‘Haven't Wavered’—Burnaby's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Makes Oilers History as NHL Loyalty Becomes Increasingly Rare

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t forget his first NHL game. The whirlwind and the frenzied Edmonton Oilers crowd welcomed him to the Rexall Place ice for the first time in 2011 against a Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins, after he was selected No. 1 overall in the NHL Draft. 

For a smaller centre from Burnaby, BC, stepping onto the same sheet made famous by Wayne Gretzky in the final years of the Northlands Coliseum added an extra special touch to the 18-year-old’s NHL debut. 

On Tuesday, now 33, he brought the show to New Jersey. And in it, a microcosm of two icons of the modern NHL in Canada, who will go down in league history as opposites, despite having played 32 games against each other.

On one side, Nugent-Hopkins broke the record for the most regular-season games as an Edmonton Oiler with his 1,038th regular-season appearance; on the other, Connor Hellebuyck's most recent game for the Devils, after he embraced the NHL's burgeoning player-control era to force a trade away from the Winnipeg Jets, despite signing a five-year contract extension. 

“It means a ton to me [to play all his career to date with one team,]” Nugent-Hopkins told reporters ahead of the eventual 4-3 shootout loss to the Devils. “This was the dream right when I got drafted, and I haven't wavered throughout my whole career that I want to be an Edmonton Oiler, start my career here, finish my career here. 

“Obviously sometimes you're not in control of that.  I've said this before, but I've been fortunate that I've been able to stick around and that they've had that faith in me.”

While the likes of Hellebuyck, Dylan Larkin, Quinn Hughes, Brady Tkachuk and others have taken control of their careers to force new destinations, Nugent-Hopkins has instead embraced Edmonton, now ranking as the 10th longest active player to have his whole career with one team. 

For Oilers fans, the thought that Nugent-Hopkins has now surpassed Kevin Lowe for the most games ever and that there are more memories of him in orange and blue than any of Ryan Smyth, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier or Alex Hemsky is remarkable. 

And although he’s unlikely to make the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Oilers’ jersey-retirement rule means there’s a real chance his No. 93 ends up in the Rogers Place rafters as a first-ever exception.

Nugent-Hopkins Tribute Shirts Follow 1,000-game Sweaters

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Ahead of Tuesday’s puck drop, his Oilers teammates created custom shirts to celebrate his record, showing the former Burnaby Winter Club star with a mullet, smoking a cigarette, wearing a short-sleeve camo shirt, a hint at his Albertan identity, having now been in the province since he was 18, making up over half of his 33 years. 

The shirt, while worn on the road, wasn’t too far off the sweater his teammates put together for his 1,000th NHL game back in January. He’s expected to be honoured in front of the home crowd when the Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. 

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"I feel the love," Nugent-Hopkins said of the shirt, and a tribute video featuring messages from teammates, Lowe and his wife played before the game. "Having a video that they shared with me was definitely special. To have experienced a lot of these games with a few of the guys in here, it's pretty special. I'm fortunate to have been able to hit this milestone with this team."

Where Does Nugent-Hopkins Rank in BC Players?

With 1,038 regular-season games, Nugent-Hopkins ranks among BC’s hockey greats. He sits 18th in games played, behind Mark Recchi’s 1,652 contests, and ties Peter McNabb for 9th most points by a BC player with 813. 

While his 295 goals put him 17th, he ranks seventh all time in assists, making the most of his 12 seasons with Connor McDavid. 

Yet, at 33, with a deal lasting through 2028-29 in Edmonton, he could very well climb those lists significantly, with the potential to reach 1,274 regular-season Oilers games by the end of his deal, which would rank sixth for the most NHL games by a BC player, behind Ray Ferraro, Joe Sakic, Jamie Benn, Steve Yzerman and Recchi. 

And as for a homecoming of sorts, or a salute from BC hockey fans? That won’t come until March 21, when Edmonton next visits Rogers Arena.

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