PREVIEW: Oilers at Canucks

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will play in his 999th career game on Saturday when the Edmonton Oilers begin a weekend back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks on Hockey Day in Canada at Rogers Arena.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet & Hockey Night in Canada at 8:00 pm MST or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880 CHED.

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PREVIEW: Oilers at Canucks

VANCOUVER, BC – 999 for No. 93.

With the start of a weekend back-to-back on the West Coast for the Edmonton Oilers, their longest-tenured player and Burnaby product Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will pull to within one game of reaching 1,000 for his career on Saturday when his side pays a visit to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

It'll be a quick turnaround for Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers from facing the Canucks on Saturday before he celebrates his milestone only 22 hours later at Rogers Place in Oil Country ahead of puck drop against the St. Louis Blues, with friends and family of RNH expected to be in attendance at both games.

The 15-season veteran – all with the Oilers since being drafted first overall at the 2011 NHL Draft – will become the 417th player all-time to reach 1,000 NHL games, but the first in franchise history to play all of his 1,000 games in a Blue & Orange uniform, showing unwavering loyalty to the club through his career.

Nugent-Hopkins was the first of Edmonton's current leadership core to arrive and set the standard in the Oilers locker room during his rookie season in 2011, before being joined by Darnell Nurse the following year and eventually, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who've helped him build a winning culture.

"It's been a special group to be a part of," McDavid added. "I've played every single game here in Edmonton with those guys in a lot of ways. We grew up together, learning this league, figuring this league out, so to see Nuge reach that milestone all here in Edmonton, you know, speaks to his loyalty here in Edmonton and how much he, you know, likes the city, likes the fans, likes the organization. So big credit to him."

Despite the condensed schedule for the Oilers and the excitement surrounding his milestone weekend, Nugent-Hopkins said he's going to take it all in stride by making sure he takes moments to appreciate the accomplishment, while also keeping focused on the task at hand of earning two points on Saturday.

"Obviously, we're playing a lot, and we're travelling and stuff, so I'm definitely going to try to enjoy it as much as I can, but I'm just going to be focusing on playing and doing the best I can out there," Nugent-Hopkins said. "But it'll be fun. Number 999 in Vancouver, I'll have some family and stuff out there for that, and then I'll have family and friends coming in on Sunday. It's hard to kind of fathom it sometimes, but for my family and friends, it's an exciting time.

"I'll just be trying to play my game, but definitely try to enjoy it too."

Not only is it a celebration for No. 93, but for all his Oilers teammates and fans who've been able to rely on Nugent-Hopkins to bring it each and every night.

"It means a lot," Nugent-Hopkins said. "Those guys are a huge reason why I wanted to be here. I wanted to sign back here and stick around. And obviously, we're a tight group, and the surrounding pieces are the same thing. Darnell's been here since my second year, so those three guys have been around for some tougher days as well. And to be on this side of it with that group, it means a lot."

When asked about Nugent-Hopkins hitting 1,000 games, you could hear McDavid's genuine excitement in his voice about looking forward to the day.

"I'm really excited about it," he said. "It's a long year with a lot of similar days, and it will be an exciting day for our organization, for Nuge, and his family."

Nugent-Hopkins has 11 points (30, 8A) over his last 10 games against the Canucks and leads all Oilers in career games (61) against them, while McDavid leads in career points (70).

Before Nugent-Hopkins' celebrations in Edmonton, the Oilers will look to get back to winning ways after falling 1-0 to the Islanders on Thursday at Rogers Place in a goaltenders' duel that was won by Ilya Sorokin, who stopped all 35 shots for the shutout.

The Oilers couldn't convert on either one of their two power plays, while Anthony Duclair scored the lone goal on the Islanders' only man advantage with 6:18 left in the third period that came after Leon Draisaitl was called for tripping with eight minutes left.

Jake Walman hit the crossbar as the Oilers chased an equalizer before they pulled their goalie for the extra attacker to generate one final chance for Draisaitl to tie the contest on a one-timer set up by McDavid from the right circle that Sorokin somehow managed to turn aside by getting his glove to it.

Connor Ingram was terrific as well by making 17 saves to give his side a chance against a locked-in Sorokin in the opposite crease, and despite falling to a 4-3-1 record with the loss, the 28-year-old netminder now owns a 2.49 goals against average and a .907 save percentage in eight starts for the Oilers.

"He played great, but it doesn't really change my job," Ingram said. "I thought he played great, but it's two bad bounces that are the difference in that game. Obviously, he deserves some credit as well, but it's that close, and that's what it's like playing in the NHL. You get a guy who's hot like that with a couple of posts, and that's the difference."

The Canucks will try to dig themselves out of their biggest hole of the season, which has seen them lose nine straight games (0-7-2) to fall to last place in the NHL's Western Conference with a 16-26-5 record after losing 4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

Vancouver was swept on their previous six-game road trip and needs a spark against a Pacific Division rival in the Oilers that's 3-1-1 against them over their last five meetings.