Oilers' Nurse suspended 1 game for headbutting Kings' Danault

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse will miss one game for headbutting Los Angeles Kings forward Phillip Danault on Tuesday night.

Nurse launched himself at Danault in the final seconds of the second period during the Kings' 5-4 win in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series.

"This is an unacceptable headbutt delivered with the top of the helmet directly to an opponent's face with some force," the NHL said in its explanation of the suspension Wednesday.

Nurse wasn't penalized on the ice. Considering the NHL's rules governing headbutting, the officials either missed the incident or determined it wasn't a headbutt at the time.

Rule 47 states that a headbutt occurs when a player makes or attempts to make intentional contact with an opponent by leading with his head and/or helmet. The rule calls for a double-minor penalty if a player attempts a headbutt and a major if he makes contact.

There are no specific fine or suspension parameters for headbutting, but commissioner Gary Bettman can apply supplemental discipline at his discretion.

Losing Nurse for a game will be challenging for the Oilers, who trail the Kings 3-2 in the series. The 27-year-old blue-liner led all Edmonton skaters in average ice time (25:03) by nearly three minutes during the regular season and ranked 12th in the NHL in that regard. He collected 35 points in 71 games.

The veteran rearguard has no recent suspension history, which the league cited as a factor in its ruling. Nurse sat for three games back in 2016 for serving as the aggressor in a fight with then-San Jose Sharks defenseman Roman Polak.

Game 6 of the series is scheduled for Thursday night in Los Angeles.