King Clancy nominee Nurse of Oilers reflects on building opportunities for kids

Editor’s Note: The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is presented annually to the NHL player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. Each NHL Club nominates a player to be considered for this recognition, and each nominee has a unique and powerful connection to his community efforts. Today, the Edmonton Oilers nominee for the 2024-25 season – Darnell Nurse – shares his story.

Sports can have a big impact on the community, and no one represents that impact better than Free Play for Kids.

It’s a charity that provides sports programs for youth in Edmonton to play, belong, and grow in a safe and accessible environment. The programs are delivered at no cost, and they offer a support system to help newcomers, refugees, and kids who are facing tough financial situations.

When I spend time with the kids at Free Play, they remind me of the joy that comes with playing sports.

They also remind me of my dad.

My dad, Richard, was 7 years old when he immigrated to Canada. His parents were born in Trinidad, and they moved here as a family for a chance at a better life.

Many values from their journey have stuck with me. Their courage to start over and the sacrifices they made were combined with a strong work ethic. My grandpa set an example: For almost 30 years, he worked a blue-collar job at the steel factory in Hamilton, guided by the dream of giving his family the opportunity to be anything they wanted to be.

But from the perspective of a 7-year-old like my dad, coming to Canada must have been a huge adjustment. It’s a new country. The weather is a lot colder. And he probably wasn’t sure how he’d fit in.

Until he found sports.

One of the first things he did was learn to play hockey. It gave him a group of friends where he could feel welcome. From there, my dad started exploring other sports on a path that took him all the way to the Canadian Football League. The initial connection to sports changed everything and allowed him to relate to the community.

Free Play creates those connections every day for kids who really need them. Their work has empowered thousands of kids in Edmonton, and I’m proud to have partnered with Free Play since 2021.

Together, we launched the “Captain of the Week” program for all 24 elementary schools in Free Play’s network. Each week, one student at every school is recognized for their leadership qualities and invited to be my guest at an Oilers game.

I also visit Free Play to join their floor hockey games and be a mentor. I’m blown away by these kids: Their stories have a mix of resilience and innocence that really comes across when they get a chance to enjoy sports without any barriers. I have so much fun hanging out with them … and they make some impressive friendship bracelets, which I’ve been lucky enough to receive.

So far, in collaboration with the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, we’ve donated more than $1.5 million to Free Play through the “Every Kid Deserves a Shot” initiative.

The whole partnership has been amazing. It’s exactly what I hoped for when we started.

In 2020, I remember sitting down with my mom and talking about how I wanted to get more involved in the community. I’d been looking at the social climate and reflecting. I felt like I could find a way to have more impact, but I wanted to find a cause that resonated with the experience of my family.

We were spitballing ideas, and eventually we heard about Free Play’s programs, where sports contribute to something much bigger than any game. It hit home in all the right ways.

That conversation with my mom also inspired me to think about other influences in my life.

When I was growing up, my parents were serious about school. If I didn’t have good grades, I wouldn’t be allowed to play hockey. That wasn’t a threat … It was an honest statement. And regardless of how my hockey career turned out, my mom told me that I had to get a degree (which is why, to this day, I’m studying for exams to finish my diploma).

I realized how special it’d be to launch a scholarship at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School, where I went to high school -- just like my dad, my aunts and uncles, and my sisters. It seemed like a no-brainer to give back to students who have financial need.

So in 2021, the Darnell Nurse Excellence Scholarship was created for students at St. Thomas More who overcome adversity and still excel at school. There are two recipients each year, and each receive $40,000 to attend university.

To be honest, I’d much rather talk about the accomplishments of these incredible students, or the programs at Free Play, instead of talking about myself. I’m someone who prefers to do things under the radar.

But I’m also someone who wants to make a difference.

Sometimes that means being open about why the work matters, so more people consider how to take action – and maybe my story can do that here.

I’m only living out my dreams as an NHL player because of the opportunities that my family provided to me, and I hope we can continue building opportunities for every kid in Canada to reach their full potential. It’s about opening doors to make their dreams possible. And there’s nothing like establishing a strong foundation to help them keep dreaming: When every kid’s journey starts with a sense of belonging and a meaningful chance to learn, then there will be no limit on how far these kids can go.