EDMONTON — It was a whirlwind 24 hours for Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse as he and his fiancé Mikayla welcomed their son Aiden into the world on Tuesday.

Nurse played 62 minutes in Monday’s triple overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets before flying straight to Edmonton to head to the hospital.

WATCH: RECAP: Jets complete sweep of Oilers

During a press conference on Tuesday, Nurse said he was very happy to be able to make it just in the nick of time for the birth.

“It was up in the air there for a bit,” he explained. “We FaceTimed all day while she was in the hospital.”

“Mom is healthy, baby is healthy. It’s crazy she had this baby this morning.”

Nurse says he’s averaged about 30 minutes of rest since Monday and has felt a lot of different emotions after the Oilers were swept out of the playoffs.

“Obviously there’s disappointment,” he said. “Any time you put in as much into a season as we did as a team, and then our not playing deep into the playoffs, and then for the Stanley Cup later on in the summer, it hurts.”

“But, having to come back and have a son, I mean it puts life in perspective a little bit.

“It brightened my world, I’m very fortunate.”

When asked if Nurse had changed a diaper yet, he laughed and admittedly said he hadn’t, adding that he’s taking baby steps into his new role as a father.

“I did my first swaddle blanket, I was pretty good at that,” he beamed.

“We’ll start with that, and the diapers are coming at any moment.”

EDMONTON — Former Edmonton Oilers great Wayne Gretzky has resigned from his front office role with the team following a report he’s accepted a role as an analyst with an American broadcaster.

Gretzky announced on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that he was stepping down from his job as vice chairman for the team. 

“The Oilers, their fans, and the city of Edmonton have meant the world to me and my family for over four decades – and that will never end,” he wrote. 

“Given the pandemic and other life changes, I realize I will not be able to dedicate the time nor effort needed to support this world-class organization.” 

The announcement comes the day after the Oilers were swept out of the NHL playoffs following a Game 4 triple overtime defeat to the Winnipeg Jets. 

Earlier Tuesday, the New York Post reported that Gretzky had agreed to be a lead analyst on American network TNT’s hockey coverage next season.

Gretzky’s role involved working “on the commercial side of the business to attract world-class sports and entertainment partnerships and events to Rogers Place, as well as supporting development initiatives in ICE District,” according to the team’s website. 

EDMONTON — Alberta added fewer than 500 new cases of COVID-19 for a second straight day as the province reported 387 new infections Tuesday. 

Nine more Albertans, ranging in age from their 40s to 80s, were also reported to have died Tuesday. There have now been 2,192 deaths due to COVID-19 in Alberta since the start of the pandemic.

Active cases fell for a 15th straight day, down to 12,078, about where the active case count was near the end of the first week of April.

There are 565 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 158 in intensive care units.

The province reported a 9.85 per cent test positivity Tuesday based on 3,998 tests. 

“The numbers show that our collective efforts are making a difference,” Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said.

“We have seen a steady decline in new cases across the province which is helping bring our active case count down as well.”

“This is yet another reminder that our actions matter and collectively we have the power to bend the curve down and get us past this third wave.”

Nearly 2.2 million Albertans, or about 49.2 per cent of the population, have now received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 354,000 are fully immunized. 

Premier Jason Kenney, Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer will give an update on COVID-19 and “opening for summer” Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

EDMONTON — Protesters gathered  outside the Strathcona Market and along Whyte Avenue to draw attention to the political upset in Belarus.

Demonstrators showed their support on Monday for prominent journalist Raman Pratasevich who was arrested and brought into Belarus to be detained.

Today’s rally in Edmonton happened alongside the international community condemning actions the Belarussian government took in arresting a journalist after forcing a passenger airliner destined for Lithuania to land Belarus.

“We are here today because we are outraged with what happened in Belarus,” said Anastasiya Talstaya, a member of the Belarusian community in Edmonton.

“A plane with more than 150 passengers was hijacked by the Belarussian president – who is not president anymore because he just rigged the elections in August 2020.”

Talstaya said the whole world needs to be concerned with what is happening in Belarus.

“I assume the world thought that Belarusian problems are problems only for Belarus and Belarussians, but they’re not,” she added.

Protesters told CTV News Edmonton that they are demanding action from the Canadian government.

“We really appreciate that Canada and the world expressed concerns and support, but now we need real action.

“We need real sanctions against (Alexander) Lukashenko and all people who made possible the rigged election. We need Canada and the world to help the real president elect.”

READ MORE: EU leaders agree on Belarus sanctions after plane diversion

There are approximately 20,000 people from Belarus across Canada.

EDMONTON — Alberta recorded 452 new cases of COVID-19 on Victoria Day Monday as most of the province’s students ready to return to classrooms tomorrow. 

Seven new deaths were also reported Monday, bringing the number of Albertans who have died due to COVID-19 up to 2,183. An Alberta in their 20s was among the deaths reported Monday, the tenth person under the age of 30 to die due to COVID-19.

Active cases continued to fall, down to 13,608 the lowest since April 9. 

The number of patients receiving care in intensive care units remained high at 161. Those patients are included in the 569 total hospitalized COVID-19 patients. 

The province administered just over five thousand tests on Sunday with a positivity rate of 8.91 per cent. 

More than 2.17 million Albertans, including more than 57 per cent of those over the age of 12, have now received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. More than 353,000 have received a second dose. 

Premier Jason Kenney hinted last week that the province’s latest reopening plan would be released in the coming days. 

The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, is expected to return to give an in-person update early this week as well.