Playing in the NHL for a Canadian team can be the best of times and the worst of times. In a recent interview Darnell Nurse gave on the Mitts Off Podcast with former Edmonton Oilers forward turned broadcaster Luke Gazdic, he pulled back the curtain a bit to give fans a greater understanding of the pressures of playing in a hockey-crazed Canadian market such as Edmonton. When you win, everyone loves you. When you don’t, uh…
Nurse Talks About His Contract and Playing Under a Microscope
Gazdic, who is a former teammate of Nurse, provided some great perspective on playing in Edmonton. He said, “…one thing that goes under the radar in playing there is how close you get with the boys…you’re just really close with your teammates…there’s not a ton to do in Edmonton…the Oiler group was closer than any organization I played with (as a result).”
Nurse mentioned the scrutiny of playing in a small Canadian market where every move is magnified, “You can’t be discouraged by failure…I find it crazy, and maybe it’s just my opinion…I find the media, especially the hockey media…it’s so much about the negativity…(they) look for the flaws in each player, in each game. I’ve played in a high-pressure market since I first came to the league…me, personally, I love it because there’s that juice, that fire in the summer, but I mean you also have to take a lot of stuff with a grain of salt.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve been blamed for everything from a goal against to the traffic on Stony Plain (road). You have to be really cognizant of…the pressure upon yourself. But I mean look, like, there’s no one that’s gonna expect more out of me, than me.”
Expecting Value For Contracts
Oilers fans are some of the smartest, most tuned-in fans in professional sports. The same goes for the hockey media in the city, some of which have been honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame. They know their stuff. Oil Country is a region made up of people who are hard-working, blue-collar, self-made entrepreneurial types where if you don’t live up to a contract you can expect some pushback. When a player like Nurse signs a big contract, you expect him to live up to it. And he has in many ways. Unfortunately, the Oilers and Nurse were in a negotiating position a few years ago where comparable defencemen in the NHL were getting big-money contracts.
Related: Ken Holland’s 4 Biggest Decisions as Oilers GM
Some question Oilers general manager (GM) Ken Holland’s decision to sign Nurse to a bridge deal back in 2020. You can’t blame Nurse for signing the eight-year extension worth a reported $74 million. If you were a young guy in your 20s and someone was throwing $9.25 million per season your way, don’t tell me you wouldn’t sign the deal. Unless you’re Tom Brady or Kevin Durant who turned down big money for the sake of winning in the NFL and NBA respectively. But you have to remember that Brady and Durant were already established, wealthy superstars when they sacrificed salary for the good of the team. Nurse didn’t have that luxury.
Edmonton’s History With Players Not Living Up to Expectations
The only comparables I can make to Nurse in terms of pressure to live up to a contract in Edmonton would be former Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff, Jason Arnott, and maybe Mikko Koskinen. (Maybe throw in Jesse Puljujärvi and Kailer Yamamoto for good measure).
Horcoff especially showed flashes of brilliance in ringing up a 73-point season in 2005-06 and was rewarded with a six-year, $33 million contract extension signed in July 2008. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out well for him, and he was eventually traded to the Dallas Stars in 2013-14. He was a key contributor to the Oilers during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006, and as a fan, I will always appreciate him for that and the classy way he handled himself in Edmonton.
My feelings about Arnott are a bit different but I still respect who he is and what he accomplished. When he signed as a rookie in 1993 with the Oilers, he was treated like a young saviour of the franchise. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out and he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 1997-98. I was happy for him when he scored the winning goal to clinch the Stanley Cup in 2000 with the Devils.
As for Koskinen, former Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli signed the 6-foot-7 goalie to a three-year deal worth $4.5 million a season on Jan. 19, 2019. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out well for the player or the team and now Koskinen is playing in Europe – and hopefully enjoying his life there.
Is There a Solution For Players and Fans?
Confession: I have been critical of Nurse, and a host of other players in the past. Do I feel bad sometimes? Of course, I do. However, it’s also my responsibility to point out the facts and tell the story the best way I can. As a fan, one thing I have to be careful of is tying my self-esteem too closely to the identity of a hockey team. It’s just a game. It’s not life and death, although sometimes it feels that way.
I’m glad Nurse and Gazdic shared some of their insights into what it’s like to be part of the Oilers. I’m super happy that Nurse was able to give some of his earnings to his parents to reward them for their support and sacrifices. That only makes me respect him that much more.
I think the solution is simple; the next time I see a mistake on the ice from the Oilers, rather than race to Twitter or X or whatever Elon Musk will be calling it next week to express something nasty or regrettable, I’ll go for a walk, or listen to Tame Impala or Bring Me the Horizon or go watch Oppenheimer again.
I’d rather try and have the right perspective when pointing out a flaw or lavishing praise where it may be due. Because in the end, like Nurse, we’re all just trying to do our best. Maybe the ideal scenario for him would be to hoist the Stanley Cup for the Oilers someday. That might take the pressure off and make people forget about his contract…for a few minutes anyway.
