Nugent-Hopkins set to make Oilers history, can ‘feel the love’ of teammates

NEWARK, N.J. – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins felt the significance of his next game and the milestone it represents for the Edmonton Oilers when he saw his teammates Tuesday morning. 

There they were, all wearing T-shirts that depicted the Oilers forward with a mullet, smoking a cigarette, wearing a short-sleeve camo shirt, and with a tattoo on his arm.

On the shirt were the words “1038 games Most Games Played as an Edmonton Oiler.” 

Nugent-Hopkins will hit that mark Tuesday when the Oilers play the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+, SNW, SNO, SNE).

The 32-year-old forward, selected by Edmonton with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, will pass Kevin Lowe, who played 1,037 games during his 15 seasons with Edmonton.

They are the two to have played at least 1,000 games for the Oilers. 

"I'm very lucky and fortunate to have been able to hit this milestone with this team," Nugent-Hopkins said Tuesday. "It really is a testament to a lot of these guys in this room, and not just the players but the staff, the trainers that have been here for my entire career."

After showing him the T-shirts, the Oilers played him a video celebrating his career. 

"I feel the love," Nugent-Hopkins said. "Having a video that they shared with me was definitely special. To have experienced a lot of these games with a few of the guys in here, it's pretty special. I'm very lucky and fortunate to have been able to hit this milestone with this team."

Nugent-Hopkins recalled his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Rexall Place in Edmonton on Oct. 9, 2011. He scored his first NHL goal with 4:55 left in regulation en route to a 2-1 shootout victory.

"The emotions, the whirlwind that I felt going into that game, were a lot different than now," he said. "Just going out there for the first time and feeling the atmosphere at the old Rexall Place, feeling the Edmonton crowd, was one that I'll never forget."

Oilers coach Mike Babcock said the morning celebration included messages from Nugent-Hopkins' teammates and wife, Breanne.

"It was emotional to actually hear them," Babcock said. "Kevin Lowe, you can say whatever you want, unbelievable player, unbelievable man, what he means to the city. Then you've got a guy like (Nugent-Hopkins), who has been steady ever since he got here, probably underappreciated. Yet when you coach him, you just know how good he is."

Nugent-Hopkins said his longevity has been aided by his willingness to develop beyond the offensive game he brought into the NHL.

"I try to touch different aspects of the game," he said. "It took me some time to find a game that I could count on night in, night out. I've been fortunate to have the trust of different coaches throughout the years."

Babcock praised Nugent-Hopkins' hockey sense, strength, and awareness of his teammates.

"He knows how to play and knows how to do the right thing," Babcock said. "He's way stronger, his stick is way heavier, he's way smarter. He's just a good player."

New Jersey Devils forward Connor Brown, a teammate of Nugent-Hopkins with Edmonton from 2023-25, called him an ideal example for younger players.

"He does everything right," Brown said. "He puts the team first. He can play in any position, anything called upon. Such a competitive player, such a competitive teammate."

In addition to becoming the Oilers’ leader in games played, Nugent Hopkins is sixth all time with 517 assists, seventh all time with 811 points and eighth with 294 goals. He has seven points (three goals, four assists) in six games this season for the Oilers (11-2-2). 

For Nugent-Hopkins, setting the record is also a celebration of remaining with the organization that drafted him.

"This was the dream when I got drafted, and I haven't wavered throughout my whole career that I want to be an Edmonton Oiler," he said. "Start my career here, finish my career here. It means a ton to me."