Nugent-Hopkins scores winning goal for Oilers in his 1,000th NHL game

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest serving member of the Oilers, opened the scoring Sunday night against the Blues for his 1,000th game.

EDMONTON — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made a memorable night even more remarkable.

Playing in his 1,000th NHL game on Sunday, Nugent-Hopkins celebrated the milestone by scoring the game winner as his Edmonton Oilers blanked the St. Louis Blues 5-0, earning a shutout victory on consecutive nights after defeating the Canucks 6-0 on Saturday in Vancouver.

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“I haven’t scored in a couple of weeks too, it was obviously fun to do that on a night like tonight,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “It’s hard to put into words right now, but it was fun and I thought the guys played great and (goalie Connor Ingram) played outstanding. I thought we just kept pushing and pushing and controlled the game for the most part.”

Zach Hyman had two goals and an assist and Ingram made 27 saves to record his first shutout since March of 2024 as the Oilers started a key eight-game homestand on a strong note.

Vasily Podkolzin had a goal and an assist and Andrew Mangiapane also scored for the Oilers (25-17-8) who have gone 5-1-2 in their last seven games. Connor McDavid and Mattias Ekholm each had a pair of assists.

Nugent-Hopkins became just the 63rd player in history to record a goal in his milestone match.

“I think it went as good as a night like tonight can go,” Ingram said. “It’s a big day for Nuge, a big day for the organization, and everything seemed to click. I mean, playing your 1,000th game and you score the game winner? It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Nugent-Hopkins is the first player in Oilers history to hit 1,000 games while playing them all with Edmonton. Only Kevin Lowe has played more games in Oilers franchise history, logging 1,037 games played between his two stints with the squad. Selected first overall by the Oilers at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the British Columbia native is the first player from his draft class to hit 1,000 games and the 417th in NHL history.

“It was obviously special, memorable,” Nugent-Hopkins said of the pre-game ceremony. “What the guys put together and the way that they made this night special for myself and my family and friends was incredible and something that I’ll never forget. Obviously, the fans out there were electric and the chants and stuff doesn’t go unnoticed. Just a lot of appreciation for tonight.”

During a career that has seen him play under nine different head coaches with the Oilers, Nugent-Hopkins has scored 283 goals and 503 assists for 786 points.

“It’s Nuge and he means so much to all of us,” Hyman said. “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.

“It’s not easy playing 1,000 games, the first Oiler to every play 1,000 consecutive. That’s pretty remarkable given the history of this organization and the amount of unbelievable hall of fame players who have come through. You just see how much the fans love him. At the end of the game you’re hearing Nuge chants.

“In my mind he might be the most beloved Oiler of all time. It’s pretty special to commit to this city for his entire career. I think he’s going to be here for life, it seems like it. His commitment to this city, and you can see the commitment back. They just truly love him, and what’s not to love?”

Hyman has been on an incredible scoring surge with 17 goals in his last 20 games, the most by any player in the league since Dec. 11.

After Tristan Jarry earned a shoutout on Saturday, Ingram followed suit with his eighth career shutout and has looked very good since coming up from the Oilers AHL farm team in Bakersfield after being acquired in a trade with Utah earlier this year to add organizational depth in net.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “We always knew he could be a solid NHL goaltender, he proved it in the past. It was whether he could find that game or not, but he was able to and he’s been really good for us.”

Ingram said he’s not talking his second chance for granted.

“Any day you’re in the NHL is a good day, no matter where you are or what you’re doing,” he said. “I mean, this is the mecca of hockey in Western Canada. This is what you watch growing up. This is one of the nicest buildings in the NHL. So just to be a part of it for however long it’ll be, is something I’ll remember for a long time.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2026.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press