Washington forward Evgeny Kuznetsov became a client of the Player Assistance Program

Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov became the second famous Russian NHL hockey player who this winter became a client of the Player Assistance Program, a program to assist league players. Kuznetsov, who was banned for four years by the IIHF five years ago after he tested positive for cocaine, decided to take advantage of the assistance program in the midst of a disastrous season.

National Hockey League (NHL) reported that 31-year-old Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov became a client of the Player Assistance Program, a program to help the league’s hockey players, which it created together with its union, the NHLPA, in 1996. It provides that any player can turn to specialists hired by the structures to solve problems of a wide variety of nature, for example related to health or financial situation, if they interfere with the development of his career. Sometimes the league itself may require a player to take a course as part of the program.

But practice shows that most requests occur in cases where alcohol or drug addiction is involved.

This season the program is quite popular. Evgeny Kuznetsov is already the fourth hockey player who needed it during the current regular season. The first, last fall, was Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard. And already in January of this year, his example was followed by two famous forwards who are currently undergoing the course – Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets and Girard’s teammate Valery Nichushkin, a compatriot of Kuznetsov.

In the case of the Washington forward, as is most often the case, specific reasons for turning to the program are not mentioned. But all media resources talking about him naturally recall the scandal that happened five years ago.

In 2019, Evgeny Kuznetsov took part in the Russian national team at the World Championships in Slovakia. And soon after it turned out that the hockey player’s doping test were discovered traces of cocaine.

In addition, a video appeared on social networks with Kuznetsov sitting at a table with white powder scattered on it.

International Ice Hockey Federation after the incident disqualified Evgeniy Kuznetsova for four years. And his career was saved by the fact that the NHL is not accountable to the IIHF, and its anti-doping regulations are much softer – he had to miss only three matches in the North American league.

In addition, publications covering the situation with Evgeny Kuznetsov pay attention to his form this season. For quite a long time, Kuznetsov had the status of a full-fledged NHL star, and his statistics were at an elite level. Meanwhile, in the current regular season, the player’s productivity is extremely low: the Russian has only 17 points in 43 matches played. At the same time, Washington coach Spencer Carbery has most often not used Kuznetsov in the leading lines lately.

It is customary to partly explain the poor condition of Evgeniy Kuznetsov and decreased performance his outstanding partner Alexander Ovechkin, who has only nine goals in the championship so far, as well as Washington’s general problems.

At the moment, he is in seventh, penultimate, place in the Metropolitan division, although not too far from the playoff zone. The decline of the Washingtonians is clearly caused, among other things, by difficulties associated with one of the key roles. The fact is that even at the start of the championship, he lost his most experienced center forward, Niklas Backström, due to chronic injuries. Now Kuznetsov has joined him.

It is unknown how long he was out of action. The NHL warned that a return could only take place with the consent of program administrators. Samuel Girard, who struggled with alcoholism, took the course for about a month. Washington has already called up Michael Sgarbossa from his American Hockey League farm club Hershey Bears to replace Evgenia Kuznetsova.

Alexey Dospehov