Valeri Nichushkin prefers not to talk.  

He’s willing to make an exception.

Last month, in the Avalanche dressing room, the towering 6-foot-4, 210-pound power forward — with tribal tattoos wrapping one arm, two gold chains around his neck and piercing blue eyes — was joking around. About what, though, is unclear. Something in his native Russian with fellow speakers Denis Malgin and Alexandar Georgiev.

Laughter doesn’t know a language barrier. Nichushkin is cracking up his teammates.

“He likes to joke,” Georgiev said.

But getting to know Nichushkin — in English — is no laughing matter. He’s a reporting enigma.

Nichushkin won a Stanley Cup ring, signed a long-term contract, ranks among the very best NHL power forwards (when healthy) and rose to the Avalanche’s top line this season. And yet, Nichushkin is almost never quoted in TV/radio broadcasts or print/online stories, even on nights when he plays the hockey hero.

SILKY SMOOTH, NICHUSHKIN! 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/8ETQokbTEt

— NHL (@NHL) March 26, 2023

Like on March 26, in a dramatic Avalanche road win at the Coyotes, when Nichushkin scored his first career NHL shootout goal to seal a victory. Anyone else in the lineup would be proudly featured in an Altitude TV broadcast postgame interview. Nichushkin didn’t talk.

“He works in silence,” defenseman Cale Makar told The Denver Gazette earlier this season.

Nichushkin, while polite, regularly turns down interview requests in the Avalanche dressing room. The Denver Gazette made several attempts throughout the season for a one-on-one chat. Those efforts failed — until recently, when the Avalanche’s quiet sledgehammer finally opened up.

In a late-March dressing room, after Nichushkin laughed in Russian with teammates, he’s ready to talk in English. About his quiet leadership role on the team. About his ongoing health issues. About that big extension. About food. All of it.

He cracked a nervous grin as the interview began.

Nichushkin said: “Let’s try it, yeah?”

‘Some parts of my body are still in pain’

His NHL career arc is a case study in perseverance.  

The Stars selected Nichushkin No. 10 overall in the 2013 draft but he never performed up to expectations. Nichushkin struggled to contribute with zero goals scored over 54 games played in the 2018-19 season and Dallas bought out the final year of his contract. 

The Avalanche front office saw potential. They signed Nichushkin to a one-year deal that offseason. Forward Matt Nieto, reacquired from San Jose before the trade deadline, was on that Avalanche team when Nichushkin first arrived.

“When we picked him up, we kind of took a chance on him,” said Nieto, whose locker is beside Nichushkin’s in their game day dressing room. “Getting on this team and getting a fresh start for him was huge. We’ve seen how he’s taken off from it.”

Few players in the NHL combine Nichushkin’s size, skill and awareness. Most of his goals result from expert net-front placement and timing to deflect shots or corral rebounds. He can also score going coast to coast. His powerful lefty one-timer is deadly.

Nathan MacKinnon said previously this season: “There’s only one Val in the league.”

Nichushkin exploded for nine goals and six assists on the Avs’ playoff run to a championship after a personal career-best season. So, it’s no surprise they prioritized his re-signing in the summer. Nichushkin inked a $49-million deal that keeps him in Colorado through 2029-30. A true franchise cornerstone.  

His reaction?

“You have to prove it every day,” Nichushkin said. “That’s pushed me to work hard.”

Nichushkin did just that to begin the year. He led the team with 12 points over just seven games played when he landed on the injured list. Ankle surgery. He missed 17 games. The team later shut him down briefly due to “complications” from the procedure. 

“Val has gone through some injuries this year, some that we’ve talked about and some that we haven’t,” said coach Jared Bednar, declining to further specify those injuries, back on March 20. “It takes a toll on you. If you’re not feeling your best, you’re likely not going to play to your best.”

It’s all had a clear impact on his performance. Nichushkin — in 11 games played between Dec. 19 and Feb. 11 — recorded just one goal and one assist. He lacked the skating power that made him unstoppable at times last season. 

“This season was tough for me because I’ve had a lot of injuries. Some parts of my body are still in pain. I know if I will be healthy, then I will play a lot better,” Nichushkin told The Denver Gazette. “When you play hockey and it seems like something stops you, because you know it’s going to hurt, it’s not really good.” 

However, amid the injury absence of forward Artturi Lehkonen (broken finger), Nichushkin rediscovered his spark playing alongside MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on the top line. Nichushkin has eight goals and 18 assists over his last 23 games, a 1.13 PPG average.

“I’ve liked his last few games. More assertive again as well. Excited to play with Mac and Mikko,” Bednar said. “It’s just a confidence boost for him. To be able to get back on the board, you can see the energy coming back in his game offensively.”

Nichushkin added: “Right now, we’re working on playing pretty good lately.”

‘I’m always in touch with Russian food’

Food is a universal language. Which led The Denver Gazette to ask Nichushkin this important question: What’s your favorite dish from back home?

Nichushkin, a Chelyabinsk native, located in west-central Russia, paused for a moment.

“We have a few Russian restaurants in Denver. I’m always in touch with Russian food,” Nichushkin said. “It’s hard to say. But it’s called Pelmeni.”

Travel across the globe over history and every culture has its own unique spin on the dumpling.  The Russian version is called Pelmeni; thin white flour dough, typically filled with minced meat and onion, and then boiled. They’re often served in broth and topped with sour cream, melted butter, mayonnaise, vinegar or mustard.

At Red Square Euro Bistro, a downtown Denver restaurant near Larimer Square, Pelmeni is the first appetizer listed on their menu. Savory and delicious.

“It’s like homemade, (from) mother,” said Malgin, a Switzerland native whose parents are Russian. “It’s really good, actually.” 

On Avalanche road trips, Nichushkin exhibits his quiet brand of leadership around the dinner table with Russian-fluent teammates like Pavel Francouz, Alex Galchenyuk, Georgiev and Malgin. Those meals — “Italian, sushi, steak,” Malgin said — and friendships are especially appreciated by Georgiev, a Bulgaria native who grew up in Russia.

“Val is definitely an awesome guy and I’m glad he’s here,” said Georgiev, acquired via trade last summer from the Rangers. “It’s made my transition smoother.”

Nichushkin, a still-improving English speaker, is visibly nervous in press conference settings. Georgiev said: “He’s on the phone a lot with people, his buddies from Russia, staying (in) touch.” Nichushkin finds comfort in a common language.

“For me, who doesn’t speak English very well … of course it’s better if some guys speak Russian on the team,” Nichushkin said. “A big group. We play some cards on the road. It’s always fun. Nice. … We talk about pretty much everything.”

Nichushkin is better defined by actions than words. MacKinnon told The Denver Gazette: “He’s the hardest-working guy on the team. On and off the ice, he’s very committed.”

Nichushkin leads by example.

“For me, everybody is a leader on our team. I just be myself. It’s hard to explain,” Nichushkin said. “I lead the guys to work hard.”

However, ask around the Avs’ dressing room, and it’s clear that Nichushkin downplays his English communications skills. It is not an issue when relaying information between teammates and coaches.

“The language barrier is there, but he seems to be pretty comfortable with guys,” forward Alex Newhook told The Denver Gazette. “I’ve played with him a bit now. He’s an easy guy to talk to on the bench. He also brings that workmanship and (an) intense attitude, which fits in really well in this room.”

The interview ends. Nichushkin breathes a sigh of relief.

He returns to being the Avalanche’s silent freight train. Next stop: the Stanley Cup playoffs.