Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard is taking a leave of absence to focus on his mental health.

Girard announced the decision in a Friday evening statement, posted on X (formerly Twitter), through his representation at CAA Hockey.

“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. “Taking care of your mental health is of the utmost importance, and I encourage everyone to speak up and seek help should you feel 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.”

The NHL Players Association confirmed Girard’s decision. It said that he “will be unavailable to his club for an indefinite period while he receives cares from the Player Assistance Program of the NHLPA and NHL.” Girard will continue to be paid while receiving treament and can return when cleared for play by program administrators, per a news release.

Girard, 25, has played in 426 career NHL games, almost entirely with the Avs. Colorado acquired Girard in 2017 from the Predators as part of the deal that sent Matt Duchene to Nashville. He’s been a consistent top-four defensive pairing who regularly quarterbacks the second power play unit. Girard posted career-best totals last season in goals (6) and assists (31).

Girard had been absent from the Avalanche for several days for what the team called “personal reasons.” He recorded one goal and three assists over 15 games this season.

Teammate Jonathan Drouin is a mental health advocate after dealing with his own anxiety issues while playing in Montreal. He spoke candidly about those struggles in a 2021 sit-down interview with TSN.

“I definitely had people that surprised me, texted me or called me,” Drouin told The Denver Gazette earlier this season. “They maybe had some experience like that in their time or needed to talk about it. It’s cool to see that inspires some people. Or at least people can feel more free to talk to someone, or to get out of their little bubble.”

The Avalanche called up Caleb Jones, the son of Nuggets assistant coach Popeye Jones, to replace Girard in the lineup.

Avalanche 3, Stars 2

What happened: The Avs held off a late Minnesota rally and have won five of their last six games.

What went right: Colorado opened the game with a 2-0 lead behind a Ross Colton wrist shot and a Valeri Nichushkin deflection goal on the power play. Nichushkin is riding a career-best streak with six consecutive games scoring a goal. Kurtis MacDermid finished a backhand in the third for the game-winning his goal (his first of the season).

What went wrong: Minnesota climbed out from a two-hole deficit with consecutive goals (Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek) for a tied game entering the third period. Cale Makar ended his eight-game points streak.

Between the pipes: Alexandar Georgiev made 19-of-21 saves. Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson stopped 23 of Colorado’s 26 shots on goal.

What’s next: The Avalanche (13-6-0) host the Calgary Flames, 8 p.m. Saturday on the second night of back-to-back games.