Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been a fixture in Edmonton for more than a decade and a half, and now the Oilers veteran owns a franchise record that shows just how long he has been there.

Nugent-Hopkins suited up for his 1,038th regular-season game with the Oilers on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center, passing Kevin Lowe for the most games played in franchise history.

The 33-year-old was clearly touched by the milestone.

“Definitely meant a lot to me. Feel the love and to have experienced a lot of these games with a few of the guys in here,” Nugent-Hopkins told reporters. “It’s pretty special and yeah, it’s just a huge big honor for me.”

“Very lucky, fortunate to have been able to hit this milestone with this team,” he added. “It really is a testament to a lot of these guys in this room, the staff, the trainers that have been here for my entire career.”

His teammates made sure to celebrate, too, surprising him with shirts and a video before the team’s morning skate. Oilers head coach Mike Babcock praised the forward’s consistency.

“He’s been steady ever since he’s got here, probably underappreciated,” Babcock said.

The Oilers selected Nugent-Hopkins with the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, and he has spent all 16 of his NHL seasons in Edmonton. He scored in his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins that October and has been a key part of the franchise ever since.

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Along the way, he has racked up 294 goals and 811 points, ranking seventh in franchise history in points, eighth in goals and sixth in assists. His best season came in 2022-23, when he set career highs with 37 goals and 104 points while playing all 82 games. He has also added 86 points in 102 career playoff games.

Nugent-Hopkins also made his mark on the scoresheet in the record-setting game. At the time of this writing, he had set up Evan Bouchard’s first-period goal and added a power-play goal of his own in the second period, with the Devils leading 3-2 after two periods.

The longtime Oiler is signed through the 2028-29 season, which means his games-played record could keep growing for a while. With Edmonton off to a strong start, he will look to add to that total when the Oilers host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.