Darnell Nurse, a defenceman for the Oilers, was taken aback by a sudden charge from Ryan Reaves, a Maple Leafs forward during their back-and-forth game at the Scotiabank Arena. Nurse, after being struck on the head by Reaves, was left injured and had to be assisted off the ice. The incident occurred in the second period of the game, which ended in a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory for Toronto against Edmonton.

The crowd fell silent as Nurse, visibly hurt and bleeding, laid on the ice for a few minutes while receiving medical attention. Reaves, meanwhile, was hit with a five-minute match penalty after a verbal exchange with Oilers captain, Connor McDavid. The Oilers head coach, Kris Knoblauch, did not provide a post-game injury update on Nurse, who was later seen with a swollen right eye.

The incident was described as a dangerous play by Oilers forward, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He expressed disappointment in Reaves’ actions, pointing out that he should have chosen a safer path as Nurse was unaware of his impending charge.

Nurse, 29, has had a strong season so far, having scored two goals and assisted seven in just 18 games. Knoblauch acknowledged Nurse’s significance to the Oilers, praising his performance in the past few weeks. Nugent-Hopkins, who has been a teammate of Nurse’s for over a decade, echoed these sentiments, highlighting Nurse’s importance both on and off the ice.

Reaves, a hefty six-foot-two and 225-pound player, has a history of suspensions and fines in his NHL career. Nugent-Hopkins called for the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to take a hard look at the incident.

Despite the Oilers’ loss, Nugent-Hopkins commended the team’s effort during their five-minute power play, which followed Reaves’ penalty. He also shared that the team had a chance to check on Nurse during the intermission, relieving some of their concerns. Nugent-Hopkins described Nurse as a tough contender, hinting that he might be downplaying the severity of his condition.