Oilers Milestone Watch: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins closing in on team record for games played

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is close to etching himself in a big way in the Edmonton Oilers Guide and Record Book this upcoming season, as he could pass Kevin Lowe and become the team’s all-time leader in regular-season games played.

Lowe, who was Edmonton’s first draft pick upon entering the NHL in 1979, has held this record for some time, having played 1,037 games for the team between 1979 and 1998. With Ryan Smyth sitting in close second with 971 games played, Nugent-Hopkins is gaining on both franchise legends.

He’s played in 959 games for the Oilers since being drafted first overall in 2011, putting him 78 games away from tying and 79 games away from breaking Lowe’s record. Assuming he doesn’t miss any games this season, he would break the record when the Oilers visit the San Jose Sharks on April 8th, 2026. Edmonton’s next home game would be on April 13th, for those looking to get an early jump on purchasing tickets for a potential ceremony.

That’s not the only category Nugent-Hopkins could pass Lowe in. He sits one even-strength assist back of Lowe, whose 252 have him eighth in the franchise record books.

There are a few other players that Nugent-Hopkins could pass in the record books this season, too. He sits 25 goals behind Smyth for seventh in the all-time goals column and 12 assists from Glenn Anderson for sixth in the assists column.

Unless Nugent-Hopkins has one of the best offensive seasons of all-time, he won’t pass Anderson for sixth in the points column, though, sitting 158 back of the 906 Glenn put up in Oilers colours. There’s another category Nugent-Hopkins is nearing Anderson in: shots on goal. He sits 267 back, but has never taken over 208 in a season.

There are a few other players Nugent-Hopkins is chasing, too:

• Power play goals. He has 77 on his career, eighth among all Oilers, and is 10 back from Connor McDavid and 12 back from Mark Messier. Nugent-Hopkins has had more than nine power-play goals in a season once in his career.
• Game-winning goals. With 36 in his career, he’s seven back from the seventh-placed Mark Messier. RNH has only scored five in a season once.