Darnell Nurse, the veteran defenceman traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the San Jose Sharks, reflected on his departure, saying he felt he became the scapegoat for the team's problems. 'For whatever reason I was the problem,' the 31-year-old said. 'I had lots of good memories in Edmonton, but now that chapter closes.'
A 12-Year Journey Ends
Nurse joined the Oilers as an 18-year-old rookie uncertain if he would last a season. Over 12 years, he played 798 games—the seventh-most in franchise history—and was on pace to pass Glenn Anderson (845) and Mark Messier (851) next season. He married, had three sons, and wore a letter for the only team he thought he'd ever play for.
'I remember a lot of days when we were out of the playoffs by February and working to make ourselves a competent team and a playoff team,' Nurse said. 'We worked our way into that team.'
The Financial Strain
Nurse signed a $9.25 million annual contract that later became a burden for the Oilers' salary cap. Criticism mounted as the team struggled with cap space and defensive lapses. 'There is nobody who expects more of themselves than me,' Nurse said. 'Joe from down the street can be mad because he can't drink his beer and watch the second round of the playoffs, but I live with each and every game, each and every moment.'
The trade sent Nurse to San Jose for a Russian defenceman with 83 games of NHL experience and a college prospect. 'It was time for a change. It was just time,' Nurse said. 'I had some deep roots, some great moments, a lot of great memories and friends. Some good experiences with the organization but everything has a shelf life and expiry date on it. This was my expiry date on my time in Edmonton.'
Memories and Reflection
Despite the difficult end, Nurse cherishes his time in Edmonton. 'Off the ice, I've had three boys, all of them born in Edmonton. I grew my family there,' he said. 'There are a lot of great memories in the sense of watching my family grow, watching the guys on the team grow, watching the city grow as a hockey market when the playoffs came back. A lot of great memories.'
Nurse helped lead the Oilers from the Decade of Darkness to two Stanley Cup Final appearances. 'It's easy to sit here in the present and think of all the negative things, but at the end of the day there were a lot of positives and I'm grateful for my time there,' he added.
