Sceptres star Sarah Nurse gifts Syrian-Canadian artist signed stick during 'Nursey Nights'

Toronto Sceptres superstar Sarah Nurse has been a long-time advocate of inclusivity in hockey. "Nursey Night" is one of her several initiatives, presented by Rogers, aiming to introduce more young girls to hockey and promote inclusivity within the sport.

During the latest edition of the initiative, Nurse linked up with Syrian-Canadian artist Abrar Al Mouktaran. Mouktaran was among the invitees on the night, and she even received a special signed hockey stick from Nurse.

The two posed together for a picture that Mouktaran posted on her Instagram stories, along with the message Sarah Nurse wrote for her.

“Abrar, Thank you for being you ♥ -Sarah,” the message read.

via Instagram /@nursey16, @abrar_mo_18

Sarah Nurse later reposted the picture on her own stories.

Mouktaran is a Joanne Nelson scholar. Her oil paintings were featured at the Awenda Inspired Group Exhibition at OCAD University in 2024, and she also had a solo exhibition at Meals On Wheels Cafe in East York, Toronto, in 2023.

Sarah Nurse’s initiative has collaborated with organizations like the Black Girl Hockey Club Canada to provide young girls opportunities to attend professional women's hockey games, meet players and receive mentorship.

The inaugural event took place last year during the "Battle on Bay St." matchup between PWHL Toronto and PWHL Montreal at Scotiabank Arena, where Rogers donated $50,000 to support the initiative.

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Sarah Nurse believes inclusivity in sports can be achieved through collaboration

In an interview with Sportsnet’s Donnovan Bennett last year, Sarah Nurse shared her take on the importance of representation and collaboration among Black women in hockey. Bennet pointed out how, historically, women and Black individuals have often been pitted against each other due to limited opportunities, leading to a "crabs in the bucket" mentality.

In response, Nurse shared her take on breaking this mold through collaboration. She spoke about her partnership with Soroya T. R. Montgomery, noting that while she represents players on the ice, Montgomery is breaking barriers off it.

“I think that’s some sort of mold that we continue to break time after time,” Nurse said. “I look at Soroya and me—we can kind of have this two-pronged attack almost. I mean, I can be representative as a player right now, but she’s showing just how many spaces are available and how many barriers she’s breaking.

“She’s working with the league, she’s also doing broadcast for the league, she’s the Executive Director of Black Girl Hockey Club Canada. That just shows how many opportunities there are for Black women in sports, Black women in hockey.”

They also discussed how the presence of Black people in hockey arenas is increasing, something Sarah didn’t see growing up. She shared that her dad was often the only Black person in the arena. Now, seeing more Black families at games, she mentioned how far things have come and how people feel more welcome in the sport.