Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins plays 1,000th NHL game

He is the first player in Oilers’ history to play each of his first 1,000 career regular-season games with the team, and is now just 37 games behind Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Kevin Lowe for first on Edmonton’s all-time games played list (Lowe played with the Oilers in two separate stints and played his 1,000th career game with the New York Rangers in 1992-93).

Going into Sunday night, Nugent-Hopkins had 11 goals and 28 assists for 39 points in 40 games in 2025-26. Now in his 15th NHL season, the 32-year-old center had 282 goals and 505 assists for 787 points.

Nugent-Hopkins, a native of Burnaby, B.C., hit career highs in all offensive categories in 2022-23 when he recorded 37 goals and 67 assists for 104 points. He’s recorded at least 50 points in eight seasons, and is on pace to do so again in 2025-26.

He’s also recorded 23 goals and 58 assists for 81 points in 96 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He was part of the Oilers’ two Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025.

Taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Nugent-Hopkins spent two full seasons with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels, where he scored 55 goals and recorded 116 assists for 166 points in 136 regular-season games. In his draft season, he recorded 31 goals and 75 assists for 106 points in 69 games.

Internationally, he represented Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championship, where he scored four goals and 11 assists for 15 points. He also played for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where he scored a goal and two assists for three points.