Ryan Reaves' brother Jordan delivers scathing response after Darnell Nurse's criticism for hit

By ARJUN B

Modified Nov 22, 2024 03:22 GMT

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse didn't mince words when addressing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves' controversial hit during Toronto’s 4-3 OT win on Saturday. The hit left Nurse bloodied and resulted in a match penalty for Reaves and a five-game suspension.

When speaking to the media on Thursday, Nurse called out Reaves for trying to injure opponents.

"There are certain guys in the league that every shift they go out there and they go out and try to inflict pain. I think it's pretty obvious what's going on there," Nurse said.

Reaves' brother Jordan took exception to Nurse's criticism of his sibling. In an Instagram comment, Jordan fired back:

"You could tell that looking at your skates..."

In another Instagram comment directed at Nurse, Jordan wrote,

"Keep ya head up around the net rule#1 when you stary hittin...wild."

Reaves' brother Jordan's comment on Instagram

Jordan implied that Nurse was at fault for skating with his head down, while Nurse believes the hit was intentional. Ryan Reaves has 1,093 penalty minutes in 893 NHL career games.

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Darnell Nurse shares thoughts on Ryan Reaves hit

Darnell Nurse revealed that Ryan Reaves apologized to him for the hit. Nurse also accepted some responsibility for putting himself in a vulnerable position.

"He came after and apologized," Nurse said. "In situations like that, there's definitely an onus on the player with the puck to be aware of where everyone else is on the ice."

However, Nurse pointed out:

"Even if you put yourself in a bad spot, there is lots of body in a 6-foot-4 hockey player to hit, and not one piece was touched other than my head," Nurse added.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch expressed initial concern about the severity of the incident but provided reassuring updates on Nurse's recovery progress. While careful not to specify a return timeline, Knoblauch indicated that Nurse has been making positive strides in his recovery.

"As a coach, you just wish it never happened, and I guess no punishment could be severe enough in our opinion," Knoblauch said on Monday. "But I think the NHL handled it well, and we're obviously just worried about Darnell and wish that hadn’t happened, but it is what it is."

Nurse has seven assists in 18 games, with an average ice time of 20:49 per game.