Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin is in hot water for an encounter he had with a woman in a Seattle hotel. The woman was found in a hotel room that Nichushkin was staying in, and recent audio of a 911 call reporting the incident sheds more light on what happened, reports the Seattle Times' Geoff Baker.
The caller requested assistance for the woman and reported that the woman had likely overdosed on alcohol or “something got mixed in a drink.” Police records released last week indicate that the caller was Avalanche team physician Dr. Bradley Changstrom. Dr. Changstrom was with the team on the road for the first round series between the Avalanche and the Seattle Kraken.
“We suspect someone might have OD’d on alcohol potentially or something got mixed in a drink, we don’t know yet,” Changstrom states.
As for Nichushkin, he had a goal in Game 2 of the series, but did not play on the same day the woman was found and has not been seen in public since the incident. He didn't play for the rest of the series, amid the Avalanche stating that he was out for “personal reasons.”
Regardless of where Valeri Nichushkin is now, the main concern is ensuring the woman is okay. She was taken to Virginia Mason Medical Center for observation, but no update has been provided on her condition. In the meantime, no criminal investigation is underway, and the Colorado Avalanche have since seen their season come to an end. Stay tuned for updates.