Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will make his season debut on Nov. 15 against the Washington Capitals, head coach Jared Bednar announced Monday, per NHL.com's Ryan Boulding.
The date is Nichushkin's first opportunity to play following a six-month ban for a failed drug test. He was cleared to rejoin his teammates for practice by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on Monday.
Nichushkin missed 22 games last season in the player assistance program. He returned to Colorado's lineup in March, then entered Stage 3 of the program during the second round of the playoffs.
The 29-year-old is an integral piece of the Avalanche's lineup when available. Nichushkin's notched 100 points across 107 games over the past three seasons and chipped in 15 playoff points in 2022 as Colorado captured the Stanley Cup.
Nichushkin signed an eight-year, $49-million extension to stay in Denver after the championship.
The Avalanche have been ravaged by injuries in the early portion of the season but are 5-7-0 after losing their first four games.
