Colorado
The Colorado Avalanche are saying all the right things about Valeri Nichushkin
Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar and superstar center Nathan MacKinnon have said all the right things regarding Valeri Nichushkin’s return to the lineup.
Earlier this week, both Bednar and MacKinnon were gentlemanly when referring to Nichushkin’s potential return this season. In particular, Bednar and MacKinnon stated they would welcome Nichushkin with “open arms.”
Now, let’s be clear for a moment. Neither Bednar nor MacKinnon are being hypocritical about the situation. They’re behaving like gentlemen, showing genuine interest in welcoming Nichushkin back into the fold.
In fact, I’d say the situation is more like water under the bridge. Judging from Bednar and MacKinnon’s reactions, there doesn’t appear to be any hard feelings.
Of course, there may be trust issues involved on both sides. After all, the entire Nichushkin case has been quite sensitive. Nevertheless, it appears the Colorado Avalanche are willing to give Nichushkin a second chance.
In the end, doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance? In Nichushkin’s case, the Avs owe it to him to prove he’s overcome whatever issues may have plagued him in the past. Doing so costs the team nothing, and offers a highly skilled player a shot at contributing to the best of his abilities.
Now, when could the club expect Nichushkin to return?
I can’t say that I know the answer to that question. While Nichushkin is eligible to return in mid-November, he would most likely need time to get readjusted to the game. Since he wouldn’t have the opportunity to skate in training camp, Nichushkin may need some more time before he can hit the ice for the Avs this season.
In the worst-case scenario, it might be several weeks before Nichushkin may be finally ready to hit the ice. If that’s the case, the Avs could expect Nichushkin to be in the lineup around Christmas, perhaps even past the New Year.
There’s only one way to find out. The Colorado Avalanche need to wait for Nichushkin to be ready and ease him back into game action. There’s no sense in rushing him back. If they do, the Avs risk setting Nichushkin up to fail. Needless to say, that’s the last thing on everyone’s minds.
The Colorado Avalanche cannot afford to move on from Valeri Nichushkin
Let’s assume for a moment the Avs decide to move on from Nichushkin. While that could be an alternative, it’s one the club cannot afford to consider. Trading or waiving Nichushkin could prove a costly mistake for Colorado.
If the Avs trade or waive Nichushkin, another team can come and sign him. In that situation, Nichushkin could feel motivated to prove he’s still a star player. That move could easily backfire on Colorado.
Let’s consider the complicated part: The Avs risk losing a talented player, one who could contribute to the club’s success in the second half of the season, for virtually nothing. Meanwhile, another club could reap the benefits of having Nichushkin’s talents on their roster.
Unless the Avs have lost their minds, which hardly seems the case, the best case scenario is to ease Nichushkin back into the lineup. Think about it this way: It’s like getting a trade deadline addition, but without the cost of trading players or draft picks to get him.
Despite the impending cap crunch the team would face, having Nichushkin back into the lineup makes total sense for the Avs. They get a goal scorer who could easily fit into the top six. Moreover, the team gets a motivated player, looking to prove he’s still every bit as valuable as before he was suspended.
Of course, there’s always the risk that Nichushkin doesn’t quite live up to expectations. Unfortunately, that’s a chance the Avs will need to take.
Overall, it would be ludicrous for the Colorado Avalanche to give up on Nichushkin now. Players and coaches have publicly expressed their desire for his return. So, fans can expect one of the league’s most talented players hitting the ice with a little extra juice.
Colorado
Families, care providers navigate cuts to Colorado’s Community Connector program | Rocky Mountain PBS
“Typically, between me and my husband, there are no breaks. We have to constantly ask each other to change him and feed him and shower him. I always worry about the future if Elli has to leave and not get help anymore,” said Dina Katan, Batikha’s mother. “The free time is good for my mental health. For me, when Elli comes here and helps, I have time to do things that usually I am not able to do.”
Other parents are concerned that the reduction in hours will make it harder to find care providers. Becky Houle of Greeley is the mother of Hadley, a 13-year-old diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder that causes significant developmental delays and little to no speech.
Hadley used to qualify for 10 Community Connector hours a week and is now down to five, Houle said. With those hours, she previously played unified basketball, went to the park and interacted with others and participated in running errands with her caretaker.
“I worry that the person that provides some of that caregiving role for her won’t be able to commit with such few hours,” Houle said. “I like Hadley to have interactions without us being there, so she can feel like a teenager.”
Tom Dermody, chief budget and policy analyst for Colorado’s JBC, said spending on Community Connector services has risen substantially over the past six fiscal years.
Dermody said that as the program, which started in 2014, has become more popular, costs have ballooned. He said participation in the Community Connector service has increased by 510% since fiscal year 2018-2019, and that annual spending has risen from about $5 million in fiscal year 2018–2019 to more than $66 million in fiscal year 2025–2026.
To cut costs, the JBC not only capped annual hours for the service, but also revised the rules to narrow what qualifies as Community Connector hours. Jane said this makes it harder to consistently reach the five-hour weekly allotment.
“When these changes were made, I did our usual Community Connect on Sunday. After I worked my shift, I noticed that I couldn’t clock in or out because my shift was removed from the app,” Jane said.
After sending an email to her employer, her agency told her that what she did — taking her Batikha to a gas station and showing him how to ask an associate how to find a product — does not qualify under the new Community Connector rules.
Under the updated rules, Community Connector hours must be tied to activities in the community that align with a person’s care plan and build skills or participation, such as volunteering, attending enrichment classes or going to the library alongside peers without disabilities.
The state has excluded simple supervision, passive outings and activities typically considered a parent’s responsibility from qualifying for Community Connector hours. Providers must now clearly document how each hour supports a specific goal.
“It’s unfair that they cut those hours for these kids and they are very strict about how we use those hours,” Katan said. “The new requirements are very specific and not inclusive of high needs kids like Taym.”
Batikha requires full support whenever he goes out, Jane said, and the stricter requirements make it harder to plan weekly community trips.
“He needs hygiene changes. He needs to be fed every two hours. And he can’t be fed anywhere. I want to give him privacy for his feeding,” Jane said.
She now plans to split her five Community Connector hours over the course of a week instead of providing them all on Sundays, as she previously did.
“I care about him and I love my clients so much, so I’m definitely going to stay,” Jane said. “His parents need the time to be able to watch a movie and not worry about if their son is okay.”
Women’s Lacrosse
May 14, 2026
Final minute, full 2OT from Northwestern-Colorado lacrosse quarterfinal marathon
May 14, 2026
Watch the full regulation finish and both OT periods from Northwestern and Colorado’s battle in the quarterfinals of the 2026 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament.
Watch: Fort Collins boys relay team sprinting to school records
The Fort Collins high school boys relay runners are sprinting to school records with their sights set on a team state championship this season.
LAKEWOOD — One of the most anticipated events in Colorado high school sports is back on the track.
The annual Colorado high school track and field state championship meet returns May 14-16 for the 2026 edition.
It kicks off May 14 as the Centennial State’s top leapers, runners, jumpers, sprinters, vaulters and throwers take over Lakewood’s JeffCo Stadium.
More than 100 Fort Collins-area athletes across four different classifications have qualified for the state meet.
Follow here for day one live state track & field updates from local athletes, plus some notable scores and results for Northern Colorado and statewide competitors.
This has the potential to be a massive state meet for the Fort Collins area.
Our top local sprinters and relay teams account for more than 40 top-two seeds in their events, while there are field contenders galore and several distance runners in the mix.
— Chris Abshire
It’s a busy year for Fort Collins-area athletes down at state track, with over 100 athletes qualifying from nine local schools.
Fort Collins High School leads the way with eighteen individual qualifiers and seven relay sqauds, but there’s plenty of representation across schools and events.
— Chris Abshire
Here are all the May 14 running finals at the 2026 Colorado state track & field championships:
- 8:20-8:35 a.m.: 5A boys/girls 3,200 meters
- 10:00-10:50 a.m.: 4A and 5A boys/girls 4×800 relays
- 11:00-11:30 a.m.: 4A/5A Special Olympics/Paralympics 100 dashes
- Noon: 4A/5A Special Olympics/Paralympic 200 dashes
- 2:20-2:45 p.m.: Special Olympics/Paralympic 3A/2A/1A 100 and 200 dashes
- 4:00-5:00 p.m.: 3A and 2A boys/girls 4×800 relays
- 5:00-5:35 p.m.: 1A boys/girls 3,200 meters
- 6:00-6:15 p.m.: 3A boys/girls 3200 meters
— Chris Abshire
Here are all the May 14 field finals at the 2026 Colorado state track & field championships:
8:30 A.M.
- 5A girls pole vault and discus
- 5A boys long jump
- 4A girls high jump and shot put
- 4A boys triple jump
11/11:30 A.M.
- 5A boys pole vault and discus
- 5A girls long jump
- 4A boys high jump and shot put
- 4A girls triple jump
1:30/2:00/2:30 P.M.
- 3A boys triple jump
- 3A girls pole vault and discus
- 2A boys high jump
- 2A girls long jump and shot put
4/5 P.M.
- 3A boys high jump
- 3A girls triple jump
- 1A girls pole vault and discus
- 1A boys long jump and shot put
— Chris Abshire
Since the calendar hit 2000, there have been many remarkable achievements from local athletes at the Colorado state track & field meet.
From throws domination to Ray Bozmans’ sprint sweep or multiple sister acts, here are 15 of the best Fort Collins-area performances in the new millennium.
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
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