Nurse will line up for Friday’s exhibition tune-up with the Jets alongside Stecher, with whom he played the most during the 2024-25 season over 470:23 of total ice time together in 61 games, as per Natural Stat Trick. Beyond the comfort of being in a consistent pairing with Stecher, Nurse mentioned he’s always been a fan of his work ethic while knowing he’s always going to bring 100 percent in every game.
“He’s a pitbull. He goes out there and he works each and every day,” Nurse said of his partnership with Stecher. “He’s probably the hardest-working guy on the ice. Each practice we have, whether it’s morning skate or not, you always know where he’s going to be. He always knows he’s going to bring 100 percent of his effort, and he’s a lot of fun to play with.”
Edmonton’s top two forward lines will feature youth in Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie as the rookies push for opening night roster spots. Nurse added that young players can add a lot of life to the locker room during a long regular season, which can help motivate veteran players who’ve been around a long time.
“The life, the juice that they bring to the rink; the smiles, the emotion, the enthusiasm, that just helps the group. It’s infectious,” Nurse said. “So when you have some of that, the young blood in your lineup and in your room, it spreads throughout.”