Samuel Girard will take an indefinite leave of absence from the Colorado Avalanche after entering the Player Assistance Program, the NHL and NHLPA announced Friday.
The Avalanche defenseman has been away from the team since he wasn’t available for the club’s game Monday at Nashville. Coach Jared Bednar said Girard had left the team for personal reasons after the Avs’ loss to the Predators.
“I have made a proactive decision to take care of my mental health, and will be entering treatment for severe anxiety and depression that has gone untreated for too long and led to alcohol abuse,” Girard said in a statement released by his agency, CAA. “Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, and I encourage everyone to speak up and seek help should you feel like you need it. I want to express my gratitude to my wife, family, friends, the club, my teammates and the fans for their patience, understanding and continued support.”
Girard has one goal and four points in 15 games for the Avs this season. He missed the team’s game Nov. 13 against Seattle, but returned for contests against Anaheim and Dallas before this current leave of absence.
The 25-year-old defenseman will continue to be paid while he’s in the program, according to the joint statement from the NHL and NHLPA. He will not return to the Avs until program administrators clear him for on-ice competition.
“You’re in the limelight, so I think it’s even more difficult to come out and say you need help,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said after the Avalanche’s 3-2 win Friday night against the Minnesota Wild. “It’s not as personalized. It’s not just you and your family. Everyone kind of finds out about it, so it takes more courage.
“We’re with him. We completely support what he’s going through and his decision to go into the program and get help. You’ve got to take care of yourself first before you’re able to come and help a team. We miss him, and we’re really excited to get him back at some point. We don’t know exactly when that’s going to be but we’ll be in support. We haven’t had a lot of talks with him or communication with him at this point, but hopefully that comes too, to make him feel a part of it.”
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