Darnell Nurse to be part of new NHLPA committee on CTE

The new NHLPA advisory committee on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has its first official member.

During the Saturday Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse will be that team’s representative to serve on the committee.

“[The committee] is going to hopefully have one representative from each team as a member of it, so the players can get a better understanding of the challenges that concussions can present,” Friedman said. “[Nurse] would be an excellent choice. I think he would be an excellent person to help educate his fellow members about the challenges that can be faced and the treatment that can be got.”

Though never having dealt with a disclosed concussion during his career, Nurse has worked his way back from numerous injuries over 11 years in the NHL. The 29-year-old has spent time serving on other NHLPA committees, including an initiative to help better prepare players for life after hockey.

Nurse has additionally promoted racial justice and diversity in hockey, and was one of the leading voices in the league on anti-racism in 2020.

NHLPA president Marty Walsh announced the creation of the committee on Friday night, citing the importance of the long-term health of NHLers.

“The NHLPA is in the process of forming a player committee that will be focused on learning more about chronic traumatic encephalopathy). The committee will be guided by leading medical experts in this field to help players better understand CTE,” Walsh said.

The union board unanimously approved the committee at a meeting over the summer.

A degenerative brain disease, CTE has been identified in athletes and military combat veterans who sustained concussions or repeated blows to the head. It can be diagnosed only posthumously through an examination of the brain.

— With files from Associated Press