Darnell Nurse shuts down Edmonton reporter with stunning jab ahead of Oilers reunion
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Darnell Nurse misses his Oilers teammates, but the Sharks defenceman made it clear he doesn't miss the Edmonton media before Saturday's reunion game.
Darnell Nurse has been a San Jose Shark for barely three months, and he's already got Edmonton talking again.
The defenceman met the media after Sharks practice at SAP Center on Friday, one day before the Oilers visit.
Sportsnet's Mark Spector asked what felt different about playing in California compared to Edmonton.
Nurse smiled, joked that his IQ was too low to handle the question, and said it was well above his head.
Then he called for the next question and moved on.
"You know, with my low IQ, I don't know if I'm able to answer your questions," Nurse told reporters. "I think your questions are a little above my head. Next."
- Darnell Nurse
- Darnell Nurse
Why this one landed
Edmonton was never an easy place for a defenceman carrying a big contract.
Nurse signed an eight-year, $74 million extension in 2021, and every shift got replayed, debated and picked apart.
Spector has been a longtime critic of Nurse's game, so the timing of that question felt pretty loaded.
By most accounts, Nurse still has real love for the guys in that Oilers room.
The media side, though, is a very different story.
A reunion with plenty of edge
The Oilers drafted Nurse seventh overall in 2013, and he played 12 seasons in Edmonton, including two trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025.
After he asked out earlier in the offseason, the Oilers sent him to the Sharks on July 1 for Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp.
San Jose took on his full $9.25 million cap hit, which runs through 2029-30.
Nurse admitted seeing the old logo across the ice is going to feel weird.
Puck drop is 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the Oilers are slight road favourites.
Expect plenty of eyes on the Sharks bench, and plenty of microphones waiting for Nurse in the room afterward.
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