Sarah Nurse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sarah Nurse |
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Nurse with PWHL Toronto in 2024
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| Born | January 4, 1995 Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 148 lb (67 kg; 10 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoots | Left | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PWHL team Former teams |
Toronto Sceptres Toronto Furies Wisconsin Badgers |
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| National team |  Canada |
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| Playing career | 2015–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Sarah Nurse (born January 4, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. She plays as a forward for the Toronto Sceptres in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Sarah also proudly represents the Canadian national team.
She first joined the national team in 2015 at the 2015 4 Nations Cup. Sarah Nurse has played for Canada in two Winter Olympics. She competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.
After playing college hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers, Nurse played for the Toronto Furies. This was part of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). When the CWHL stopped operating in 2019, Sarah helped create the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). She was also on its board of directors. Later, the PWHPA helped start the PWHL in 2023. Nurse then joined the leadership team for the league's player union, the PWHL Players Association (PWHLPA).
Contents
Sarah Nurse's Hockey Journey
Early Hockey Career
Sarah Nurse started her hockey journey playing for Stoney Creek. She earned a silver medal at the Ontario Women's Hockey Association (OWHA) provincials. In high school, she won a bronze medal at the 2010 OFSAA championships. She also won a silver medal at OFSAA in 2011.
During the 2010–11 Provincial Women's Hockey League (PWHL) season, she was the top scorer for the Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres. She was chosen for the OWHA All-Star Team. In the 2011–12 PWHL season, she became an alternate captain for Stoney Creek. She helped her team win a bronze medal at the PWHL championships.
In the 2012–13 season, Nurse set a new league record for most goals in a season. She scored 35 goals, including a hat-trick in the final game.
College Hockey Years (2013–2017)
Sarah Nurse played college hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers. They are part of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
In 2015, she scored two goals in the WCHA Final Faceoff championship game. One of her goals was the game-winner against Bemidji State. On December 4, 2016, Nurse achieved a special milestone. She scored three goals against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. This was the first time a player from her program scored a hat-trick against Minnesota.
Playing Professional Hockey
CWHL Experience (2018–2019)
After the 2018 Winter Olympics, Nurse was picked second overall in the 2018 CWHL Draft. She joined the Toronto Furies. On October 17, 2018, Sarah scored her first CWHL goal. This goal broke a tie and helped the Furies win 3–1.
PWHPA Role (2019–2023)
Nurse played for Team Sonnet (Toronto) in the 2021 Secret Cup. This event was part of the 2020–21 PWHPA Dream Gap Tour. She scored a goal and an assist in the championship game. Her team lost 4-2 to Team Bauer (Montreal).
Joining the PWHL (2023–Present)
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When the new Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) started, Sarah Nurse was one of the first players signed. She joined PWHL Toronto along with fellow Canadian Olympians Blayre Turnbull and Renata Fast.
Playing for Team Canada
Sarah Nurse has been a key player for Team Canada. She was part of Team Ontario blue at the 2011 and 2012 National Women's Under-18 Championship. Her team won gold in 2011 and bronze in 2012. She also helped the Canadian U18 team win gold at the 2013 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship.
At the 2015 4 Nations Cup, Nurse won a gold medal with Canada's U22/Development Team. She had two assists in a 4–1 win against Finland. In 2020, she played in the Elite Women's 3-on-3 game at the 2020 National Hockey League All-Star Game Skills Competition.
Olympic Achievements
Nurse was chosen to play for Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. She scored her first Olympic goal in a 2–1 win over the United States. Team Canada won a silver medal after a close shootout against the United States.
On January 11, 2022, Nurse was named to Canada's 2022 Olympic team. In Beijing, she set two new Olympic records. She had the most points (18) and most assists (13) in a single women's tournament.
Sarah Nurse's Life Off the Ice
Sarah Nurse started skating when she was three years old. She began playing hockey at age five. Her family has many athletes. Her cousins include Darnell Nurse, a professional hockey player for the Edmonton Oilers, and Kia Nurse, a basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks. Her uncles also played professional sports. Her uncle Donovan McNabb played pro football in the National Football League (NFL). Her other uncle, Richard Nurse, played wide receiver in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Nurse has spoken openly about racism in ice hockey. She believes it is important to address these issues. In September 2020, Liz Knox stepped down from the PWHPA board. This allowed Nurse to take her place, helping the association better address race issues in hockey. After the PWHL was founded in 2023, Nurse joined the executive committee for the PWHLPA.
In November 2020, Mattel and Tim Hortons created special Barbie dolls based on Nurse and fellow hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin. These dolls were part of Barbie's "You Can Be Anything" program. This program aims to inspire girls to reach their full potential. Nurse was also featured on the June 2021 cover of Elle Canada magazine. In 2022, Nurse was a guest judge on Canada's Drag Race. Also in 2022, she became the first woman to appear on the cover of an EA Sports NHL video game, NHL 23, alongside Trevor Zegras.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2009–10 | Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres | PWHL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres | PWHL | 36 | 18 | 13 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres | PWHL | 30 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres | PWHL | 35 | 36 | 20 | 56 | 26 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 8 | ||
| 2013–14 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 38 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 37 | 15 | 10 | 25 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 36 | 25 | 13 | 38 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 39 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Toronto Furies | CWHL | 26 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | GTA West | PWHPA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Toronto | PWHPA | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Team Adidas | PWHPA | 20 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | PWHL Toronto | PWHL | 24 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| CWHL totals | 26 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| PWHPA totals | 24 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| PWHL totals | 24 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Canada | U18 |  |
5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Canada | OG | |
5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2019 | Canada | WC |  |
7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Canada | WC |  |
7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Canada | OG | |
7 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Canada | WC | |
7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2023 | Canada | WC | |
7 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2024 | Canada | WC | |
7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Senior totals | 47 | 16 | 30 | 46 | 28 | ||||
Awards and Special Recognitions
- EA Sports NHL cover athlete (2023)
NCAA Awards
- All-WCHA Rookie Team (2013–14)
- 2015 WCHA Frozen Face-Off Most Outstanding Player
- WCHA All-Tournament Team (2015)
- All-WCHA Third Team (2015–16)
- Second-Team All-American (2016–17)
- WCHA 20th Anniversary Team
PWHL Awards
- PWHL All-Second team (2023–24)
IIHF and Olympic Medals
- IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship gold medalist (2021, 2022, 2024)
- IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship silver medalist (2023)
- IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship bronze medalist (2019)
- Olympic gold medalist (2022)
- Olympic silver medalist (2018)
