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NHL DRAFTJune 30, 2013Darnell NurseEAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY Q. How does it feel? DARNELL NURSE: Unbelievable. Organizations like this when you're a kid and you grow up dreaming you're going to be a part of, and I can't wait to try and make my mark. Q. Did you have any idea you were on their radar? DARNELL NURSE: I had an idea, but like I said, when you go to the draft you never know what's going to happen. Q. What's that moment like when you hear your name called? DARNELL NURSE: I was just so happy for my whole family, for everyone who's put in so much work for me, sacrificed so much that I could get to this point. I think that's the best part about it all. Q. It was evident to us and evident that you made quite an impression on Craig MacTavish. Can you talk about your meeting with him? DARNELL NURSE: I think I was just genuine and showed him the type of person that I was. Obviously he liked it, but I think the biggest part about it is I just showed who I am, and what they'll get if I am a part of the organization, and I'm so happy to be a part of it now. Q. How close do you feel you are to playing in the NHL? DARNELL NURSE: I'm not going to put any limitations on myself and say I can't do it next year, but with that said I've got a lot of work to do with my game to get to that point. I'm going to put in as much work as I can in the gym this summer. I'll have no regrets when it's done, and I'll be in the best shape of my life, but we'll see where it takes me. That's for the decision makers to make the decision. Q. Talk about playing for an organization that has so much young talent. DARNELL NURSE: I wish I could describe how excited I am, especially when you watch these guys on TV and see how gifted they are and how much of an impact they have. For me this is a dream come true, like I said. I'm just going to work so that one day hopefully I have the opportunity to play alongside them. Q. You said you play with a bit of an edge. Do you think you have a take‑no‑guff attitude when you play? DARNELL NURSE: Techno like the music? That's soft music so I hope that doesn't mean soft. But guff, that sounds pretty tough. I think I have a little bit of jam in my game. I've always had it. Like I said, it's better to give than receive. It creates a lot more room for yourself in the corners. Obviously with that said I'm going to get challenged based on the way I play, but I've never been scared to step up. Q. What have the last two years been like for you, and especially when Coach Keefe came in this year? DARNELL NURSE: They've been the best two years of my life. On the ice I've grown so much as a player through watching video, through working after practice with my coaches. This year we had Sheldon come in, such a special coach. I think when you talk about guys who can make an impact on your team from behind the bench, he's the best in the league. I truly believe that. Joe Cirella, our D coach in Sault Ste. Marie this year has helped me grow as a player like never before. This is the biggest improvement that I've felt over the course of a 68‑game season. Q. Is it hard to believe you're sitting here right now talking to everybody about what you're talking about? DARNELL NURSE: Yeah, this doesn't feel real. You know, this is something you work for as a kid, but you never know when that day will come. Q. What do you think about playing in a Canadian market where you're going to be well known in the city of Edmonton? DARNELL NURSE: It doesn't get any better than playing in a Canadian market. Being a Canadian kid you grow up watching all the Canadian teams. I'm just so excited to be a part of it. Q. When you're sitting there do you start to think that maybe the draft isn't going to go maybe the way you thought it might go in your head? DARNELL NURSE: I wasn't really focused on it. I felt pretty bad for him because he had cameras in his face. I was like, please get them out of his face so he can just relax. You play out certain situations that you might be a part of, but for me I was just sitting back and seeing where I was going. You never know how the draft is going to take place, whether it's trades or not. I mean, I think we were all surprised that through seven or eight picks there was no trades. Q. You spent a lot of time around Seth. How do you think he handled the pressure, and then to drop down a couple picks lower than expected? DARNELL NURSE: He's really mature. Stuff like that is not going to affect him. He's a hockey player. Q. How much of this is more about the team and not the number? DARNELL NURSE: Exactly. I think that's the biggest part is you want to be part of a great situation like I am. I can't wait to be a part of it. Q. With that said, do you remember as a kid when the Oilers were first on your radar or following the team or learning about their history at all? DARNELL NURSE: When was it they went to the Finals? '06? That was probably the first time I started following the Oilers. Q. Coming out of the meetings, Craig MacTavish said I love that guy. How did you feel coming out of those meetings and getting to meet some of the Oilers? DARNELL NURSE: It felt great. Those are the guys you always see on the TV and think maybe one day I'll get the opportunity to meet them. I just really showed them who I was as a person. All my answers were genuine. I'm not trying to change and manufacture something. I think the biggest thing is you want to be part of the right situation where you know your best interests are going to be the team's best interests, and that's definitely the situation that I'm in. Q. You're truly a complete player. Talk about that. DARNELL NURSE: School is a big part. I think you have to be intelligent in order to excel. The guys that get in trouble are people that don't really focus in school or take other things lightly. For me as a young kid, I mean, going to school was always a priority. I couldn't play unless I had good marks. So I think the intelligence not only helps you off the ice but it helps you on the ice. Q. Does it help you with this process? DARNELL NURSE: Absolutely. I think the biggest help with this, though, has been my parents and my uncle just based on the fact that they've been through it all. Q. You mentioned your uncle. He had a very, I guess, infamous reception when he was drafted. Do you compare in your mind at all the reaction to your uncle when he was drafted versus what you feel today and what kind of reception you feel you're getting? DARNELL NURSE: Yeah, we're even, because he went higher than me but I didn't get booed at my draft, so we're even. Q. Is there a type of music that does fit your game? DARNELL NURSE: I don't know. You want to put on some classical music, and it would be like the polar opposite of that. Maybe hip‑hop? No, rock n' roll maybe. Q. What's the biggest thing that (inaudible)? DARNELL NURSE: Just enjoy it all. That's the biggest thing is you only get to do this once, and you just have to enjoy everything you do. I've been so happy ever since I got here to be able to share this all with my family. Q. How proud is he of you? DARNELL NURSE: I don't think I've seen him with a smile the way he has now, ever. It speaks volumes of the influence that he's had in my life and how much he's been here for me. Q. Is he a hockey fan? DARNELL NURSE: He's a hockey fan now. Yeah, he's got no choice. Q. How much does he know about Edmonton? DARNELL NURSE: I'm pretty sure he knows nothing about Edmonton. But we'll teach him. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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