Nurse suspended one game for cross-checking King

EDMONTON — Edmonton Oilers’ defenceman Darnell Nurse has been suspended by the NHL for one game, without pay, for cross-checking forward Quinton Byfield of the Los Angeles Kings during Sunday’s game in the Alberta capital.

The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced the penalty on Tuesday night.

The incident occurred at 14:36 of the second period. Nurse was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking. Nurse will miss the Oilers’ final regular-season game on Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Nurse will forfeit $48,177.08. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

The incident occurred at 14:36 of the second period. Nurse was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross-checking.

Byfield left the game with what the Kings called an upper-body injury and did not return. Coach Jim Hiller had no update on the 22-year-old’s condition. Byfield also did not play Tuesday night at Seattle.

In a post-whistle scrum late in the second period, Nurse put Byfield in a head lock, took him down and whacked him with his stick in the back of the helmet. Officials ejected him after video review.

This is Nurse’s third suspension for an on-ice incident and fourth overall. He got three games in 2016 for being the aggressor in a fight and one in 2022 for head-butting Kings centre Phillip Danault during the first round, as well as one in 2023 for instigating a fight in the final five minutes against Vegas during the second round.

The Kings won Sunday’s game 5-0 and later accused the Oilers of dressing a “B team” to try and injure them before they meet in the first round of the NHL playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 15, 2025.