Valeri Nichushkin placed in NHLPA assistance program stage 3 - suspended without pay for min. 6 months

[LOFIN]

He's one of the best players on the Avs and has an 8-year deal...his contract is not going to get terminated and he will remain in Colorado.

For now. I have zero doubt the Avs are going to try to move him. And there are going to be teams interested.

 

[Mike C]

Walmart's drugtests are a testament to the US being a third world country regarding workers' rights and are in no proportion to what is appropriate.

A company buying a service from an individual doesn't give them the right to ask for medical tests unless it's closely relevant to the job (health industry, etc.)

Even less so in an entertainment business like the NHL.

Addiction certainly is a daunting challenge for an affected individual but it's none of the employers business per se. If theres a negative effect on the employee's performance, there's always the option to fire someone, but that clearly wasn't the case with Nishuskin.

That being said, if there were other issues e g. in the locker room that we don't know about that's a different story.

Employers don't want an impaired person getting hurt on the job, stealing to support their habit, stuff like that. Freedom comes with responsibility. The employee has the option of not taking a job with a company if they don't like it's policies. If you aren't doing anything wrong, you don't have to worry

 

[Sentinel]

This sucks. He was having a great playoffs. I wish they waited until the end of (Avs) playoffs.

 

[Mike C]

Addiction is a shitty thing. Get better Val

I got a sad sinking feeling when I heard the news. I make my share of jokes out here and like to goof around. This goes way beyond hockey.

Addiction is a matter of life and death. I've been sober almost 28 years. I've carried a bunch of good people out of churches in boxes

For an addict, nothing else matters when the drug, drink, bet, porn site, etc has that stranglehold on you. We don't love our wives and kids and jobs any less--we just can't stop even if we want to


Yes there is a certain responsibility on the user but until I entered a 12 step recovery program, I wasn't capable of taking the action necessary to stay sober

If you want a drink, or whatever, have one, if you NEED one, get help. We can't do it alone. As a recovering alcoholic, I suggest this guy and anyone else struggling need prayer.

 

[KevinRedkey]

what does it matter? same as being on probation, you've done wrong and part of the consequences demands that you change your behavior regardless as to whether it's "fair" or not

I'm not defending him. Just trying to understand the situation more.

 

[lettuceAA]

Thats a lie and you know it...That being said is Nichushkin operating heavy machinery that can kill other people?

Just a terrible hot take...

He was caught with a heavily intoxicated women in his hotel room. To avoid punishment he entered the assistance program. Part of that program is counseling and testing. He has failed multiple tests and is facing the consequences. This isn't a random test, it's not for safety reasons. It's the program he agreed to enter to avoid other consequences and perhaps because he needed the help, and to continue being paid.

 

[Mike C]

What a terrible hot take.

I guess the rest of the team is just trash.

no, Dallas is just better Nuke, or no Nuke.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Walmart's drugtests are a testament to the US being a third world country regarding workers' rights and are in no proportion to what is appropriate.

Lol, just because you disagree with something doesn't make it "third world".

The U.S. values the freedom to contract. If you don't value that, live somewhere else.

 

[HighAndTight]

Walmart's drugtests are a testament to the US being a third world country regarding workers' rights and are in no proportion to what is appropriate.

A company buying a service from an individual doesn't give them the right to ask for medical tests unless it's closely relevant to the job (health industry, etc.)

Even less so in an entertainment business like the NHL.

Addiction certainly is a daunting challenge for an affected individual but it's none of the employers business per se. If theres a negative effect on the employee's performance, there's always the option to fire someone, but that clearly wasn't the case with Nishuskin.

That being said, if there were other issues e g. in the locker room that we don't know about that's a different story.

IIRC, conduct detrimental to the team is in every players contract in almost every sport.

 

[WarriorofTime]

He was caught with a heavily intoxicated women in his hotel room.

That may be the official way of saying it to avoid saying anything potentially defamatory, but there's nothing wrong with heaving a "heavily intoxicated woman (or women)" in a hotel room, as long as everyone is there consensually. The issue is there were drugs and the women were prostitutes. So he entered into Player Assistance to avoid what would have amounted to punishment and a condition to that were drug tests, which he has apparently failed.

 

[Kranix]

He was caught with a heavily intoxicated women in his hotel room. To avoid punishment he entered the assistance program. Part of that program is counseling and testing. He has failed multiple tests and is facing the consequences. This isn't a random test, it's not for safety reasons. It's the program he agreed to enter to avoid other consequences and perhaps because he needed the help, and to continue being paid.

That whole thing went away and the police didn't do anything. Are you saying the NHL somehow made a deal with the Seattle police that Nichushkin would enter their namby-pamby program and something nefarious with this woman would be swept under the rug? Come on.

 

[The Macho King]

Lol, just because you disagree with something doesn't make it "third world".

The U.S. values the freedom to contract. If you don't value that, live somewhere else.

People buying this Lochner bullshit makes me very sad.

 

[Mike C]

Lol, just because you disagree with something doesn't make it "third world".

The U.S. values the freedom to contract. If you don't value that, live somewhere else.

people are acting like using drugs is on par with sipping a dasani. aren't dugs illegal? shouldn't an employer not want that baggage and all that comes with it in their workplace. am i missing something here??

 

[Kranix]

people are acting like using drugs is on par with sipping a dasani. aren't dugs illegal? shouldn't an employer not want that baggage and all that comes with it in their workplace. am i missing something here??

He had 9 f***ing goals and now they're deflated and Mack is crying and screaming probably

 

[The Macho King]

He had 9 f***ing goals and now they're deflated and Mack is crying and screaming probably

DueKinnon is now taking illicit gluten to cope.

 

[Jee]

Addiction sucks, but at the end of the day you're the one taking decisions. Hope he gets his shit together.

 

[TheOne]

Just because something happens doesn’t mean it isn’t bullshit. Employers love to overstep and there’s enough idiots who’ve convinced themselves it’s in the interest of “professionalism”. Unless you’re in a situation where you’re presenting the company negatively outside of work hours or what you do affects your performance then it’s none of their business. Anyway, my point is, employers can’t drug test prospective employees in Canada except under limited circumstances, which is a good thing.

You're yelling at clouds here, what exactly is your point? Val had terms and conditions he had to abide by for purposes of his employment, and he knowingly chose to agree to them only to violate them. That's called "bad-faith". Whether or not you think those T&C's are fair is completely irrelevant and doesn't change the fact that he did. Do you refuse to pay your taxes because you don't think you shouldn't have to?

 

[Zbynek]

He got empathy two times within 6 months buddy.

I mean, they found a heavy druged hooker in his room in Seattle and got him away immediately. That was allready borderline and he killed his team right there.

Then he got "sleeping problems" and claimed it was because of his newborn. Ok.

This is trike No. 3 and the worst blow he could have delivered to his team and career.

At what point is it enough?

And the biggest joke: He still has his contract.

I only feel sorry for his wife, young child and family. That´s it.

Personally I agree 100%

 

[WarriorofTime]

People buying this Lochner bullshit makes me very sad.

idc about your politics, throwing out BS terms like "third world" because you disagree with something is a nonsense tactic.

 

[Edenjung]

Drug tests are the norm in sports.
Or for better words, a doping test is the norm. And its enforced by the anti-doping agencies of the countries. In team-sports there is a huge lack of testing though compared to most other sports (track and field for example are highly tested, even I got tested back in my teens). And yes the WADA also includes recreational drugs as doping (even weed ^^). And people got busted for that.
Best example: maradonna got banned for cocaine in 90/91 and got banned for 15 months for cocaine. Later he also got banned for using ephedrine when tested during the WC in 94.

Now lets come to the NHL. The NHL uses the WADA rules and tests atleast twice.
And while the tests seem not to be conducted by the USADA (US anti-doping agency), they should be using the same tests and practices.
Here is a more updated info about the anti-doping/ drug policy of the NHL.

The whole discussion about testing for drugs is absurd, because its stated in the CBA that they test for drugs. And it is more than common in every other sport to do drug/doping tests. And while we can discuss what substances should be tested for (alcohol is not on the list, but weed is which is kinda dumb), there is no real point to discuss if there even should be tests.

 

[NorthStar4Canes]

Walmart's drugtests are a testament to the US being a third world country regarding workers' rights and are in no proportion to what is appropriate.

A company buying a service from an individual doesn't give them the right to ask for medical tests unless it's closely relevant to the job (health industry, etc.)

Even less so in an entertainment business like the NHL.

Addiction certainly is a daunting challenge for an affected individual but it's none of the employers business per se. If theres a negative effect on the employee's performance, there's always the option to fire someone, but that clearly wasn't the case with Nishuskin.

Stopped reading at "the US being a third world country regarding workers' rights....".

Go spend some time inside actual 3rd world countries' workplaces, note how workers are treated, and what rights they have. Then re-read your statement. You'll die from embarrassment.

 

[Mike C]

Just because something happens doesn’t mean it isn’t bullshit. Employers love to overstep and there’s enough idiots who’ve convinced themselves it’s in the interest of “professionalism”. Unless you’re in a situation where you’re presenting the company negatively outside of work hours or what you do affects your performance then it’s none of their business. Anyway, my point is, employers can’t drug test prospective employees in Canada except under limited circumstances, which is a good thing.

said the guy who would get hurt on the job while high on drugs and sue the company for not stepping in and trying to help

 

[dirtydanglez]

rooting for val. i hope he figures it out.

 

[TheOne]

What someone does in their off hours for Wal-Mart "wages" shouldn't be a concern, BUT employees should definitely be responsible for not being at work under the influence.

El Oh Effing El

Your naivety is adorable

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Again, no it's not. Drugs like cocaine don't cripple a players ability to perform. Often they increase it. I'm sure it's decreasing now, but 80% of all NHL players in history could be classified as drug addicts or alcoholics.

And 93% of all unsourced statistics are complete made up.

lol getting caught once makes you innocent, twice of the same issue just makes you stupid

or someone with an addiction problem.