Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (born April 12, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a forward and alternate captain for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Nuge" by Oilers fans, Nugent-Hopkins was selected first overall by the Oilers in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Growing up in British Columbia, Nugent-Hopkins played minor hockey with the Burnaby Winter Club and Vancouver North West Giants before joining the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Over his two seasons in the WHL, Nugent-Hopkins received numerous accolades and honours including the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy, CHL Top Draft Prospect Award, and WHL East First All-Star Team selection. His efforts in the WHL began earning him attention from scouts; eventually, they unanimously projected him as the first overall pick in his draft class.

Nugent-Hopkins made his NHL debut at 18 in the 2011–12 season. He recorded 52 points in his rookie season to earn a nomination for the Calder Memorial Trophy and a place on the NHL All-Rookie Team. After six 50+ point seasons, he reached the 100-point plateau for the first time during the 2022–23 season. Nugent-Hopkins recorded a career-high 22 points in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs en route to the Oilers' first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2006. He played his 1,000th NHL game in January 2026, becoming the first player to play 1,000 games exclusively as a member of the Oilers.

Internationally, Nugent-Hopkins has represented Canada at both the junior and senior levels. He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. While he made his senior team debut at the 2012 IIHF World Championship, Nugent-Hopkins continued to participate in junior tournaments until 2013. He represented Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and Team Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

Early life Nugent-Hopkins was born on April 12, 1993, in Burnaby, British Columbia, to parents Roger Hopkins and Deb Nugent. He began skating at the age of two and trained alongside his older brother Adam. While he had numerous hockey idols growing up, he specifically admired Maurice Richard for his passion for hockey. Beyond hockey, Nugent-Hopkins was also involved in thoroughbred racing as his maternal grandfather raised and sold horses at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver.

Growing up, Nugent-Hopkins was a fan of the Vancouver Canucks.

Playing career

Amateur As a youth, Nugent-Hopkins played minor ice hockey for the Burnaby Winter Club (BWC) in the Pacific Coast Bantam Hockey League from 2006 to 2008. He originally intended to play with the North Shore Winter Club, but the distance and cost made it unfeasible. By the time he reached the eighth grade, Nugent-Hopkins chose to enrol at the Burnaby North hockey academy to get more ice time. He had recorded 119 goals and 95 assists for 214 points The night before the 2008 Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft, a member of the Red Deer Rebels called Nugent-Hopkins to ensure he was not planning on going the NCAA Division I route. During the 2008 Mac's AAA midget hockey tournament, Nugent-Hopkins was named the Tournament MVP and earned a spot on the All-Star Team.

Junior During the Giants' 2008–09 season, Nugent-Hopkins joined the Rebels for five games as an affiliate player. He made his WHL debut on November 7, 2008, against the Seattle Thunderbirds and scored his first WHL goal on January 23, 2009, against the Calgary Hitmen. While he was only permitted to play in five games, Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals and four assists. Upon joining the Rebels full-time, Nugent-Hopkins enrolled at Hunting Hills High School

Nugent-Hopkins began his rookie season with the Rebels during the 2009–10 season. Although he started the season with seven points over six games, the Rebels struggled to win games and held a 3–3–0 record. After recording his first WHL hat-trick on October 2, 2009, against the Brandon Wheat Kings, Nugent-Hopkins accumulated 10 points over six consecutive games. Due to his play, Nugent-Hopkins was awarded the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's Rookie of the Year.

Leading up to the start of his draft-eligible season, Nugent-Hopkins worked with a personal trainer daily to build muscle and gain weight. Although he was ranked sixth overall in preseason he quickly climbed to second place by the International Scouting Service's (ISS) mid-November rankings. Nugent-Hopkins scored goals in three consecutive games to start the 2010–11 season and continued to collect points in the next eight. He was also selected by a committee of WHL General Managers and Hockey Canada's head scout to play for Team WHL in the 2010 Subway Super Series. Following his second overall ranking, Nugent-Hopkins was invited to Hockey Canada's selection camp for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships but was cut before the final roster was announced. As one of the top-ranked draft-eligible players, Nugent-Hopkins was named captain of Team Orr and competed at the 2011 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Between January 23 and February 12, 2011, he recorded seven goals and 20 assists over 10 games, including one six-point game. Nugent-Hopkins continued to impress the league through the month of March as he recorded 11 goals and eight assists over eight games. During this streak, Nugent-Hopkins became the first Rebel since 2001 to score 100 points in a season. His efforts resulted in him being named the WHL Player of the Month of March. His new career-highs also helped the Rebels capture the WHL Central Division title and qualify for the 2011 WHL playoffs. and finished with nine points over four games. As the Rebels were eliminated the following round, he ended the playoffs with four goals and seven assist over nine games.

Leading up to the draft, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, ISS, TSN, and The Hockey News all ranked him as the number one draft-eligible skater. E. J. McGuire, the Director of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, said of Nugent-Hopkins, "He's got great skill and a knack for offence,"

Edmonton Oilers (2011–present) Early struggles and development (2011–2014) On June 24, 2011, Nugent-Hopkins was selected first overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers. He became the first WHL player drafted first overall in the NHL draft since 1996. Shortly following the draft, he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Oilers on July 2, 2011. Before and after the draft, numerous scouts and hockey pundits raised concerns about Nugent-Hopkin's weight and ability to compete at the NHL level. Nugent-Hopkins began the Oilers' training camp at 177 pounds, 12 pounds heavier than his draft weight. He participated in the Oiler training camp and preseason games before making his NHL debut on October 9, 2011, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While skating alongside Taylor Hall and Ales Hemsky in his debut, Nugent-Hopkins scored his first NHL goal to lead the Oilers to an eventual 2–1 win. At the time, he was the third youngest Oilers player to score their first NHL goal at the age of 18 years and 180 days. On October 15, in his third NHL game, Nugent-Hopkins scored his first NHL hat-trick in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks. This set a new franchise record for the earliest career hat-trick in the fewest career games. Through his first 11 NHL games, Nugent-Hopkins led all rookies in scoring with five goals and six assists. As such, he was recognized by the NHL as the Rookie of the Month for October. By the end of October, Nugent-Hopkins was centring the Oilers Kid Line between fellow young forwards Hall and Jordan Eberle. The trio earned that nickname due to their ages all being under 22. On November 19, 2011, Nugent-Hopkins recorded five assists against the Chicago Blackhawks in a 9–2 win. He subsequently became the first 18-year-old to record a five-assist game in NHL history and the fourth to record a five-point game (both assists and goals). By the end of the month, Nugent-Hopkins had recorded six goals and 10 assists to tie the franchise record for most points in a month by a rookie. He was also honoured as the NHL's Rookie of the Month, becoming the first rookie since Evgeni Malkin to be named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October and November. As his rookie season progressed, Nugent-Hopkins began earning more on-ice responsibility, including a permanent position as the Oilers' first-line centre and the powerplay unit. However, his points total began to decline in January after he injured his shoulder during a game against the Blackhawks and required three to four weeks to recover. Nugent-Hopkins missed 13 games to recover before returning on February 4 for the Oilers games against the Detroit Red Wings. His return lasted only two games as he quickly reinjured his shoulder following a hit by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mike Brown. Despite missing 20 games due to his shoulder injury, Nugent-Hopkins finished the regular season tied with Gabriel Landeskog in rookie scoring with 18 goals and 31 assists. On April 23, 2012, Nugent-Hopkins was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year along with Landeskog and Adam Henrique. Although he lost the Calder Trophy to Landeskog, Nugent-Hopkins was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Nugent-Hopkins joined the Oilers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons, to start the season. He scored his first two goals in the AHL, and added an assist, on October 24, against the Lake Erie Monsters. The following game, he suffered a mouth injury after being hit with a stick and required extensive dental work to fix his teeth. While with the Barons, Nugent-Hopkins worked on winning face-offs and playing more physical game. When speaking on this, Nugent-Hopkins credited his off-season training program and his added 10 pounds. By late November, Nugent-Hopkins ranked second in league scoring with 21 points in 16 games. Although there was concern about his shoulder injury, Nugent-Hopkins was cleared to play for the Canadian national junior team in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. After returning from the World Junior Championships, Nugent-Hopkins rejoined the Oilers for the shortened 2012–13 season. He struggled in his return to the NHL and experienced a lengthy goalless drought through January and February. He finished the season with four goals and 20 assists through 40 games. On April 21, 2013, the Oilers announced that Nugent-Hopkins would miss the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury.

On September 19, 2013, Nugent-Hopkins agreed to a seven-year extension with the Oilers worth $42 million with a $6 million per year cap hit. After undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason, Nugent-Hopkins was expected to miss the first month of the 2013–14 season to finish recovering. Despite this, he was named one of the Oilers six assistant captains for the season. Nugent-Hopkins recovered quicker than expected and was cleared to play shortly after the season started. He made his season debut on October 7, 2013, against the New Jersey Devils, where he scored one goal and had six shots on net. He also played 28 minutes of ice time in his debut, the most among all skaters on either team. Nugent-Hopkins finished the season with a new career-high 19 goals and 37 assists for 57 points. During the 2014 offseason, Nugent-Hopkins continued to build muscle and returned to training camp at 192 pounds. He spoke hopefully about the impact the constructive offseason could have on his 2014–15 NHL season, as he specifically worked on his skating, face-offs, and defensive zone draws. The Oilers also selected German centreman Leon Draisaitl third overall in the 2014 NHL entry draft. He was expected to play as the second or third line centre for the Oilers, behind Nugent-Hopkins, if he made it on to the final roster. Once the season began, Nugent-Hopkins returned as the Oilers first-line centre and began taking more of a leadership role. In spite of the teams struggles, Nugent-Hopkins had accumulated 25 points by early January and led all forwards in average ice time. As such, he was selected to represent the Oilers in the 2015 National Hockey League All-Star Game. Due to the All-Star draft selection process, both Nugent-Hopkins and Filip Forsberg received a new car after being the final two picks of either team. Upon returning from the All-Star Game, Nugent-Hopkins was split from Hall and began playing with Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Eberle as his wingers. On March 8, 2015, Nugent-Hopkins recorded his second career hat trick in a 7–4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Although he missed the final four games of the season with a broken foot, Nugent-Hopkins finished the season with 24 goals and 32 assists. Following the regular season, he was asked to play for Team Canada at the Ice Hockey World Championships but passed on the opportunity to recover from his foot fracture.

Although he recovered from his foot fracture in time for the 2015–16 season, Nugent-Hopkins suffered two injuries throughout the season that limited him to just 55 games. He began the season on track to match his previous totals but began to see a dip in production after Eberle suffered an injury in October. He struggled to find consistent wingers and played alongside a variety of teammates, including Andrew Miller, Rob Klinkhammer, Draisaitl, and Hall. Once Eberle returned to the Oilers lineup in on November 5, Nugent-Hopkins was re-assigned as the Oilers second-line centre with Pouliot and Nail Yakupov. Even with his revolving linemates, Nugent-Hopkins recorded six goals and eight assists through 16 games. After missing one game due to an illness, Nugent-Hopkins struggled to return to his pre-illness form and began seeing less ice time. He was activated off of injured reserve on March 11, after nearly two months of recovery, but was shortly thereafter reinjured on March 23 against the Arizona Coyotes. His recovery from the second injury, a concussion, was quicker than his hand injury and he returned to the Oilers lineup 10 days later. Nugent-Hopkins finished the season with 34 points through 55 games.

Prior to the start of the 2016–17 season, Connor McDavid was named captain of the Oilers and Nugent-Hopkins was again named an alternate captain. In part due to his performance at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, Nugent-Hopkins was expected to continue his high level of play at the NHL level. However, the continued dominance of McDavid and Draisaitl resulted in him being pushed down to the Oilers third line centre role. Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli stated that he believed Nugent-Hopkins' lack of confidence was one of the key reasons for his offensive dip. The trio were sometimes pointedly referred to as the "666 line" by Edmonton-based sportswriters due to their contracts each being $6 million. Although he played in all 82 games for the first time in his career, Nugent-Hopkins finished his sixth season with the Oilers with only 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points. In spite of his lower production, the Oilers qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2006. Nugent-Hopkins played in his first NHL playoff game on April 12, 2017, in game one of the Western Conference first-round against the San Jose Sharks. He played alongside his regular linemates throughout the series, but all three struggled to score goals. He finished the postseason with four assists through 13 playoff games as the Oilers were eliminated in the second round. Both Todd McLellan and Peter Chiarelli praised Nugent-Hopkins for his development as a two-way forward but challenged him to continue working on his offensive abilities. When discussing changes needed for next season, McLellan specifically identified Nugent-Hopkins as a player who needed to take more risks. After Nugent-Hopkins scored his two goals in an 8-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on November 15, McLellan said he was proud of him and expected him to have a big year. The Oilers struggled with consistency through November and only recorded two consecutive wins once. Leading into the Christmas break, the team evened their record to 17–17–2 after winning three consecutive games. On January 14, 2018, Nugent-Hopkins fractured his ribs following a hit by Brayden McNabb of the Vegas Golden Knights and was expected to miss five to six weeks. At the time of the injury, he ranked third on the team in scoring with 16 goals and 15 assists through 46 games. He returned to the Oilers lineup on March 3, almost a month and a half after the initial injury. Shortly after his return, Nugent-Hopkins was developed into a left winger to help with teammate Connor McDavid’s line. Nugent-Hopkins was tested out as a winger because the Oilers could not find a consistent linemate for their top-line centre. He played the last 13 games of the regular season on the wing of McDavid, tallying 15 points. This helped bring his final points total to a career-high 24 goals and 24 assists over 62 games. On April 23, 2018, Nugent-Hopkins was named the Oilers nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, as the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities and gives back to the community.

Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid remained linemates through the offseason as they both represented Team Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. When they returned for the 2018–19 season, Nugent-Hopkins was back on the Oilers top line as McDavid's left winger. After failing to collect points through the Oilers' first two games of the season, Nugent-Hopkins quickly recorded three goals and eight assists over the next six games. However, the Oilers were unable to convert his increased production into wins and fell to a 9-10–1 record by mid-November. As such, head coach Todd McLellan was fired and replaced with veteran coach Ken Hitchcock. The coaching change did not slow down Nugent-Hopkins' production as he started December with six goals and 18 assists through 26 games. On March 26, 2019, Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl each recorded a hat-trick in an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings. They became the first Oilers teammates to record dual hat-tricks in a game since Jari Kurri and Paul Coffey in 1985. Nugent-Hopkins ended the season with new career highs with 28 goals and 41 assists for 69 points. However, this came amid another poor season for the Oilers who failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 12th time in 13 years.

Breakout seasons, finding playoff success (2019–present) Playing the majority of the 2019–20 season season as a winger, Nugent-Hopkins nearly equalled his career-highs in 65 games before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He began the season with three points over five games as the Oilers maintained a five-game win streak. He added 11 more points over the next 20 games to help the Oilers rank first in the Pacific Division with a 16–7–3 record. On November 24, the Oilers announced that Nugent-Hopkins would miss at least two games due to a hand injury but did not disclose how the injury occurred. He ended up missing six games due to his injury and was activated off of injured reserve on December 8. His efforts before and after his hand injury were recognized by the league as he was named one of eight players in the Pacific Division fans could vote into the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. At the end of December, head coach Dave Tippett chose to split up McDavid and Draisaitl in order to increase the depth of scoring throughout the lineup. As such, Draisaitl joined Nugent-Hopkins and right winger Kailer Yamamoto on the Oilers second line. The trio played 20 consecutive games together between January 2 and February 23, resulting in a combined total of 19 goals. Over this period, Nugent-Hopkins recorded the most goals with eight and added 10 assists. Oilers media affectionately dubbed the trio the DYNamite line in recognition of their last names and ability to spark offence. Nugent-Hopkins recorded 42 of his total 61 points in the final 30 games before the regular season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Nugent-Hopkins finished with 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points through 65 games.

In order to stay in shape over the break, Nugent-Hopkins trained with fellow BC local and Oilers teammate Jujhar Khaira in his hometown. When the NHL returned to play that July for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, to be held in a bubble in Toronto and Edmonton, Nugent-Hopkins was one of 31 skaters that the Oilers took into their quarantine bubble. As the fifth-ranked team in the Western Conference at the time of the halt, the Oilers played in a qualifying round against the Chicago Blackhawks. In spite of their success in the regular season, coach Tippett chose to split up Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto until the final minutes of their losing effort in Game 4. All members of Oilers top lines struggled offensively during the qualifiers and Nugent-Hopkins was limited to two goals and six assists over four games.

In light of pandemic restrictions on cross-border travel, the NHL temporarily realigned its structure for the 2020–21 season. All Canadian teams played in the North Division, and interdivisional play was suspended. The season was also shortened to just 56 games. Despite their success the previous season, Tippett opted to split up Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto and rarely reunited them. and the DYNamite line only played 6:27 minutes together. Before suffering an upper-body injury in early April, Nugent-Hopkins ranked fifth on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 16 assists. He missed 11 days to recover and scored in his return to the lineup on April 22, in a loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Nugent-Hopkins finished the shortened regular season with 16 goals and 19 assists through 52 games. He also matched numerous franchise records, including third in games played, fifth in goals, and sixth in assists. Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers advanced to the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs and faced the Winnipeg Jets in the North Division first round. They were unexpectedly swept by the Jets in the first round of the playoffs, with Nugent-Hopkins recording one goal and one assist in the four-game series. Following the end of the season, Nugent-Hopkins opted to forgo free agency and signed an eight-year, $41 million contract extension with the Oilers. The contract also came with a no-movement clause through to its expiration date. Due to the new acquisitions, Nugent-Hopkins started the 2021–22 season as the Oilers' second line centre between Hyman and Kyle Turris. Between Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, and Draisaitl, the Oilers maintained their best start in franchise history by going 9–1-0 over their first 10 games. En route to this record, Nugent-Hopkins recorded his 300th career assist on October 23 in a 5-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. On December 4, Nugent-Hopkins recorded two assists to reach 500 NHL points in his 678th NHL game. When Nugent-Hopkin was placed on the NHL's COVID-19 protocol on December 17, he had registered three goals and 22 assists through 28 games. Before he could return to the Oilers lineup, he was then placed on injured reserve and was expected to miss 3 to 4 weeks. In the end, Nugent-Hopkins only missed six games before returning to the Oilers lineup on January 25, 2022. Upon returning to the Oilers lineup, he mostly played as their third-line centre with Derek Ryan and Warren Foegele. However, he struggled to return to form over the next 16 games and experienced a 10-game scoring slump before reinjuring his shoulder on February 26. Nugent-Hopkins was not the only Oilers member struggling. After falling out of a playoff spot, coach Dave Tippett was replaced midseason by Jay Woodcroft. As a centre between Foegele and Ryan, Nugent-Hopkins scored 11 goals and matched his career-high 39 assists.

As the Oilers finished the 2021–22 season second in the Pacific Division with 104 points, they met with the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. In Game 3, Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals within 80 seconds of each other to win 5–2 over the Kings. These were the fastest two goals by an Oilers player in the postseason since Kurri scored two within 71 seconds of each other in 1989. After the Oilers were shutout in Game 4, Woodcroft moved Puljujarvi to Nugent-Hopkins' wing for Game 5. Although the Oilers were pushed to a game seven, they beat the Kings to advance to the Western Conference second round against the Calgary Flames. Nugent-Hopkins distinguished himself in game four of the series by scoring two goals, including the game-winner, to push the Flames to the brink of elimination. The Oilers successfully eliminated the Flames the following night to qualify for the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2006. However, they were swiftly eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in four games. He finished the postseason with a career-high six goals and eight assists in 16 games. While he started the season on the Oilers' third-line with Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod, he was promoted to their second line with Draisaitl and Hyman by mid-October. In their first full game together, Nugent-Hopkins recorded a goal and three assists. He later scored his 200th career NHL goal on October 26, 2022 against the St. Louis Blues. Through his first 28 games of the season, Nugent-Hopkins scored 14 goals and 19 assists. On February 23, 2023, Nugent-Hopkins became the ninth-highest point scorer in franchise history after recording his 600th career point in a 7–2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished the month of March with his first five-point game since November 19, 2011. He scored a goal and four assists to lift the Oilers to a 7-4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Later, on April 5, 2023, he reached the 100-point milestone for the first time in his career. Joining teammates McDavid and Draisaitl, who had accomplished the same feat earlier, the Oilers became the first team since the 1995–96 Pittsburgh Penguins to have three players accumulate 100 points or more. Seven days later, he became the fifth player in franchise history to play 800 games solely for the Oilers. Nugent-Hopkins finished the regular season with a career-high 37 goals and 67 assists for 104 points. He finished the series with four assists through seven games as the Oilers advanced to the Western Conference second round. After going 10 games without a goal, Nugent-Hopkins scored his first goal of the playoffs in game four of the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights. He finished the series with 11 points through 12 games as the Oilers were eliminated from playoff contention. However, his placement in the line-up was fluid and he often played along different players. He eventually found a long-term spot on the Oilers top line with McDavid and Hyman. During the Oilers record-setting 16-game win streak from December 19 to February 6, Nugent-Hopkins scored three goals. Shortly after their winning streak concluded, Nugent-Hopkins tied Mark Messier for third place on the Oilers' all-time games played list. After missing a late-February match due to an illness, Nugent-Hopkins temporarily lost his spot on the first line and was shifted to the second line with Draisaitl. He experienced a 13-game goalless drought through early and mid March, before breaking it with a goal and an assist on March 25 against the Winnipeg Jets. He finished the regular season with 18 goals and 49 assists, as the Oilers qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Nugent-Hopkins and the Oilers faced the Los Angeles Kings in round one of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. While they started on separate lines, Evander Kane joined Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl on the Oilers second line starting in Game 3. In their first game together, Nugent-Hopkins recorded three assists while the trio combined for eight points. He recorded two assists in game five while Kane and Draisaitl each scored to help the Oilers eliminate the Kings from playoff contention. He recorded two assists in game one to maintain his three game multi-point streak, although the Oilers lost 5–4. He was promoted to the Oilers top line with Hyman and McDavid for Game 5, although he failed to collect a point. The trio remained together for Game 6, where Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid both recorded three points to force Game 7. Nugent-Hopkins then recorded the game-winning goal in the second period of game seven and set a new career-high in playoff points. While he went pointless in Game 6, the Oilers eliminated the Stars from playoff contention and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. He scored his first career Stanley Cup Final goal in game four to give the Oilers their first win of the series and avoid elimination. Although he missed practice before game seven due to an illness,

Nugent-Hopkins began the 2024–25 season with one assist in his first two games. His sole assist, which he scored on October 12, 2024, against the Chicago Blackhawks, was also his 700th NHL point. He struggled offensively through the first half of the season, and was limited to six goals and 12 assists through 33 games. However, after McDavid and Draisaitl suffered injuries, his offensive output greatly increased. He scored his fourth NHL hat trick on March 22, 2025, against the Seattle Kraken, while also centering the Oilers top line between Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson. During that evening's game against the St. Louis Blues, he scored the opening goal of an eventual 6–0 win, becoming the 10th player in league history to score in their debut and 1,000th game.

On April 10, 2026, it was announced that Nugent-Hopkins was the Oilers nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for the second time in his career, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.

The Oilers would end up losing to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, 4-2.

International play

Nugent-Hopkins started his experience with Hockey Canada by representing Team Pacific at the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He finished the tournament with one goal and four assists in five games Later, he served as an alternate captain for Team Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. The following year, Nugent-Hopkins was invited to Team Canada's selection camp to try out for their 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships team, but was amongst the final players cut. He struggled in the first two games of the tournament before scoring three points in Team Canada's 7–2 win over France. He finished the tournament with four goals and two assists

Due to the 2012–13 NHL lock-out, Nugent-Hopkins was named captain of Team Canada's junior team for the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Although he led the tournament in scoring with 15 points in six games, the team was ultimately unable to medal. The loss ended Canada's 14-year medal streak in the annual world junior tournament. Due to his play, Nugent-Hopkins was named to the tournament's top forward and selected for the All-Star team.

Nugent-Hopkins did not play at an international again until 2016 when he was a member of Team North America for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. While playing on a line with Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon, Nugent-Hopkins recorded three points over five games. However, he was pointless in their loss to Switzerland in the semifinals.

Personal life Nugent-Hopkins married his fiancée, Breanne (née Windle) in 2019. The couple have two children together. Nugent-Hopkins' cousin, Carson Wetsch, is also an ice hockey forward. He was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL entry draft.

While Nugent-Hopkins had been nicknamed "Hoppy" while with the Red Deer Rebels, he more commonly became referred to as "Nuge" or "Nuggy" during his tenure with the Oilers. Due to his lengthy last name, sports broadcasters occasionally shorten his name to "RNH."

Career statistics

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International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2010 Canada IH18 5 5 2 7 6 2012 Canada WC 5th 8 4 2 6 4 2013 Canada WJC 4th 6 4 11 15 4 2016 Team North America WCH 5th 3 1 2 3 2 2018 Canada WC 4th 10 5 3 8 2 Junior totals 11 9 13 22 10 Senior totals 21 10 7 17 8

Awards, honours, and records Award Year RefWHL Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy 2010 CHL Top Draft Prospect Award 2011 WHL East First All-Star Team 2011 NHL NHL Rookie of the Month (October) 2012 NHL Rookie of the Month (November) 2012 NHL All-Rookie Team 2012 NHL All-Star Game 2015

Records Oilers Most assists in a game by a rookie (5) Most points in a game by a rookie (5, tied with Dave Lumley and Connor McDavid) First player to reach 1,000 career games entirely with the Oilers Most seasons played (15)