PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Blues

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be celebrated for playing in his 1,000th NHL game when the Edmonton Oilers host the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Place in the second of a back-to-back on Sunday night.

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PREVIEW: Oilers vs. Blues

EDMONTON, AB – This night is for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

'Nuge', 'Nuggy' or 'RNH'.

A true Oilers legend.

Coming off recording two assists in his 999^th career game against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in his hometown, the Edmonton Oilers will celebrate their longest-tenured player reaching 1,000 NHL games on Sunday at Rogers Place ahead of puck drop against the St. Louis Blues.

The Oilers will acknowledge No. 93’s milestone in a pre-game ceremony as the first player in franchise history to play 1,000 consecutive games in Blue & Orange, and the second player ever behind Kevin Lowe (1,037) to cross the century of games played with the club.

It’ll also be another chance for the Burnaby product’s family, friends and teammates to celebrate everything No. 93 has done in his career after having the chance to play his 999^th game in his hometown on Saturday in a 6-0 shutout victory over the Canucks.

Nugent-Hopkins said he's going to take it all in stride and make sure he takes moments to appreciate the accomplishment.

"Obviously, we're playing a lot and travelling, 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," he said earlier this week. "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."

Nugent-Hopkins assisted each of Kasperi Kapanen's two goals at Rogers Arena, which were a part of a six-goal second period from the Oilers that included a pair from Jack Roslovic, who helped sink the Canucks to their 10th straight loss (0-8-2) along with 31 saves from Tristan Jarry for the shutout.

"He's a very quiet leader who leads by example and is exceptionally humble and incredibly talented," Roslovic said. "So it's very cool to see him play this many games. For anyone to do it in the league is impressive. To do it all on one team is saying something, so he's done a lot for the city."

Now, it's time for Nugent-Hopkins to be paid back by the fans and his teammates at Rogers Place on Sunday for everything he's done over more than 14 seasons for the only team he's ever known, after kicking off the weekend's celebrations with a confident win over the Canucks close to where he grew up.

"It's perfect timing for him to be able to celebrate 999 here, and then do everything tomorrow," Darnell Nurse said. "Obviously, such an important part of not just our team, but the organization and helping our team get to the point that it's at now. He's been a leader on and off the ice, and it's a fun weekend to be a part of and soak it all in."

For some of his long-time teammates like Darnell Nurse, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who’ve shared a locker room with him and followed his lead as a first-overall pick of the Oilers back in 2011 – evolving into a leader on and off the ice – it’s a celebration they’re looking forward to just as much as him.

“He's been amazing since the first day we’ve all been a part of this organization,” Nurse said. “He texted me when I got drafted, and I got the opportunity to meet him at our first camp. Being the highly talented player that he is and a special one when he came in, he didn't treat you any differently than anyone else. I think that speaks to the level and type of guy that he was then and continues to be now.”

“I'm really excited about it,” McDavid added. “It's a long year with a lot of similar days, and Sunday will be an exciting day for our organization, for Nuge and his family.”

“It's been a special group to be a part of," the captain continued. "We’ve played every single game together here in Edmonton. In a lot of ways, we grew up together, learning this league and figuring it out. So to see Nuge reach that milestone, it speaks to his loyalty here and how much he likes the city, the fans and the organization. Big credit to him.”

Since pulling on the Blue & Orange for the first time on stage at the 2011 NHL Draft in Vancouver, Nugent-Hopkins has shown unwavering loyalty to the organization and taken pride in wearing the sweater for 15 seasons, enshrining himself in Oilers’ folklore for who he is as both a player and a person.

Especially for his teammates, who can always count on Nuge for anything.

"There's obviously that aspect of it and what he does on the ice, but there's also off the ice," Nurse said. "He's one of those teammates you can always rely on. If you need help moving a couch or something in your house, he'll come over. If you need a ride to the airport, he'll be the Uber. He's someone you can rely on at all times."

Nugent-Hopkins passed Ryan Smyth (971) for the second-most games played in franchise history earlier this season against the Blackhawks on Nov. 25, 2025 and needs another 15 goals to surpass the other legendary ‘Ryan’ for the seventh-most goals for the Oilers.

The 32-year-old is one of four players in franchise history to reach 300 career power-play points alongside Wayne Gretzky (439), Connor McDavid (400) and Leon Draisaitl (360) – the latter of whom would have a lot fewer points if it wasn’t for his role on Edmonton's historic man advantage.

He's also one of the first over the boards to kill penalties, while his hockey IQ at even strength has helped him play among the best in the NHL and thrive, including his place alongside Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman on one of the best lines in hockey over the past few seasons.

"You look at him on the ice, he's a Swiss Army Knife," Nurse added. "Whether we're killing penalties or he's making big plays on the kill, power play, or five-on-five, he always seems to have a feel for it and is very dangerous offensively. He's everything for us."

After passing Glenn Anderson (489) for the sixth most assists in franchise history with three assists on Dec. 4 against Seattle, he notched his 500^th career helper a month later against Nashville, becoming the sixth Oilers player and 179th NHL player to reach the milestone.

And who can forget the first 100-point season of his career in 2022-23, when he potted a career-high 37 goals and 67 assists for 104 points in all 82 games, proving both his durability and his ability to deliver offensively that's seen him record 282 goals and 505 assists for 782 points over 999 career games.

Over two straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final, Nugent-Hopkins has put together back-to-back playoff campaigns for the Oilers with at least 20 points and has recorded 81 points (23 goals) over 96 career playoff games, showing patience in the process to get there and taking advantage of it when games matter.

Beyond his seemingly ageless looks, Nugent-Hopkins' teammates would love to have his skillset as a quick-thinking, well-rounded player who plays all roles.

"He's a great passer," McDavid said. "His completeness. His whole 200-foot game. He's kind of a Swiss Army Knife. You can put him out there in any situation and feel good about it, and that's a great trait to have."

"His ageless look," Nurse joked. "He hasn't aged yet. But I would say just his instincts on the ice and his ability, whether it's offensively or defensively, and he's got such a high hockey IQ with his ability to read the game."

Tickets for Sunday's celebration of Nuge at Rogers Place are still available here.