Valeri has been suspended for at least six months, which means that the earliest he could return to the team is mid-November. The news that Valeri was being placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHL Players' Association player assistance program was announced just an hour before Game 4 started. No additional information was given to explain why he was placed in the program.

According to reporting from ESPN, the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program has four stages. The first stage is the first in-patient treatment, and it has no associated penalty. Stage 2, following a violation of the Stage 1 treatment plan, a player can be suspended without pay during the active phase of treatment and then become eligible for reinstatement.

Stage 3, which follows a violation of the Stage 2 treatment plan, carries a suspension of at least six months without pay, after which a player can become eligible for reinstatement. Stage 4, which follows a violation in Stage 3, calls for a one-year suspension, and reinstatement isn't assured.

Because no details were given, we don't know what progression of events led to this suspension.