Hard Creek Increases Measured Resource to 213 Million Tonnes

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, May 25 (MARKET WIRE) --
Hard Creek Nickel Corporation (TSX: HNC) is pleased to announce a new
resource estimate for its wholly owned Turnagain Property, located 70 km
east of Dease Lake, BC. This estimate is an update from a HNC news
release dated June 17, 2008, that summarized a resource estimate by AMEC
Americas Limited of Vancouver (AMEC), BC and the January 2008 AMEC report
entitled "Preliminary Assessment of the Turnagain Nickel Project".

The updated mineral resource estimate for the Turnagain deposit was
performed by Mr. Ronald Simpson, P.Geo. of GeoSim Services Incorporated.
The table below presents the estimate of the resource of the Turnagain
Nickel deposit using a 0.10% AC-Ni cut-off, of 695 million tonnes of
Measured and Indicated resources at 0.174% AC-Ni and an additional 510
million tonnes of Inferred resources at 0.173% AC-Ni. Blocks with
estimated sulphur content below 0.35% were excluded from the mineral
resource. A total of 72715 metres of diamond drilling in 273 drill holes
were used to develop the resource model.

Mineral Resource Estimate
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cut-off Grade of
0.10% AC-Ni (i) Tonnage % AC-Ni % total Ni % total Co
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measured 213,270,000 0.182 0.230 0.014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indicated 481,742,000 0.170 0.210 0.014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measured + Indicated 695,012,000 0.174 0.216 0.014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inferred 510,818,000 0.173 0.199 0.014
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Note: "% AC-Ni" refers to nickel in sulphide minerals.

The updated resource utilizes all the recent drill hole information to
date, including holes from the 2008 exploration program. Historic drill
holes and analytical results prior to 2002 (1967 - 1998 inclusive) were
not used in the estimate.

The above mineral resources of the Turnagain deposit were classified in
accordance with CIM Definition of Standards and Best Practices referred
to in NI 43-101 which have a reasonable expectation of economic
extraction. The mineralization satisfies criteria to be classified into
Measured, Indicated and Inferred mineral resource categories.

Total nickel and cobalt values were determined by ICP emission
spectrometry following four acid digestion of a representative pulp
sample. The sulphide nickel (AC-Ni) grades are based on an analytical
procedure that consists of a concentrated hydrogen peroxide plus ammonium
citrate leaching solution that is believed to be selective at dissolving
nickel from sulphide mineral species while leaving the nickel in
silicates undissolved. All analytical work was conducted by Acme
Analytical Laboratories Ltd., an ISO 9001 registered facility, located in
Vancouver, B.C. with check analyses, on 10% of the samples, conducted by
IPL Ltd., an ISO 9001 registered facility located in Richmond, B.C.

Sulphur assays were based on Leco furnace method except for results
obtained in 2006 which were by ICP analysis. Excluding mineralized blocks
with sulphur content below 0.35% from the resource estimate could
underestimate the nickel resource, but more importantly, it reduces the
possibility of an overestimation of the nickel resource.

The January 2008, AMEC Preliminary Assessment assumed a 100m buffer along
the river and a 45 degree pit wall slope, which reduced Measured and
Indicated resources from 489M tonnes to 348M tonnes of Measured and
Indicated, a decrease of 17%. The buffer also resulted in a 70% reduction
of Inferred resources from 560M tonnes to 170M tonnes. The 2008
Preliminary Assessment identified a 29 year mine life based on mineral
resource not impacted by the buffer zone. The actual buffer and final
resource will be dependent on geotechnical and hydrological studies, as
well as any permitting restrictions. The new resources stated in this
news release have not been constrained by the 100m buffer and when
considered it will also likely result in a similar reduction in the
resource statement.

The mineral resource for the Turnagain Deposit was estimated by ordinary
kriging constrained by 3D solid models representing major lithologic
domains within the ultramafic complex. Block dimensions were 15x15x15
metres. The deposit has been tested by 273 core holes drilled between
2002 and the October, 2008. Block grade estimations for total nickel,
AC-Ni, cobalt and sulphur were based on analyses of core samples from 215
of these drill holes. The search strategy employed ellipsoids with long
axes increasing from 80m to 170m to 250m. A minimum of three 15 metre
downhole drill composites from at least two drill holes was required to
interpolate a block grade. The block model was assigned mean bulk density
values based on rock types from 1232 density measurements.

This new resource estimate does not represent a material change with
respect to the affairs of Hard Creek Nickel Corporation.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTROL

Neil Froc, P.Eng., Executive Vice President of Hard Creek Nickel
Corporation and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument
43-101, is responsible for the implementation and supervision of the
Turnagain QA/QC program. Prepared standards and blanks are inserted at
the project site to monitor the quality control of the analytical data
(see report dated January 15, 2008 and titled "43-101 Technical Report on
Preliminary Assessment" filed on SEDAR for details on geology,
mineralization, data verification, sampling procedures, lab information,
etc.).

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

MARK JARVIS, President

HARD CREEK NICKEL CORPORATION

This press release has been reviewed and approved by Neil Froc, P.Eng. a
Qualified Person consistent with NI 43-101 and by Ronald Simpson, P.Geo.
of GeoSim Services Inc., an Independent Qualified Person consistent with
NI 43-101.

This press release uses the terms "measured" "indicated" and "inferred"
resources. We advise U.S. investors that while those terms are recognized
and required by Canadian regulations, the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission does not recognize them. U.S. investors are cautioned not to
assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will
ever be converted to reserves.

Inferred resources are considered too speculative geologically to have
economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be
categorized as mineral reserves.

The Toronto Stock Exchange does not
accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release.

Contacts:
Hard Creek Nickel Corporation
Mark Jarvis
President
604-681-2300
604-681-2310 (FAX)
info@hardcreek.com
www.hardcreeknickel.com

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