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NO NURSE ON DUTY
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Lowetide
Dec 2, 2013, 21:19 EST
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News today that Darnell Nurse is not part of the Canadian World Junior roster for Christmastime. It’s a surprise, but Oiler fans shouldn’t be upset about it. I’ll tell you why after the jump.

INSANE!

Well, not really. The truth is that Canada has so much depth each season among eligible players they could ice two teams and the second group could win the entire thing. As fans, we have a right to be pissed off (I’m livid!) but there’s so much quality in Canadian junior hockey the men choosing the roster really can’t blow it.
Seriously.
Today’s roster announcement tells us the following:
  • the recent Subway series had a lot to do with the final decision. Nurse made a couple of defensive errors and that was apparently enough to include him out. It IS insane to make these decisions on such a small sample size, but Canada has been doing that since Don Cherry chewed with his own teeth.
  • some of the more experienced defensemen (like Griffin Reinhart) had a similar skill set to Nurse.
That’s my take, anyway. Sucks for Darnell Nurse, I hope he uses that as motivation to beat hell out of the OHL and win the Max Kaminsky trophy.

I’M NOT CHEERING FOR CANADA!

Oh come on. I agree the roster selection looks a little weird, but the Team Canada coach has earned the right to choose his team, and they’ll be wearing the Canadian uniform at Christmas. That means you and I will cheer for these kids, just like we did for Jordan Eberle.
Well, maybe not EXACTLY like that (as I recall Wanye may have hovered over top of the arena in a Zeppelin for the Eberle games) but these are Canadian kids and chances are one day soon one or more will be Oilers (the Flames MUST owe us something in the Smid trade).

FACTS

History will tell us if Team Canada chose wisely today, and I hope to be around for all 25 of Darnell’s NHL seasons and his HHOF ceremony. Best of luck to Team Canada without him, it’ll be fun to see if they can win shorthanded.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Things happen for a reason. I don’t know that Darnell Nurse needed extra motivation, but he found some today. Oiler fans have seen this young man for themselves—his training camp and pre-season was outstanding—and we’re betting on Darnell.
All day. ALL day.
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