeri Nichushkin amid the team’s first round playoff series against the Seattle Kraken, according to police records.
A report from the Seattle Police Department, obtained by KDVR, stated that the 28-year-old woman was discovered by team employees on April 22 when they were conducting a check on Nichushkin at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle.
Valeri Nichushkin, #13 of the Colorado Avalanche, looks on in the first period of Game One against the Seattle Kraken in the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2023 in Denver. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
A team doctor called 911 just before 3:30 p.m., and after the woman was deemed too intoxicated to leave on her own, she was hospitalized. The doctor reportedly told authorities that the woman struck him, but he did not want to press charges.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}KRAKEN TAKE CRUCIAL GAME 5 VICTORY OVER AVALANCHE IN FIRST ROUND
The incident took place before Game 3 at Climate Pledge Arena.
Nichushkin has been away from the team for personal reasons since then, Colorado coach Jared Bednar announced after Saturday’s victory, adding that there was no timeline on his return.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A spokesperson with the Seattle Police Department told The Denver Post that there is no criminal investigation into the incident. A Denver police officer traveling with the team also said there were "no reports of any criminal interactions," according to the police report.
Valeri Nichushkin, #13 of the Colorado Avalanche, focuses on a face-off in Game Two of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 20, 2023 in Denver. (Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images)
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The Seattle Times reported that the woman identified herself as Ukrainian, but noted that she was born in Russia. She told authorities she "should never have come to the United States and that some guy took her passport and that he was a bad person."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was not immediately clear based on the report if she was intoxicated with drugs or alcohol, the Times reported.
Nichushkin was tied for fourth on Colorado’s roster with 17 goals in the regular season and his goal in the second period of Game 2 pulled the Avalanche even after Seattle jumped to a 2-0 lead in the opening period.
Valeri Nichushkin, #13 of the Colorado Avalanche, celebrates after scoring a second-period goal in Game Two of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 20, 2023 in Denver. (Ashley Potts/NHLI via Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Avalanche return to Climate Pledge Arena on Friday to take on the Kraken in Game 6. Seattle leads the series 3-2.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.