NCAA hotshot Nurse-ing ambitions for Olympics
With old guard cycling out, Oiler’s cousin hopes she can play role for Team Canada
CALGARY The name is familiar, but to the national women’s hockey team, Sarah Nurse is not.
The 22-year-old Hamilton native is one of 28 players vying to compete for Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeong Chang.
And while Nurse, the cousin of Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell and Canadian Olympic basketball player Kia, is trying to carve her own path, she’s part of a new-look national team searching for new stars to lead the charge.
“Some of those huge names that have paved the way for all of us,” Nurse said of retired players like Hayley Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford, “they’ve had their time and are moving onto greater things. Now it’s our turn to keep the legacy going.
“There’s a little bit of pressure, but there’s a lot of pride. You want to keep up what they’ve had for so long and just add to that.”
Nurse wrapped up her final year of eligibility last season with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers, scoring 18 goals and 20 assists in 30 games along with a degree in marketing. She joins Team Canada along with Badgers teammates Emily Clark, Ann-Renee Desbiens and Blayre Turnbull.
She’s been involved in the national program a long time, playing at the under-18 world championships and suiting up for Canada at the 2015 Nations Cup.
But Nurse has never been part of the Olympic centralization process in Calgary.
“I think it got real this last month here,” she said, “seeing players like Meghan Agosta and Shannon Szabados who’ve been through these Olympic journeys before. We all have the opportunity to represent our country and that is such an exciting thing. Obviously, Hockey Canada has an amazing tradition of excellence and just coming through that and heading into an Olympic Games. We want a gold medal and anything less than that is kind of unacceptable.”
Nurse’s competitive approach runs in the family. Growing up five minutes away from Darnell (a month younger than her) and Kia (a year younger) in Hamilton, she also has two brothers including one, Isaac, who skates for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
Nurse grew up playing in boys’ leagues but also played girls’ hockey at the same time until she was in Grade 6.
“I think it was probably more hard on my parents,” she said with a chuckle.
“I just remember so many times I’d be at one rink and I wouldn’t even have my equipment off and I’d have to go into the car and go three cities over.”
No doubt, Nurse is motivated by her cousin’s achievements.
“Just getting to see family to live out their dreams is cool,” she said. “It’s every kid’s dream to play in the NHL and Kia was in the Olympics a few years ago too. It’s something that drives me to get there too.”
Right now, there’s a few other items on the agenda. The Canadian team will have a series of games against the Alberta Midget Hockey League as well as a handful of exhibition games against the American team before the Olympics, which run Feb. 9 to 25.
Nurse identifies herself as a role player, which will likely be her ticket to South Korea.
“For me, I bring a lot of versatility,” she said. “We have a pretty solid top six, so they’re looking for people who can play roles like penalty kill and that fourth-line position.”
We all have the opportunity to represent our country. … We want a gold medal and anything less than that is kind of unacceptable.