Ex-Oilers player Darnell Nurse gets sassy with Edmonton media
Darnell Nurse doesn’t seem to miss one specific Edmonton Oilers beat reporter.
The 31-year-old defenceman has had an up-and-down start with the San Jose Sharks. Nurse got off to a rocky start with his new team, but managed to score an exciting OT winner against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
On Saturday night, the veteran defender will face his former team for the first time. After spending the last 11 years with the Oilers, Nurse will be on the other side of the puck this time around.
As such, he’s been getting some attention from visiting Edmonton media, notably Mark Spector of Sportsnet. The Sharks practiced on Friday at the SAP Center, with Nurse speaking to the media after the skate.
The seasoned Edmonton reporter attempted to ask Nurse about the differences in playing in a California market, but got straight snark in response.
“You know, with my low IQ, I don’t know if I am able to answer your questions,” Nurse said with a smile on his face. “I figure your questions are a little above my head.”
Former Oiler and now San Jose Sharks defenceman Darnell Nurse misses his old friends on the Oilers , but he sure doesn't miss the Edmonton media. pic.twitter.com/oFJcDDgL87
— Bleed Oil Blue (@BleedOilBlue) October 10, 2026
To make sure that everybody understood he was done with Spector’s question, he abruptly said “next” to prompt another reporter.
While Nurse was a longtime member of the Oilers and was part of the leadership group for quite some time, many Edmonton fans soured on his play during the last few years. It didn’t help that he carried a massive $9.25 million cap hit and routinely failed to live up to the high expectations that kind of money carried.
That disappointment, combined with the intense media pressure in a market like Edmonton, eventually resulted in Nurse asking for a trade this past summer.
Spector initially reported the trade request and wrote an article for Sportsnet that commented on Nurse’s hockey sense being his biggest weakness. It’s unclear whether or not this is why the Hamilton, Ontario native felt the need to get sassy with Spector in the first place.
This wouldn’t be the first time, however, that Nurse has sparred with Oilers media. During the team’s 2024 run to the Stanley Cup Final, amid some harsh criticism, he gave a hilariously boring pregame interview with reporters that lasted less than a minute.
Darnell Nurse wasnāt feeling very talkative during his media availability that lasted less than a minute. š¬ pic.twitter.com/Mp7Yri0Afw
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 29, 2024
It’s clear that Nurse is intent on turning a new page with San Jose, but this definitely won’t be the last time he faces his old friends in the Edmonton media, as the Sharks are set to visit the Oilers at Rogers Place two more times this season on Jan. 13 and March 31.