Former Soo Greyhounds captain Darnell Nurse is back in the city this week to help run a hockey camp for kids.
The Edmonton Oilers defenceman says he loves coming back to the place where he played his junior hockey.
Nurse played four seasons for Hounds before moving on to the NHL.
"It’s an opportunity not just to give back, but to (give back to) a community that helped mold me and get me to this point," said Nurse
"It's just nice to come out and help out."
Nurse said he remembers coming to the city as a 16-year-old, with a dream of making it to the NHL.
He credits the Sault with having a major impact on him, not just as a player, but as a person.
"Not only the team, but the city as a whole is such a great hockey community. With the pressures that come with that, it gets you ready to play at the next level. At the same time, it's such a small town, it has that real family feel and it will always have a special part of me," he explained
Nurse is helping run a Soo Thunderbirds future camp; with skaters ranging in age from 13 to 15.
It’s the first time Nurse has skated in Sault Ste. Marie since suiting up for the Greyhounds during the 2014-15 season. He said he will be in the city for roughly one week; visiting with his former billet family.
Nurse said he doesn't have any concrete plans, except for one must stop. He plans on heading to Giovanni's Restaurant for some classic Italian food.
