👍 Nichushkin cleared to return

In today’s edition:

• 👍 Nichushkin returns

• 🚨 Kane gets overtime goal

• ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars of the week

• 💰SOLD! $3.5 Million in unopened hockey cards

• And more!

Nichushkin cleared to return

Valeri Nichushkin of the Colorado Avalanche returned to the team Monday after receiving care from player assistance program. The 28-year-old entered the program in January and last played Jan. 10 against the Vegas Golden Knights. He was the second Colorado player to take part in it this season after teammate Samuel Girard. Nichushkin left the Avalanche during its first-round playoff series in April before Game 3 in Seattle. An intoxicated woman was found in Nichushkin’s hotel room that same day, and 911 was called to take her to the hospital. The Seattle Police body camera footage and police report add other details including how the team doctor was involved and the woman claimed her ID was stolen.

Nishushkin practiced with the team but will not be joining the team on the upcoming two-game trip. His teammates were happy to have him back, especially Cale Makar who said "It’s awesome to have him back…Mental health comes first, and hockey comes second, always…we're a family and we've got to support him.”

Three stars of the week

Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov, Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, all three players who participated in the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend earlier this month, have been named the Three Stars for the week ending Feb. 25.

⭐️ Kirill Kaprizov - Minnesota Wild

Kaprizov led the NHL with six goals and 12 points in four games. Kaprizov becomes the first player in Wild history to earn NHL First Star of the Week honors three times in a single season (also 12/24/23 and 1/21/24).

⭐️⭐️ Mitchell Marner - Toronto Maple Leafs

Marner shared the league lead with nine assists and added a goal in four contests as the Maple Leafs extended their winning streak to seven games.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Igor Shesterkin - New York Rangers

Shesterkin made a league-high 119 saves going 3-0-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average and .975 save percentage for the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers.

Kane scores overtime winner

In his first return to Chicago since departing to Detroit, Patrick Kane scored the game winning overtime goal against the Blackhawks. The 35-year-old, had 446 goals and 779 assists in 1,161 regular-season games with them. His goal also coincided with the night Chris Chelios’ jersey was retired as he addressed the amount of emotion he felt and was in the stadium.

Unopened hockey cards sell for $3.7 M

A sealed case of unopened hockey cards, containing potentially valuable Wayne Gretzky rookie cards, sold for a record $3.72 million. The case was discovered by a father and son while cleaning out the father's house in Saskatchewan.

The buyer, likely a collector, may never open the case as its value lies in its potential to contain valuable cards and its historical significance. Unopened boxes from that era hold nostalgia for some and are seen as investments for others.

While experts believe the case could hold up to 30 Gretzky cards, their condition is unknown and may not be perfect. The buyer might choose to sell the individual sealed boxes within the case for a higher profit than the whole case.