Ryan Reaves’s illegal head check on Darnell Nurse – Source: Getty
During Saturday night’s game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers, Leafs forward Ryan Reaves was ejected for an illegal head check on Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.
The incident occurred in the second period as Nurse was coming from behind the Oilers net. Reaves’s check made significant contact with Nurse’s head, driving him forcefully down the ice.
Watch the video here:
darnell nurse is shaken up and bloody after ryan reaves laid a brutal head shot on the oilers defenceman. pic.twitter.com/FJ9zMUhPTA
— zach (@zjlaing) November 17, 2024
Nurse was slow to get up after the hit and appeared dazed. There was visible blood on the ice where he went down. The referees immediately called a match penalty on Reaves, resulting in his ejection from the game.
The Leafs went on to win 4-3 in overtime against the Oilers. Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Adam Henrique scored for the Oilers. Bobby McMann (2 goals), Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner scored for the Leafs.
Oilers reaction to Ryan Reaves’ hit on Darnell Nurse
There was no postgame update on Nurse’s condition, with the team saying they need to see how he progresses over the next few days. Oilers broadcaster Jack Michaels provided some optimism, saying that Nurse was aware and joking around in the dressing room afterwards, so he doesn’t expect it to be a long-term injury.
Reaves did go to the Edmonton room during the third period to apologize to Nurse face-to-face for the dangerous hit.
Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins spoke out against Reaves, saying:
“It’s a dangerous play. He’s got to know Nurse doesn’t see him coming and choose the right path there, and he doesn’t. It’s tough to see one of your teammates on the ice like that. Dangerous play, you don’t ever want to see something like that.”
Adam Henrique also criticized the hit, saying:
“The game is fast and…I mean just avoiding the hit, we’re professional athletes. We’re able to make those decisions quick in our head, and you know when a guy is vulnerable, or in a bad spot, those sorts of things, around the ice. It’s one you don’t want to see.”
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch simply stated:
“It was contact to the head, and that’s all…I’m worried about our player, obviously contact to the head, you don’t want to do that. I don’t want to get into the details of how severe it was and all that.”
Now, the Oilers will await the NHL’s decision on supplemental discipline for Reaves.
