There’s a new Mr. Oiler in town.
Edmonton Oilers alternate captain and Red Deer Rebels legend Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made history on Tuesday night as he skated in his 1,038th NHL game, setting an Oilers franchise record for games played.
The 33-year-old has spent his entire career in Edmonton after being selected first overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.
His teammates surprised him with custom T-shirts that showed the veteran forward with a mullet and camouflage cut-off tank top and, on a more sentimental level, a video tribute to his time with the organization.
“Definitely meant a lot to me,” Nugent-Hopkins told Oilers TV. “(I) feel the love, and to have experienced a lot of these games with a few of the guys in here, it’s pretty special. It’s just a huge, big honour for me, and very lucky, fortunate to have been able to hit this milestone with this team. It really is a testament to a lot of these guys in this room, and not just the players, but the staff, the trainers that have been here for my entire career.”
While the New Jersey Devils spoiled the night with a narrow 4-3 shootout win, Nugent-Hopkins logged a goal and an assist to salvage a point for the Pacific Division leaders.
Nugent-Hopkins has amassed 813 points (295G-518A) in 1,038 games, while serving as an alternate captain for 13 seasons.
Last season, the Burnaby, B.C. product became the first skater to play 1,000 consecutive games for Edmonton (Hockey Hall of Famer Kevin Lowe had separate stints with the team to total 1,037 games).
“I try to touch different aspects of the game,” Nugent-Hopkins said of his evolution as a player. “I think it was a learning process early in my career. I think a lot of guys come in just as an offensive guy, and sometimes guys have to take a step back a little bit and work on the other side of the game so that you’re relied upon in different situations. Like everybody, but especially, it took me some time to find a game that I could count on night in, night out.”
Save this one for trivia night — Nugent-Hopkins has scored in his NHL debut, his 1000th game, and now, the franchise-record game.
“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,” fellow WHL graduate Leon Draisaitl told EdmontonOilers.com. “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.”
Nugent-Hopkins has spent 16 seasons in the NHL- funnily enough, the same age he was when he arrived in central Alberta to join the Rebels on a full-time basis.
Fans in Red Deer still remember Nugent-Hopkins as a gangly teen who set the league on fire for parts of three seasons after being picked first overall in the 2008 WHL Prospects Draft.
He immediately showed flashes of brilliance with six points (2G-4A) in five call-up appearances before erupting for 65 points (24G-41A) in 67 games to win the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the 2010 WHL Rookie of the Year.
Nugent-Hopkins hit a new gear in his draft season by breaking the century mark with 106 points (31G-75A) to lead all WHL players in assists and tie for third in points.
The Eastern Conference First Team All-Star was dubbed the CHL’s top NHL Draft prospect and heard his name called first by the Oilers in St. Paul, Minn., that June.
He found his footing quickly at the next level and was named a Calder Trophy finalist as one of the NHL’s top rookies after a 52-point (18G-34A) campaign in 2011-12.
Edmonton (11-2-3) has points in eight of its last 10 games to sit first in the Pacific Division.
The Oilers return home to celebrate Nugent-Hopkins in a tilt against the Anaheim Ducks (7-7-1) on Thursday, November 5, at 7:00 p.m. AB.
