Darnell Nurse could face suspension after nasty cross-check to Matthew Tkachuk's head in Sharks debut
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Darnell Nurse cross-checked Matthew Tkachuk up high in the Sharks opener, and now the question is whether the NHL steps in with supplemental discipline.
Darnell Nurse's first regular-season night in teal got heated in a hurry.
The veteran defenseman cross-checked Matthew Tkachuk up high in the second period of Thursday's opener at SAP Center, and the Sharks went shorthanded because of it.
The clip shows Nurse with both gloves and his stick up along the boards, and the contact lands near Tkachuk's head.
That's the part getting people talking about the Department of Player Safety.
Cross-checks to the head are the kind of play the league tends to look at again, even after a penalty has already been called.
Why the league could take a look
History matters here too. Nurse was suspended one game in April 2025 for cross-checking Quinton Byfield in the back of the helmet while Byfield was on the ice, back when Nurse played for Edmonton.
The league said at the time that he was in control of his stick.
Prior discipline can tip the scale when a hearing is considered, though no hearing has been reported yet.
Florida made the Sharks pay on the ensuing power play, trimming San Jose's lead to 3-1.
Tkachuk stayed in the game and tied it 3-3 in the third period.
Luca Cagnoni then won it for the Sharks in overtime with his first NHL goal, making it 4-3.
What it means for San Jose
Nurse arrived this summer in a trade with the Oilers and carries a $9,250,000 cap hit.
He had a strong night in plenty of ways, blocking shots and winning puck battles, but he also took two penalties in the opener.
If the NHL decides a suspension is warranted, the Sharks would be without a key piece of their rebuilt blue line early in the season, with Los Angeles coming to town Saturday.
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