Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is about to stand alone in Edmonton Oilers history.
When he skates against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night, the 2011 first-overall pick will play his 1,038th career NHL game with the organization, moving past every other player who has worn Oilers colors. No one has done it longer for Edmonton.
That kind of milestone fits Nugent-Hopkins, who has spent all 16 of his seasons with the club. He has seen more than 250 teammates come and go, worked under fewer than 10 different coaches, and stayed put through the rebuilding years before helping carry the Oilers into back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025.
His teammates made it clear what that has meant inside the room.
Connor McDavid said, “You see around the league guys jumping ship and changing organizations a lot, and he’s stuck with this organization through some of the darkest times.”
Leon Draisaitl described him as “that heartbeat of the city,” pointing to the way he has remained connected with fans and the community. Zach Hyman said Nugent-Hopkins “embodies what it means to be an Oiler.”
The résumé is already packed with markers that explain why he means so much in Edmonton. He scored in his first NHL game, finished second in Calder Trophy voting, posted 104 points in 2022-23, and became the first Oiler to reach 1,000 games entirely with the team. He was also the club’s 2025-26 King Clancy nominee for his work in the community, including with Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
For Nugent-Hopkins, the milestone belongs to more than just him.
“Things like this you don’t do on your own. You do it with your family and your friends and your teammates.”
And because this is Edmonton, the celebration comes with a little personality. The Oilers made up shirts to mark the occasion, and Owen Michaels modeled the new gear on the team’s social media page. The shirt design, as noted, has a Joe Dirt vibe.
What else the Oilers have planned for Tuesday night isn’t clear yet, but they’re already having some fun with a player who has become one of the most beloved figures in Oil Country.
In Other News...
Oilers Escape With A Point In A Performance Fans Wont Love
The Oilers left New Jersey with a point after a 4-3 shootout loss, but it was the kind of night that probably did not sit well with anyone watching closely. Edmonton opened the scoring, then spent much of the game chasing the Devils after a rough second period, before clawing back into it in the third and forcing overtime. Connor McDavid kept his run going with another point, and Evan Bouchard continued to pace NHL defensemen in scoring, but the overall performance was uneven enough to make the result feel more like a survival act than a clean escape.
Special teams helped keep Edmonton in the game, with the power play doing important work after the Oilers were outplayed at five-on-five. Tristan Jarry turned in a .912 save percentage to give them a chance to hang around, and the point at least prevented the night from becoming a full collapse after three straight wins. Still, the bigger concern is how often this group had to lean on individual skill and special-teams execution just to get to a shootout. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Is About To Reach A Special Oilers Milestone
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is on the verge of adding another line to an already impressive Oilers rsum, one built entirely in Edmonton over 16 NHL seasons. Long known for his versatility and steady presence, he has become one of the franchises most enduring figures, and his next appearance will move him past Kevin Lowe for the most games played in team history.
The milestone comes with Nugent-Hopkins still under contract and still very much part of the Oilers core, which only adds to the significance of the moment. For a player who has spent his entire career in one sweater, the record is less a surprise than a reminder of how long he has been there, and how rare that kind of continuity has become. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Trade Buzz Is Suddenly Focusing On One Missing Element
The Oilers trade chatter is starting to circle around a very specific need: a heavier forward who can bring size and edge to the bottom six. Sportsnets Frank Seravalli and analyst Bob Stauffer have both pointed to that type of addition as a possible priority, with Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers emerging as one name to watch among a broader list that also includes Kirby Dach, Zack Ostapchuk, Mathieu Olivier and Evander Kane.
Edmonton has plenty of skill up front, but the conversation now is about balance and whether the roster has enough physical presence for the stretch run. Nothing has been confirmed yet, which leaves the Oilers in the familiar spot of being linked to multiple options while the front office sorts out which fit makes the most sense. [Read more 🡒]