Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin is taking a leave of absence to “address my issues and prevent any negative outcomes once and for all,” he announced Monday in an online statement.

Nichushkin has entered the NHLPA’s player assistance program and will be out indefinitely.

“The National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players’ Association announced today that forward Valeri Nichushkin of the Colorado Avalanche will be unavailable to his Club for an indefinite period while he receives care from the Player Assistance Program of the NHLPA and NHL,” the league said in a news release. “Under the terms of the joint program, he will return to the Club when cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.”

Nichushkin, 28, ranked among Colorado’s most productive players through 40 games played this season with the fourth-most points (42) among all skaters, playing on the team’s second line. His presence will be sorely missed on the power play after scoring 13 PPGs to begin the season; second-most in the NHL.

But it’s been a rocky nine months for Nichushkin.

He abruptly left the 2023 NHL postseason in Seattle due to “personal reasons” after a heavily intoxicated woman was found in his team hotel room. Nichushkin missed Games 3 to 7 with Colorado falling in the first round. Nichushkin declined to elaborate upon returning to the team in training camp.

General manager Chris MacFarland, coach Jared Bednar, and teammates have all vouched for Nichushkin’s character and commitment since that incident. Bednar lobbied for his inclusion in the 2024 NHL All-Star game — “There’s no question that he should be in the conversation” — with the statistics to back it up.

Nichushkin will now take the necessary personal steps toward playing again. Defenseman Sam Girard recently spent about a month in the NHLPA’s player assistance program to address “severe anxiety and depression.” Girard came out of the program with a positive outlook. He told reporters: “I am a new person. I found myself again.”

Now, it’s Nichushkin’s turn to get things right.

“I have made the decision to seek help and enter the player’s assistance program,” Nichushkin said in an online statement released by the team. “My goal is to address my issues and prevent any negative outcomes once and for all. I want to thank my family, my friends, the Avalanche organization and all of our fans for their understanding and support. I will do everything I can to get back on the ice and join my teammates as soon as possible.”

The Avalanche went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, with Caleb Jones taking forward shifts, in Nichushkin’s absence for their road game Monday night against the Montreal Canadiens.