The Edmonton Oilers’ trip to San Jose comes with a different kind of spotlight on Saturday afternoon, and it has everything to do with Darnell Nurse.
For the first time since the July 1 trade that sent him to the Sharks, Nurse will line up against the team where he played the first 798 games of his NHL career. The matchup already had plenty of intrigue with Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini in the picture, though it remains unclear whether those two superstars will square off. Still, Nurse’s first game in teal and black against Edmonton gives this one an extra edge.
Nurse spent more than a decade as part of the Oilers’ core after making the team out of camp in 2015-16 alongside McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. That group became the backbone of the franchise and helped Edmonton reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025.
Even after the move, Nurse spoke with obvious respect for the place he left behind.
“One of the best things I ever learned from playing in a market like [Edmonton] is to be mentally tough, to just focus on what you can control and let the rest take care of itself,” Nurse told the media after practice on Friday. “Just [looking at the Oilers logo], right?
You wear the logo for so long, you just look at it. It’s going to be weird.”
The Hamilton, Ontario native also has a long history with McDavid. The two were teammates on Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, where they won gold, and their relationship only deepened over the years. Nurse was even one of McDavid’s groomsmen at his wedding in the summer of 2024.
Now, that familiarity gets tested in a divisional game that matters to both sides. Nurse said he plans to catch up with his old teammates before puck drop, but once the game begins, that all disappears.
“I’m [going to catch up with them] tonight. Get one of them to buy me dinner, and then when the game starts tomorrow, all bets are off,” Nurse said.
“I’ve got a lot of friends over there too. They’ll be lifelong friends.
I think you know for me it’ll be different for sure, wearing a different jersey and being able to play against that team, but yeah, I’m really looking forward to just the challenge of playing against one of the top teams in our division.”
“It’s exciting,” Nurse said. Obviously, they’ve got a good team over there.
“Started well. Some of the best players in the league.
That’s a good challenge for us as a team. And as a player, you look forward to matchups like that.”
Saturday’s game will also bring a small milestone for McDavid, who is set to pass Nurse for seventh on the Oilers’ all-time games played list in the same afternoon.
Zach Hyman, meanwhile, will watch from the sidelines as he continues to recover from the injury he suffered in Edmonton’s final preseason game on September 26. Hyman and Nurse were teammates for the past five seasons, and Hyman had nothing but praise for the former Oilers alternate captain.
“Generally, an unbelievable friend and teammate, first and foremost,” Hyman told the media after practice on Friday. “A great leader.
Always led by example, always stuck up for his teammates, always gave you 100 percent every night, no matter how he was feeling. He was always there, and ready to play for you and the team.”
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