Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins marked a significant milestone in his NHL career on Sunday, January 18, 2026, by playing his 1,000th regular-season game. The game was held at Rogers Place in Edmonton against the St. Louis Blues.

Nugent-Hopkins is the first player in Oilers' history to play his first 1,000 career regular-season games with the team. He is only 37 games behind Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Kevin Lowe for the most games played in Oilers history. Lowe played 966 games with the Oilers before joining the New York Rangers in 1992-93. He later returned to Edmonton. Lowe played a total of 1,037 games.

The Oilers honored Nugent-Hopkins with a pregame ceremony to mark the occasion. The ceremony was attended by his teammates, family, and other special guests.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is 32 years old, was drafted first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Before joining the Oilers, the Burnaby, B.C. native played for the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 136 regular-season games with the Rebels, he recorded 55 goals and 116 assists for 166 points. During his draft season, he tallied 31 goals and 75 assists for 106 points in 69 games. Internationally, Nugent-Hopkins represented Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championship.

Before his 1000th game, Nugent-Hopkins had played 999 games over 15 seasons with the Oilers, accumulating 282 goals and 505 assists for 787 points. In the 2025-26 season, he has 11 goals and 28 assists for 39 points in 40 games. He is known for his versatility, contributing to the Oilers' power play and penalty-killing units, as well as playing among their top six forwards. In the 2022-23 season, Nugent-Hopkins had a career year, achieving personal bests in all offensive categories with 37 goals and 67 assists for 104 points. He has recorded at least 50 points in eight seasons and is on pace to do so again in 2025-26. He also has 23 goals and 58 assists for 81 points in 96 Stanley Cup Playoff games and was part of the Oilers' two Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025.

Nugent-Hopkins is considered one of the most beloved Oilers players and is known for his consistency and reliability. While not always the flashiest player, his offensive skills are considered underrated, especially playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.