NHL All-Star weekend plays host to hockey’s brightest stars every season. However, during the Skills Showcase in Sunrise, Fla., it was a player from outside the league who stole the show.
Enter one Sarah Nurse: Olympic gold and silver medallist with the Canadian women’s national hockey team. The Hamilton, Ont., native faced a tall task during the Tendy Tandem event, bearing down against the NHL’s reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers.
“I guess it was just in my head, because I don’t think I was consciously thinking anything,” Nurse said of her audacious attempt during an appearance on The FAN Morning Show. “I was like, ‘Oh god, everybody is looking at me now’ but it turned out pretty well” she added.
In that moment, Nurse channelled her inner Peter Forsberg, showing forehand all the way, before flipping the puck to her backhand in time to tuck it around Shesterkin’s outstretched pad.
The crowd at FLA Live Arena erupted, as did the fans around the world on social media.
Though the past weekend’s festivities weren’t a hit with everyone, Nurse pointed to the event’s impact on the local community.
“Being in South Florida I didn't really know what to expect but I thought that attendance was great, she said. "The activities that they had away from the rink (were) awesome,” Nurse continued. “They had an entire beach fest setup where they had a Stanley Cup by the ocean, gaming events, eSports — different
ways to try out hockey. (The organizers) had the diversity and inclusion mobile museum that is a double-wide tractor trailer now, which is a complete step up. It was completely busy all weekend.”
The 25-year-old also discussed next year’s event in Toronto, the PWHPA’s tour of Ontario and the upcoming World Championships in Brampton, Ont.
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