A Night For Nudge: Scoring, Winning, And 1,000 Games As An Oiler

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has spent 14 years quietly being the heartbeat of the Edmonton Oilers. No drama. No demands. No threats to leave when things got rough—and things got really rough. So when his 1000th NHL game arrived Sunday night, the hockey gods apparently decided he deserved something special.

They delivered.

Nugent-Hopkins didn't just reach 1,000 games—he became the first Oiler ever to play that many entirely with the franchise. And in case that wasn't poetic enough, he scored the opening goal in what became a dominant 5-0 win over the St. Louis Blues. Connor Ingram got a shutout. Zach Hyman scored twice. Connor McDavid delivered a classic McDavid assist with one of those absurd spins that defies physics. And even Andrew Mangiapane scored.

Really, the night couldn't have been scripted any better.

Nugent-Hopkins has been with the Oilers since 2011. First overall pick. Franchise cornerstone through rebuilds, coaching changes, playoff runs, and everything in between. He's seen it all, survived it all, and committed to staying through it all. And on his 1000th game, everything aligned.

"I haven't scored in a couple of weeks, too, and obviously (it was) fun to do that on a night like tonight," began Nugent-Hopkins. "So it's hard to put into words right now, but it was a lot of fun. And I thought the guys played great, Ingo (Ingram) played outstanding, and I thought we kept pushing and pushing and controlled the game for the most part."

He's not one for grand statements or emotional speeches, but this meant something to him. Scoring in your 1000th game is special. Doing it as the first Oiler to reach that milestone entirely with Edmonton? That's historical.

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What makes Nugent-Hopkins' story even better is that he chose to stay. A few years ago, when his contract was up, he had options. He could have left for a bigger market, a different role, more money elsewhere. But he didn't.

"It was my priority to make it work, whatever needed to be done to stay here," Nugent-Hopkins added. "We'd been building something with this group. I felt so close to (something), and I didn't want to leave that for a second.

"There was never a question in my mind that I wanted to go somewhere else."

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That loyalty is rare in professional sports. Players move around. They chase opportunities, money, or championships elsewhere. Nugent-Hopkins could have done all of that, but he wanted to stay in Edmonton. He wanted to be part of what they were building, even when that meant weathering tough seasons and uncertain futures.

And the fans love him for it.

Zach Hyman talked about what Nugent-Hopkins means to the team and the city, and his words captured it perfectly.

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"It's pretty special to be a part of milestones and important days like this. You try to make it as special as possible, because it's Nuge, and Nuge means so much to all of us," Hyman said.

He didn't stop there.

"He's the ultimate teammate, ultimate friend, and you want to make this day special for him, and one that he'll never forget, because he's earned it," Hyman said. "It's not easy playing 1000 games. First Oiler to ever play 1000 consecutive is pretty remarkable, given the history of this organization and the amount of unbelievable Hall of Fame players that have come through.

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"And I think you see how much the fans love him. At the end of the game, you hear Nugent-Hopkins and Nuge chants. In my mind, he might be the most loved Oiler of all time. It's pretty special to commit to this city for pretty much his entire career. I think he might be here for life. You can ask him that, but seems like it.

"They just truly love him, and what's not to love?"

The most loved Oiler of all time. That's a bold statement in a franchise that's had Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and countless other legends. But Hyman might be right. Nugent-Hopkins represents something different. He's not the flashiest player. He's not the guy putting up 100 points or winning MVP awards. But he's been here through everything. The dark years, the rebuilds, the playoff disappointments, and now the resurgence. He never left. He never complained. He just showed up, played his game, and made everyone around him better.

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The fans recognize that. The "Nuge" chants at the end of the game weren't polite applause—they were genuine appreciation for a player who's given his entire career to this city.

And the way the game unfolded felt almost scripted. Nugent-Hopkins scoring first. Hyman adding two more. McDavid doing McDavid things with that absurd assist. Ingram getting a shutout. Even Mangiapane, who's been a healthy scratch and reportedly wants out, contributed a goal. Everything clicked.

It's the kind of night that reminds you why sports matter. Why these milestones are worth celebrating. Why loyalty and commitment still mean something in a league where players change teams constantly.

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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played his 1000th game as an Oiler. He scored. His team dominated. The fans chanted his name. And afterward, he was surrounded by teammates who genuinely love him.

Storybook doesn't even begin to cover it.

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