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Colorado Avalanche: Valeri Nichushkin fought through crazy foot injury in Game 6

By Graham Tiedtke

DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 24: Valeri Nichushkin #13 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal by Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche during the third period in Game Five of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Ball Arena on June 24, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 24: Valeri Nichushkin #13 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal by Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche during the third period in Game Five of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Ball Arena on June 24, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup against the Lightning and even had Valeri Nichushkin playing on a banged up foot.

When a game is on the line, the Colorado Avalanche fought through some pain and misery to ensure that the Stanley Cup would be heading back to Denver with them. Pain, you say?

Avalanche right winger Valeri Nichushkin, who was on the ice for 22:50 of Game 6, despite suffering what turned out to be a serious injury to his foot. Nichushkin posted a photo of his foot earlier on Monday.

Here’s an X-Ray of his foot he also shared. The top image is a side view of Nichushkin’s foot, while the bottom picture is an overhead image.

The Stanley Cup is what these players fight for, and fight they did. To fight through a foot injury like that is something that is very remarkable.

The Avalanche dealt with several injuries through the season, including Sam Girard being out for the season with a broken sternum, and Andre Burakovsky suffering a hand injury which forced him to miss Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Centerman Nazem Kadri suffered a broken thumb during Game 3 of the series on June 4th against the Edmonton Oilers.

For the postseason, Nichushkin played in 20 games, recording 72 shots, scoring nine goals and six assists. He had a +/- of six and even scored a power play goal.

He was a crucial element to the team’s playoff success, as he scored two game-winning goals for the team.

Nichushkin is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent soon. He is one of several pending free agents the team needs to make a push to re-sign when the time comes. But first, the team and players can return to celebrating the spectacular victory.

Nichushkin was second to last to hoist the Stanley Cup during their celebration.

At the end of the day, the Avalanche did write a storybook ending.

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