Its plot combines the players’ past and present, literally reflecting the grassroots of the game on hockey’s grandest stage.
“All the buildings I was able to play in as a kid, it just brings back those good memories where you’re kind of just playing and having fun,” Skinner said. “Whether you let in a goal or stop a puck, you’re just a kid having a good time.
Skinner said his outlook may have changed over time, but not as much as you might think.
“No, when you get scored on it’s a little bit worse,” he said with a chuckle. “But that’s the nature of being a goalie.”
None of the players were given a heads-up as to what was happening, and only learned of the project during Stanley Cup Final media day on Tuesday.
“I didn’t even know that,” said Nurse, a defenseman. “It’s cool that they did that.
“It gives you a moment to reflect on the path and the journey.”
Nurse has come a long way from lacing up his skates as a youngster at Harry Howell Twin Pad Arena in Hamilton, Ontario, to appearing in the Cup Final for the second straight year.
It took a lot to get here. And not just of his own effort, either.
“There were so many different things,” Nurse said. “Obviously, first and foremost, family. My parents sacrificing time. I lived in Hamilton, but when I got older I played in Toronto and they sacrificed hours driving back and forth on the highway. And if you’ve driven through Toronto on any day, let alone five days a week …
“So, I’m very grateful for all the sacrifice that they made and it’s a huge reason that I’m at this point now.”
Nurse isn’t the only athlete in his family.
“I grew up with my sisters in a very competitive family and basketball was the sport of choice most days, but the competitive fire translates to any sport that we play,” said Nurse, whose father, Richard, played in the Canadian Football League, and whose sister, Kia, plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.
Their cousin, Sarah Nurse, plays for the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and their uncle is former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
“I would say family is probably first, but whether it’s coaches, mentors, great coaches,” Darnell Nurse said. “I had one coach, Bob Marshall, when I was playing with Don Mills, who is one of those people in my life where you look back and are very grateful for a lot of the lessons that they taught me.
“So, there are so many ways and people I can reflect on.”
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