Star Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has been hit hard with cocaine charges in the past, is heading to an assistant program

Russian hockey player Evgeny Kuznetsov is heading to the NHL assist program, the league officially confirmed Monday afternoon. So Washington is losing an important person, the thirty-one-year-old forward will be out indefinitely.

Evgeny Kuznetsov has entered the NHL assist program and will therefore miss the Washington Capitals indefinitely. The Chelyabinsk native already missed Monday morning’s team practice due to personal reasons, and a few hours later the league confirmed his entry into the player assistance program.

The program was established in 1996 and provides assistance to players struggling with mental health, substance abuse or other problems.

When Kuznetsov will return to the ice is, of course, a question. What is certain is that he will need a special permit, as is usually the case in similar cases. However, it is important to note that he is the fourth player to head to the assist program in the current NHL season.

The others are Patrik Laine (Columbus), Samuel Girard and Valeri Nichushkin (Colorado). The latter has confided anxiety and depression, which subsequently led to excessive drinking. He spent approximately one month off the ice.

He is returning from the assist program in such a way that the player can participate in team practices first. Only then is he allowed to get back into the game rhythm.

Kuznetsov and his cocaine problem

The star Russian will not be out of the game for the first time. In 2019, he received a ban from the IIHF from international tournaments for four years. The reason was a positive finding for cocaine at the then World Championship in Slovakia.

At the time, the NHL suspended Kuznetsov for three games, without pay. “Evgeny’s health and well-being are our top priority. Our organization will continue to support him and his family during this process, ” the Capitals said in an official statement, also quoted by The Washington Post.

Kuznetsov is not having a good season. In 43 games played, he has scored just six goals to go along with 11 assists. In total, he has 11 points and Washington is currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.

Source: NHL, ESPN, The Washington Post, X