If you’re my age, I’m sure many of you have spoken with someone who experienced the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup glory days firsthand. Maybe you are that person.

Ask them about those powerhouse teams of the ’80s, and when they talk about their favourite players from that time, there’s no shortage to choose from. Players like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Grant Fuhr immediately come to mind, and when they’re reminiscing, you’ll often hear genuine joy in their voice and a feeling of nostalgia.

I was born near the tail end of that era, too young to realize what was going on. So, for me, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is likely going to be that player 15 or 20 years from now; when I reminisce about past Oilers, I’ll tell the younger generation the tale of the ‘Nuge.’

I’ve been able to follow his career from the very start, and I’ll follow it until the very end. I’ll tell my kids things like, “He went from dangling the legendary Nick Lidstrom in his rookie season to becoming a two-way centreman because he knew that’s what was best for the team!”

Or, “He was the jack of all trades for the Oilers. He bled orange and blue!”

Having said that, it’s hard to believe Nugent-Hopkins is about to enter his 16th NHL season in 2026-27.

The 33-year-old has recorded 804 points in 1,031 regular-season games, and last season, he became the first Oiler to play 1,000 games exclusively with the franchise after being selected first overall in 2011. On Jan. 18, he was honoured with a tribute before the game against the St. Louis Blues, and nearly six minutes into the game, the longest-tenured Oiler found the back of the net, scoring what would eventually be the game-winner in a 5-0 win.

Daily Faceoff Edmonton

@dfoedmonton

·Follow

What a moment for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as he is joined by his Oilers teammates to celebrate his 1,000th NHL game. 🎥: @kennedystrash

Watch on X

1:21 AM · Jan........

© Oilers Nation