Oilers’ Darnell Nurse facing punishment for dirty hit

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse is facing a tough punishment from the NHL, after a cross-check against Los Angeles Kings player Quinton Byfield. Nurse is having a hearing on Tuesday with the NHL’s Player Safety department, per the league.

A player safety hearing usually means a player is facing a hefty suspension from the league. Things may be a little different in Nurse’s case, due to the NHL Playoffs starting soon.

“I would be surprised if more than 1 game. Fine is also possible. Bit of a message before the two teams meet again in round one,” hockey insider Darren Dreger wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Nurse is in hot water due to an incident that occurred in the second period of a recent Oilers-Kings game. The defenseman came in contact with Byfield on a physical play. Nurse and Byfield fell to the ice, and it appeared Nurse then went after his opponent’s head.

Byfield didn’t return to the contest following the cross-check. Nurse received a five-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct, per NHL.com.

The Oilers and Kings are set to meet again in the NHL Playoffs

Nurse’s hit occurred in a game that the Kings went on to win, 5-0. With the victory, Los Angeles ended up clinching the no. 2 seed from the Pacific Division. That means that L.A. gets home ice advantage in the upcoming playoff series between the clubs.

It’s unclear what Byfield’s health status is for the playoffs.

“No update,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said, per NHL.com, after the game. “He wasn’t able to finish, that’s all. It doesn’t matter how I saw it.”

Nurse’s punishment will undoubtedly add even more flavor to the upcoming series. Both teams seem to have some bad blood with one another. Nurse is also a player known for instigating and receiving hard contact.

The NHL Playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 19.