Reds Add Nurse To 2020 Class
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds men’s hockey team is adding forward Isaac Nurse, of Hamilton, Ontario, to their recruiting class of 2020.
The 21-year-old right winger has signed a U SPORTS Letter of Intent and will join the Reds ahead of the 2020-21 Atlantic University Sport season.
“UNB’s history of being a successful, top team each season is what really appealed to me,” said Nurse.
Nurse is coming off four seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs, of the Ontario Hockey League.
He was a member of Hamilton’s 2018 OHL Championship team, and captained the Bulldogs during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season. Despite dealing with an injury, he was on pace to record career highs in goals and assists.
In 221 OHL regular season games, Nurse scored 50 goals and 42 assists.
“Isaac is a super addition to our team, and will add significantly to our components of speed and relentless work ethic,” said Reds head coach Gardiner MacDougall. “He’s a great story of perseverance, going from being a late round draft pick to being the Bulldogs’ captain. We really like his career progression. He’s continuously improved his game, and we feel he’s really just getting started with his career.”
Nurse joins a stellar 2020 Reds recruiting class that includes his Bulldogs teammate Kade Landry.
“I feel like I can bring experience in leadership and a hard-working attitude every day,” he said. “I’m a well-rounded, tough, and fast player. I’ll fit where I’m needed.”
Following the 2017-18 season, Nurse won the Bulldogs’ Premium Player Award, as the team’s hardest worker. After the 2018-19 season, he was recognized as the team’s top penalty killer.
And if the name Nurse sounds familiar, it should. He comes from a well-established Canadian sporting family.
Nurse’s sister, Sarah, was a member of Canada’s women’s team that earned the silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin and, professionally, with the Toronto Furies, of the former Canadian Women’s Hockey League.
His brother, Elijah, played hockey too.
Isaac is the cousin of Darnell Nurse, a member of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, and Kia Nurse, who plays with the New York Liberty, of the WNBA. And, his uncle is former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb.
“Having a family of athletes who have worked so hard to achieve their dreams has helped push me to become a better athlete as well as a better person,” said Nurse. “I chose UNB because of their reputation in hockey, as well as their program’s ability to help improve players to get to them to the next level.”
Nurse has yet to decide what he’ll study at UNB.