Ryan Nugent-Hopkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Nugent-Hopkins with the Edmonton Oilers in February 2022
Born	(1993-04-12) April 12, 1993 (age 32) Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position	Centre / Left wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Edmonton Oilers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	1st overall, 2011 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	2011–present

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (born April 12, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is an alternate captain for the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Fans call him "Nuge" or "RNH". The Oilers picked him first overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft.

Ryan grew up playing hockey in British Columbia. He played for the Burnaby Winter Club and Vancouver North West Giants. Later, he joined the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL). In the WHL, he won many awards. These included the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy and the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award. Scouts noticed his talent, and he became the top pick for the 2011 NHL draft.

He has also played for Team Canada in junior and senior tournaments. He won a gold medal at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Growing Up and Early Hockey

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was born on April 12, 1993, in Burnaby, British Columbia. His parents are Roger Hopkins and Deb Nugent. He started skating when he was just two years old. He trained with his older brother, Adam. Ryan looked up to hockey players like Maurice Richard.

Playing Youth Hockey

As a young player, Ryan played minor ice hockey for the Burnaby Winter Club (BWC). This was from 2006 to 2008. In his first year with the BWC, he scored 43 goals and 43 assists. This added up to 86 points. He helped the BWC win the 2007 Western Canadian Bantam championships.

In his second year, he was named the 2007–08 BC Hockey Minor Hockey Player of the Year. He scored an amazing 119 goals and 95 assists for 214 points. He also helped the BWC win a silver medal in the 2008 Western Canada Bantam championships. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

The Red Deer Rebels drafted him first overall in the 2008 Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft. Before the draft, he promised them he would play in the WHL.

After being drafted, Ryan played for the Vancouver North West Giants. He played in the British Columbia Hockey Major Midget League. As a 15-year-old, he led the league in scoring. He had 40 goals and 47 assists in 36 games. He helped his team win the 2009 BCMML championship. He was also named MVP of the 2008 Mac's AAA midget hockey tournament.

Junior Hockey Career

Ryan joined the Red Deer Rebels for five games in the 2008–09 season. He scored his first WHL goal on January 23, 2009. He scored two goals and four assists in those five games. He then joined the Rebels full-time.

Nugent-Hopkins with the Red Deer Rebels in October 2010

He started his first full season with the Rebels in 2009–10. He scored his first WHL hat-trick on October 2, 2009. He finished the season with 24 goals and 41 assists in 67 games. He won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's Rookie of the Year.

Before his draft year (2010–11), Ryan worked hard to build muscle. He quickly became one of the top prospects. He was invited to Team Canada's camp for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He was also named captain of Team Orr for the 2011 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. He had a great streak in January and February 2011. He scored seven goals and 20 assists in 10 games. He was named the CHL Player of the Week.

Ryan finished the 2010–11 season leading the WHL with 75 assists. He was tied for third with 106 points. His team, the Rebels, won the WHL Central Division title. They made it to the 2011 WHL playoffs. He had nine points in four games in the first round. He ended the playoffs with four goals and seven assists in nine games. He won the CHL's Top Prospect of the Year award. He was also named to the WHL East First All-Star Team.

Experts like the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and The Hockey News ranked him as the number one player for the draft. They praised his skill and offensive talent.

Edmonton Oilers: NHL Career

Starting Strong and Facing Challenges (2011–2013)

On June 24, 2011, the Edmonton Oilers picked Ryan first overall in the 2011 NHL entry draft. He was the first WHL player to be drafted first overall since 1996. He signed a three-year contract with the Oilers on July 2, 2011.

Some scouts worried about his weight. He worked out and gained 12 pounds before training camp. He made his NHL debut on October 9, 2011. He scored his first NHL goal in that game. He was the third youngest Oilers player to score his first NHL goal. On October 15, he scored his first NHL hat-trick in his third game. This was a team record.

He led all rookies in scoring with five goals and six assists in his first 11 games. The NHL named him Rookie of the Month for October. He played on the "Kid Line" with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle. All three were under 22 years old. On November 19, 2011, he had five assists in one game. He was the first 18-year-old in NHL history to do this. He was named Rookie of the Month again for November.

Ryan continued to play well. He became the Oilers' first-line centre. He also played on the powerplay unit. In January, he injured his shoulder. He missed 13 games. He returned for two games but reinjured his shoulder. He missed 20 games in total. Despite this, he finished tied for rookie scoring with 18 goals and 31 assists. He was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year). He was also named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

Due to a league lockout, Ryan played for the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) at the start of the 2012–13 season. He worked on winning face-offs and playing more physically. He ranked second in AHL scoring with 21 points in 16 games. He also played for Team Canada in the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

He rejoined the Oilers for the shortened 2012–13 season. He struggled at first. He finished the season with four goals and 20 assists in 40 games. He missed the rest of the season due to another shoulder injury.

On September 19, 2013, Ryan signed a seven-year contract extension with the Oilers. He was named an assistant captain for the season. He recovered quickly from shoulder surgery. He played his first game of the 2013–14 season on October 7, 2013. He scored a goal in that game. He finished the season with a career-high 19 goals and 37 assists for 57 points.

All-Star Appearance and Injuries (2014–2019)

Ryan continued to build muscle in the 2014 offseason. He hoped this would help his 2014–15 NHL season. He worked on his skating and faceoffs. The Oilers also drafted Leon Draisaitl. Ryan returned as the Oilers' first-line centre. He also took on more of a leadership role.

Nugent-Hopkins at the Oilers' training camp, September 2014.

The Oilers struggled to win games in the 2014–15 season. But Ryan played well. He had 25 points by early January. He was selected to play in the 2015 National Hockey League All-Star Game. On March 8, 2015, he scored his second career hat trick. He finished the season with 24 goals and 32 assists. He missed the last four games with a broken foot.

In the 2015–16 season, Ryan suffered two injuries. He played only 55 games. He started the season well. But his production dropped after his teammate Eberle got injured. On January 18, 2016, he broke his hand blocking a shot. He missed almost two months. He returned on March 11 but got another injury (a concussion) on March 23. He returned 10 days later. He finished the season with 34 points.

Before the 2016–17 season, Connor McDavid became the Oilers' captain. Ryan was again named an alternate captain. He played in all 82 games for the first time in his career. He finished with 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points. The Oilers made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2006. Ryan played in his first NHL playoff game on April 12, 2017. He had four assists in 13 playoff games. The Oilers were eliminated in the second round.

Ryan started the 2017–18 season strong. He tied McDavid for the team lead in goals with five in 11 games. On January 14, 2018, he fractured his ribs. He missed five to six weeks. At the time, he had 16 goals and 15 assists in 46 games. He returned on March 3. He started playing as a left winger with McDavid. He scored 15 points in the last 13 games as a winger. He finished the season with a career-high 24 goals and 24 assists in 62 games. The Oilers did not make the playoffs. Ryan was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This award is for leadership and community work.

Ryan and McDavid played together for Team Canada at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. For the 2018–19 season, Ryan was McDavid's left winger again. He had three goals and eight assists in his next six games. The Oilers changed coaches in November. Ryan continued to produce points. On March 26, 2019, he and Draisaitl both scored hat-tricks in one game. This was the first time two Oilers teammates did this since 1985. Ryan ended the season with new career highs: 28 goals and 41 assists for 69 points. However, the Oilers missed the playoffs again.

Breakout Seasons and Playoff Success (2020–Present)

In the 2019–20 season, Ryan played mostly as a winger. He nearly matched his career-high points in 65 games. The season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He missed six games in November due to a hand injury. He was named a player fans could vote into the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.

In December, coach Dave Tippett put Ryan on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto. This trio was called the "DYNamite line." They played 20 games together and scored 19 goals. Ryan scored 42 of his 61 points in the last 30 games before the season pause. He finished with 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points.

When the NHL returned for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Ryan was with the Oilers in the "bubble." The Oilers played the Chicago Blackhawks in a qualifying round. Ryan had two goals and six assists in four games. But the Oilers lost the series.

For the 2020–21 season, all Canadian teams played in the North Division. Ryan played mostly on McDavid's left wing. He also returned to his natural centre position on the second line. He had 12 goals and 16 assists before an upper-body injury in April. He missed 11 days. He finished the shortened season with 16 goals and 19 assists in 52 games. He matched several team records.

The Oilers made the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. They faced the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets swept them in the first round. Ryan had one goal and one assist in four games. After the season, he signed an eight-year, $41 million contract extension with the Oilers.

In the 2021–22 season, Ryan started as the second-line centre. He recorded his 300th career assist on October 23. On December 4, he reached 500 NHL points in his 678th game. He missed time due to COVID-19 and a shoulder injury. He returned on January 25, 2022. He mostly played as the third-line centre. He scored 11 goals and matched his career-high 39 assists.

The Oilers finished second in their division. They met the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. In Game 3, Ryan scored two quick goals to help the Oilers win. The Oilers beat the Kings. They then beat the Calgary Flames to reach the Western Conference Final. This was their first time since 2006. However, the Colorado Avalanche eliminated them in four games. Ryan finished the playoffs with a career-high six goals and eight assists in 16 games.

Ryan set personal and team records in the 2022–23 season. On October 26, 2022, he scored his 200th career goal. On April 5, 2023, he reached 100 points for the first time. He joined teammates McDavid and Draisaitl. The Oilers were the first team since 1996 to have three players score 100 points or more. He also became the fifth player to play 800 games only for the Oilers.

The Oilers started the 2023–24 season with a tough record. They later set a new team record for most consecutive wins. This streak was also the second-longest in NHL history.

Playing for Canada

Nugent-Hopkins playing for Team Canada in 2012
Medal record
Representing Canada
Ice hockey
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Gold	2010 Slovakia

Ryan first played for Hockey Canada at the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. He had one goal and four assists. Later, he was an alternate captain for Team Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He scored the winning goal in the gold medal game against the United States. He was invited to the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships camp but was cut.

He played for Team Canada's senior team at the 2012 IIHF World Championship. He scored three points in a 7–2 win over France. He finished with four goals and two assists. Team Canada lost in the quarterfinals.

Due to the NHL lockout, Ryan was named captain of Team Canada's junior team for the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He led the tournament in scoring with 15 points in six games. However, the team did not win a medal. This ended Canada's 14-year medal streak. Ryan was named the tournament's top forward and to the All-Star team.

He played for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He played on a line with Auston Matthews and Nathan MacKinnon. He had three points in five games. He returned to Team Canada's senior team in 2018 for the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He scored a power-play goal against Russia to help Canada reach the semi-finals.

Personal Life

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins married Breanne Windle in 2019. They have one child together. Ryan's cousin, Carson Wetsch, was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL entry draft.

Career Statistics

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 and Honours