Edmonton Oilers prospect Darnell Nurse will not get the opportunity that he and the NHL club had hoped would be available to him when they sent him back to the OHL. Team Canada has released its selection camp roster
here and Darnell Nurse is nowhere to be found on it. No doubt both he and the Oilers will be very disappointed by this news.
One of the main experiences that Edmonton was looking forward for their big young defensemen to have was playing on the big international stage in games that really put the pressure on. This was to be the highlight of Nurse’s season, but that simply will not be the case, at least this year. Hockey Canada has chosen 8 other Defenders to compete for the final 7 positions on the team. They are:
Chris Bigras of Owen Sound (OHL). He’s 6'0.5" 189lbs.
Mathew Dumba of the Wild (NHL). He’s 6'0" 183lbs.
Aaron Ekblad of Barie (OHL). He’s 6'3.5" 216lbs.
Josh Morrissey of Prince Albert (WHL). He’s 6'0" 184lbs.
Adam Pelech of Erie (OHL). He’s 6'2" 215lbs.
Derrick Pouliot of Portland (WHL). He’s 6'0" 203lbs
Griffin Reinhart of Edmonton (WHL). He’s 6'3.5" 212lbs.
Damon Severson of Kelowna (WHL). He’s 6’2” 198lbs.
You’ll notice that Oilers fans aren’t the only ones who will be scratching their heads. There isn’t a single Defender from the QMJHL on the list. Counting Matt Dumba the WHL has provided 5 names from the list and the OHL the other 3. There is most certainly some scouting bias at play here, I would be shocked to learn that not one blueliner from The Q is unworthy of cracking Canada’s top 8. For example Guillaume Gelinas has 16 goals and 39 points in 30 games as a Dman for Val-d’Or.
However, the exclusion of Nurse is still shocking. He is considered by several observers to be the best Defenseman in the OHL this season. He is logging huge minutes with the Greyhounds and has 28 points in 26 games this year. He also brings a physical dimension to his game and amazing skating, especially for a kid that stands 6’4”. So what is the reason for his name being withheld from list of invitees? You aren’t going to like it.
He tried too hard in the Subway series against the Russians. He finished -1 in 2 games against the Russians in which the OHL lost and for that he was eliminated. Two games. TWO GAMES! That’s it?!? An entire year’s worth of hockey has been played since the last WJHC and Scouts determined that Nurse didn’t have the ability to play a simple game based on 2 games when he was playing on an All-Star team?
I know, I know, who am I to say that reason is outright stupid and bordering on insane? But it is. Hockey Canada should be embarrassed with itself...again.
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