NU93 RECORD

EDMONTON, AB – When Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the first-overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2011, walked onto the stage at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota and pulled on the Blue & Orange sweater for the first time, little did anyone know the impact he would end up having on the franchise.

Over the next 16 seasons, all spent in Edmonton representing the only team he’s ever known in the NHL, the kid from Burnaby who wears No. 93 has embodied everything it means to play in Oil Country, setting a new franchise record in Tuesday’s meeting with the Devils with his 1,038th game played, entrenching his legendary status among the club’s all-time greats.

Nugent-Hopkins has been through it for better or worse with the Oilers, playing with over 250 teammates and for 10 different coaches, while seeing through some tough years with the franchise in the early 2010s – all with an unwavering resilience and devotion that led to him continuing to play an essential role in the Oilers’ best days of the modern era.

In today's game, that type of player is rare. Ryan's one of a rare breed who've stuck behind the same team – through thick and thin – because he knows this is home.

All of Oil Country, and his teammates, have only ever known the Nuge.

“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,” Connor McDavid said. “You think early in his career, they missed the playoffs for however many years, and not a lot of guys get to see a rebuild all the way through and see the other side of it. He's done that, and it's a big credit to him for his commitment to the city, to the organization and to the fanbase.

“It's an incredible honour to be a franchise leader in games played.  He's one of the greats of this organization, and I've been fortunate to spend my entire career with him.”

With names like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey and Al Hamilton hanging in the rafters, none of them have embodied the phrase, ‘Once an Oiler, Always an Oiler’ quite like Nugent-Hopkins, who now stands alone as the all-time leader in games played in an Oilers’ uniform.

For two more destined for the rafters in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, they've only ever known the Oilers with Nuge, who's been the quintessential member of the club that wouldn't be the same without him, earning him his own legendary status.

“This organization has had a lot of players, a lot of superstars, a lot of legends that played here forever, and for Nuge to be at the top of that list, it says a lot,” Leon Draisaitl said. “He's been here for a long time, and he's always been there for the community and the fans. He's always been that heartbeat of the city, and it'll be very exciting for him and his family, but I think just really exciting for us, too, as his teammates.”

The record speaks for itself, but his play has spoken even louder over his career.

Taken as a first-overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft by the Red Deer Rebels, for what Nugent-Hopkins might’ve lacked in terms of physical attributes at the time, he quickly made up for it with his incredible hockey IQ and an all-around game that put him at the top of NHL scouts’ lists and on a direct line to going first overall to the Oilers.

Oilers play-by-play voice Cam Moon had the unique perspective of watching Nugent-Hopkins build into becoming a first-overall pick in the NHL during his 22 years as the Rebels’ long-time director of broadcasts and media, starting with a five-game stint as a 15-year-old in the WHL where he recorded two goals and four assists in 2008-09.

The following season, Nugent-Hopkins was nearly a point-per-game player before registering 106 points (31 goals) in 2011-12, but his impact was felt in all areas of the game thanks to his incredible ability to process the game at both ends of the ice, which quickly translated to the NHL when his name was called by the Oilers on June 24, 2011.

“None of this surprises me because of that hockey IQ,” Moon said. “He is good at all aspects of the game, whether that's being solid defensively, on the penalty kill or having the skill and smarts to be a power-play guy and to play with guys like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and to be very productive in any role you put him in.”

“I think if you let him wear the equipment for a couple of weeks, he'd be a really good goalie too. But I just think he has the athletic ability to adapt to just about anything and the smarts to go with it.”

Nugent-Hopkins’ hockey IQ allowed him to make the jump directly to the NHL, scoring his first NHL goal in his first NHL game on Oct. 9, 2011 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, unleashing his trademark two-punch celebration that would become a staple over the years after he finished second in Calder Trophy voting that year as the League’s top rookie with 52 points in 62 games.

He’s filled a lot of roles over his tenure with the Oilers, including the first-unit power play, the penalty kill, and in a top-six role, having plenty of big moments over the years. He had an incredible 37 goals & 104 points over all 82 games in 2022-23 and was critical over two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 & 2025.

Playing in his 1,000^th NHL game on Jan. 16, 2026 against the St. Louis Blues, Nugent-Hopkins punctuated the occasion with the opening goal in a 5-0 victory, becoming the first Oiler to play 1,000 games entirely with the club.

Nugent-Hopkins was the Oilers' 2025-26 King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominee, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community, for his deep-rooted support of Oil Country, particularly his work with Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

For him, it’s a blessing to be able to play every one of those 1,038 games for the Oilers, a club that he feels has given him everything, but it wouldn’t have been possible without his family, showing him support every step of the way to make it happen.

 “It starts with them,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “My dad, my brother, my mom, and especially my wife, who’s been so important to me. We've been together since junior, and she supported me all along. So many people in my corner backing me. My friends, they’re watching every game too. They're coming out to visit. They came for the thousandth game last year. Things like this you don't do on your own. You do it with your family and your friends and your teammates.”

“I've been very fortunate to be able to stick around in Edmonton and have the support of the fans. They've been great to me right from the get-go. I feel like that goes a long way.  It gives me confidence to go out there in front of them every night and play my hardest, and you want to play hard in front of them. So I'm very honoured to be able to do it, but you don't get here alone. I've had lots of people in my corner.”

But to the rest of us, it’s been an honour to watch ‘The Nuge’ play his heart out every night for the Oilers, with some of the greatest players in the world characterizing him as the ultimate Oiler because of his impact on both them and the organization as a whole.

“He embodies what it means to be an Oiler – from his leadership to his work ethic, to just showing up every single day and just being Nuge at the rink,” Zach Hyman said. “I think he's impacted all the players here, but I think he's impacted all the staff, and everybody holds him in the highest regard. We're super excited to help share in that milestone with him.”