With names like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey and Al Hamilton hanging in the rafters, none of them have embodied the phrase, ‘Once an Oiler, Always an Oiler’ quite like Nugent-Hopkins, who now stands alone as the all-time leader in games played in an Oilers’ uniform.

For two more destined for the rafters in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, they’ve only ever known the Oilers with Nuge, who’s been the quintessential member of the club that wouldn’t be the same without him, earning him his own legendary status.

“This organization has had a lot of players, a lot of superstars, a lot of legends that played here forever, and for Nuge to be at the top of that list, it says a lot,” Leon Draisaitl said. “He’s been here for a long time, and he’s always been there for the community and the fans. He’s always been that heartbeat of the city, and it’ll be very exciting for him and his family, but I think just really exciting for us, too, as his teammates.”

The record speaks for itself, but his play has spoken even louder over his career.

Taken as a first-overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft by the Red Deer Rebels, for what Nugent-Hopkins might’ve lacked in terms of physical attributes at the time, he quickly made up for it with his incredible hockey IQ and an all-around game that put him at the top of NHL scouts’ lists and on a direct line to going first overall to the Oilers.

Oilers play-by-play voice Cam Moon had the unique perspective of watching Nugent-Hopkins build into becoming a first-overall pick in the NHL during his 22 years as the Rebels’ long-time director of broadcasts and media, starting with a five-game stint as a 15-year-old in the WHL where he recorded two goals and four assists in 2008-09.

The following season, Nugent-Hopkins was nearly a point-per-game player before registering 106 points (31 goals) in 2011-12, but his impact was felt in all areas of the game thanks to his incredible ability to process the game at both ends of the ice, which quickly translated to the NHL when his name was called by the Oilers on June 24, 2011.