From Red Deer Rebel to Oilers legend: Nugent-Hopkins reaches historic milestone

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“He scored that goal, and you were just like, ‘wow, this guy is going to be something,’ and he was… You knew the next year, when he came in at 16 and at 17, the Rebels were getting a super special player.”

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And special indeed he was.

Nugent-Hopkins went on to suit up for the Rebels in 141 regular season games and 13 playoff games where he scored 177 points, including 57 goals and 120 assists. He added 13 points in 13 playoff games.

Then in 2011, his dream of playing in the National Hockey League came true when he was selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL Draft.

Since then, he’s scored 295 goals and 518 assists in 1,038 career NHL games.

On Tuesday night, he became the Oilers’ all-time games-played leader when he suited up against the New Jersey Devils.

That evening south of the border, he surpassed fellow franchise legend Kevin Lowe to overtake the record.

Moon, who now calls Oiler games on the radio in Edmonton, said it’s an incredible accomplishment when you consider the history of the franchise.

“It speaks to his longevity but also his loyalty and the love the city has for Ryan. That love goes both ways. Ryan has stated many times how much he loves playing for the Edmonton Oilers,” Moon said.

“It was a great day, a great vibe, and I’m really happy for him. It doesn’t surprise me that Oilers fans have come to appreciate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as much as Red Deer Rebel fans did when he played there.”

Moon added that he’s much beloved in both Red Deer and Edmonton, which speaks to the type of person he is.

He’s a very good hockey player, but Moon said he’s an even better person.

“I think about all of the work he does outside the game in the community, and he does a lot. He did that in Red Deer, and he does it in Edmonton. He goes about his business in a quiet, understated way and just goes out and does what he does,” Moon said.

In terms of his hockey ability, Moon said he touches all aspects of the game, whether that’s the power play, penalty kill, or his defensive responsibilities.

Even with that, he’s still one of the driving forces behind the team’s offence.

He’s a jack of all trades.

“He does all of those things… I love seeing how much the fans appreciate what he brings on the ice and off the ice. I think that’s where that love comes from,” he said.

At 33 years old, we can’t say for sure how many more games he has left in him.

Moon said there is a mutual desire from both the Oilers and Nugent-Hopkins for the fan favourite to finish his career in Edmonton.

However, you can never say for sure. After all, the Oilers did trade away Wayne Gretzky in 1988.

"Definitely meant a lot to me & feel the love… It’s a big honour for me & very fortunate to hit this milestone with this team." Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on his teammates surprising him with shirts & a video ahead of today’s morning skate. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers https://t.co/bpDtS3cxEn

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 3, 2026

On the morning of Nugent-Hopkins ‘ record-breaking day, he told Edmonton media that it was a special day.

“It’s just a big honour for me, and I’m very fortunate to hit this milestone with this team,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “It really is a testament to a lot of these guys in this room, not just the players but the staff, the trainers who have been here my entire career. This group means a ton to me, so having a video they shared with me was definitely special.”

Nugent-Hopkins was asked what it means to play his entire career for one franchise thus far, which seems to be something we see less and less of in the current era of the NHL.

He said it means a ton.

“This was the dream right when I got drafted. I haven’t wavered throughout my entire career that I wanted to be a an Edmonton Oiler,” he added. “Start my career here, finish my career here… Sometimes you’re not in control of that, so I’ve been fortunate I’ve been able to stick around, and they’ve had that faith in me.”