Edmonton Oilers' stalwart Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is poised to reach a monumental career milestone this Sunday, January 17, 2026, as he laces up for his 1,000th regular-season National Hockey League contest. Remarkably, every single one of those games will have been played wearing the blue and orange of the Oilers, cementing his place in both franchise and league history.
A Journey of Loyalty and Perseverance
The path to 1,000 games was far from a guaranteed sprint for the player affectionately known as "Nuuughe" to fans and "Nuggy" to teammates. Drafted first overall by Edmonton in 2011, Nugent-Hopkins' career spanned the challenging "Decade of Darkness," a period marked by significant losses and the departure of close friends and early linemates like Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall.
In a recent conversation with Sportsnet's Mark Spector, Nugent-Hopkins admitted there were moments he expected to be traded. "There were definitely moments when I thought I’d be getting the call," he said, referencing the exits of Eberle, Hall, and Justin Schultz. "I’m sure there were offers." Yet, through the tumult, he displayed the "infinite patience" of one of his prized racehorses, digging in and remaining a constant for the organization.
Joining an Exclusive NHL Fraternity
This achievement places Nugent-Hopkins in extraordinarily rare company. He will become just the 48th player in NHL history to play 1,000 or more games for a single franchise. This feat eluded even the most legendary Oilers.
Wayne Gretzky was traded after 696 games with Edmonton, Mark Messier left after 851, and Jari Kurri after 754. Other Hall of Famers like Kevin Lowe (966 games before his first departure), Paul Coffey (575), Grant Fuhr (534), and Glenn Anderson (845) also moved on before hitting the quadruple-digit mark solely as Oilers. Ryan Smyth, though beloved, played 770 games before his initial trade.
"That is a terrific compliment," said former Oilers coach Ken Hitchcock of the milestone. Nugent-Hopkins himself reflected on the honour, stating, "Yeah, it means a lot. I was very fortunate to be drafted by this organization and to have stuck around through some tough times and to have the trust from them… it’s a huge honour to play these years in Edmonton."
The Milestone Games
The countdown to 1,000 reaches its penultimate stage in Nugent-Hopkins' hometown of Vancouver on Saturday, where he will play game number 999. The historic 1,000th game is scheduled for Sunday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton against the St. Louis Blues.
It brings his journey full circle from his NHL debut on October 9, 2011, where he announced his arrival by scoring a goal off an assist from Taylor Hall against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Wearing the iconic number 93—a digit shared in Oilers history only with Petr Nedved—Nugent-Hopkins will now forever be enshrined as a one-franchise legend, a testament to loyalty and resilience in the modern sports era.
