Bilka, Nurse To Miss Significant Time From Rivalry Series Injuries

Sarah Nurse and Hannah Bilka are set to miss significant time after each suffered a lower body injury in game four of the Rivalry Series last week. The Toronto Sceptres and Boston Fleet stars were both placed on long-term injued reserve.

For the PWHL, it was a worst case scenario. The league took a week break for international competition, one of four international breaks on the calendar; but this one came with a massive cost. That cost was the long-term injuries to two of the PWHL's top stars: Sarah Nurse and Hannah Bilka. 

Bilka, the Boston Fleet's third leading scorer, was the fourth overall pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft. She suffered a lower body injury in game four of the Rivalry Series.

At the time of her injury, Nurse was also the third leading scorer of the Toronto Sceptres, playing as the team's first line center. Nurse also suffered a lower body injury after colliding with Toronto teammate Jesse Compher in game four of the Rivalry Series. 

Seeing two of the league's top stars missing from action for at least the next month, it remains a high price to pay for participation in a midseason two-game exhibition. 

International play is built into the PWHLPA's collective bargaining agreement, but the Rivalry Series itself is not named. The CBA's Section 10.5 titled, International Participation, states that "The League shall permit any Player who qualifies to participate in the Olympics, IIHF World Championship, or other international tournaments/competitions."

What falls within international tournaments/competitions is the grey area. The Rivalry Series is not a sanctioned IIHF event counting toward world rankings. Last week, a dozen nations competed in Olympic Qualification tournaments in Sweden, Germany, and Japan, and Czechia hosted a three nations event as the final stop of the Women's Euro Hockey Tour.