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NHL Not Looking into Slash By Oilers’ Darnell Nurse

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated May 24, 2025 1:50 PM ET

The NHL will not be reviewing the slash delivered by Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse on Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz during Game 2 of the Western Conference Final. Nurse was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for slashing after officials reviewed the play and determined a five-minute major was not warranted.

The league has also determined that the two-minute minor call was a sufficient punishment.

Doesn't sound like any further discipline from NHL Player Safety for @EdmontonOilers defenseman Darnell Nurse after that slash to the skate of @DallasStars Roope Hintz in Game 2. pic.twitter.com/6hIpFtnEgL
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 24, 2025

Stars head coach Peter DeBoer expressed frustration with the decision, saying after the game, “Does anyone in this room think if Connor McDavid gets carried off the ice like that, it’s not a five-minute major? That’s my answer to your question…If that’s 97 carried off the ice in the same situation, I think we all know the answer to what that looks like for us.”

It will be intriguing to see if this decision by the officials and the NHL spills over into Game 3. Some of the Stars players were vocal about not liking the call, and Mason Marchment hinted there was plenty of series left to get revenge. However, if the Oilers believe that anyone will go after McDavid or retaliate on Nurse, this series could get feisty.

The slash was unfortunate, and potentially teetering on dirty, but the reality is, it was not anything bigger than a slash that takes place several times over the course of a playoff series. It’s one that caught a player in a bad spot, and nine times out of ten doesn’t result in an injury.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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