Ryan Nugent-Hopkins News & Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Protecting RNH, other Oilers stars essential in rebuild

March 27

Edmonton Journal

columnist Jim Matheson

"NHL stars have an office where they work, but there's no sign anywhere in the workplace that says "admittance restricted." You can bother the league's best players, annoy them, even hit them, but must don't take a run at them. Jared Boll is an indiscriminate disturber who pretty much tries to hit everybody, as does his Columbus Blue Jackets teammate Derek Dorsett. But Boll was looking to do more than get in the hair of Edmonton Oilers rookie centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on Sunday when he tried to knock off his block in the open ice."

Oilers' RNH back in the rookie race?

March 15

Edmonton Sun

"Gabriel Landeskog has played 72 games. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has played 50. RNH is only three points behind him in the rookie scoring race. From the comments by hockey writers out there it looks like he's going to have to have a big finish to win the Calder, one of only two major pieces of NHL hardware the Edmonton Oilers have never had in their trophy case. Maybe, on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins mini-stick day, the 18-year-old Oilers rookie said 'Whoa. Hold on. Time out. Wait a minute. Remember me?' RNH scored the winner and added an assist in the 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets last night in his first multi-point game since he potted a pair of assists on Dec. 7. That was 21 games ago, with"

Oilers kids show their mettle

February 24

Edmonton Sun

"Interim head coach Ralph Krueger was talking about his two scorers in perhaps his final game replacing concussed Tom Renney as the coach of the Edmonton Oilers. "I was coaching a country for 13 years that couldn't score goals," said the former national coach of Switzerland. "We would win games 1-0 or 2-1 or not at all. "When I came to training camp here last year, it's the one part of my coaching portfolio which has expanded — learning about offence and how these players are able to create and find holes. "It's the most exciting thing for me."

RNH feels close to ready

February 21

Edmonton Sun

"Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was wearing the red sweater of impunity at practice Monday, which gave the impression the Oilers rookie sensation was still off limits. In fact, Nugent-Hopkins has been cleared for contact and accompanied the team to Calgary for tonight's encounter against the Flames. "I was cleared for contact, but we didn't have a lot of contact drills (Monday)," said Nugent-Hopkins, who's been out for two weeks with a shoulder injury. "But I feel good, I feel close and I think the training staff feels the same way. "I'm not too sure if I'll be able to play (Tuesday), though.""

Nugent-Hopkins still wearing no-contact jersey at practice

February 17

Edmonton Journal

"Injured rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was in a no-contact jersey at the Edmonton Oilers' practice Thursday and certainly won't play against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. The Sunday home game with the Vancouver Canucks is iffy, too, because they'll only have one real practice on Saturday. The best bet is Nugent-Hopkins plays next Tuesday against the Flames in Calgary, which would be two weeks on the shelf with his latest shoulder problem. He's missed 16 games."

RNH not an injury worry: Oilers GM

February 15

Edmonton Sun

"An 18-year-old franchise player with shoulder problems can be a frightening thought, but Steve Tambellini isn't thinking about it. Nor is he frightened. He believes it's just bad luck that two of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins's last three games ended in shoulder injuries. "I don't want Ryan to get hurt, but if you get hurt you get hurt," said the Oilers GM. "I'd rather him not having to deal with those big bodies like that, but he'll be fine. It's nothing that's going to deter him from being the player that he is.""

Nugent-Hopkins back in medical room

February 8

Edmonton Journal

"After returning for just two games, Edmonton Oilers rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is back on the shelf with a sprained left shoulder. He will be out seven to 10 days. It is the same shoulder that Nugent-Hopkins first injured on Jan. 2 when he fell into the boards in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. "It's the same area, same shoulder, but a new thing on top," Nugent-Hopkins said on Tuesday. "Compared to the first one, it's not even close … so hopefully I can get back sooner, rather than later.""

Oilers lose Nugent-Hopkins for up to 10 days

February 7

Edmonton Journal

"After returning for just two games, Edmonton Oilers rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is back on the shelf. The team announced on Tuesday that he'll be out seven to 10 days with a sprained left shoulder. It is the same shoulder that he first injured on Jan. 2 when he fell into the boards in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. "It's the same shoulder but a different injury," said Nugent-Hopkins. "It's not close to my first shoulder injury. I could feel it as soon as I got hit — my shoulder kind of dropped."

Injury bug hits Renney, Nugent-Hopkins

February 7

Edmonton Journal

"Just when the Edmonton Oilers finally had a full roster of players to draw from, head coach Tom Renney was held out of a game. The full lineup didn't last long either. Before Monday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs was over, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was back in the medical room. The Oilers star rookie, who had missed 13 games with a left shoulder injury, took a hit from Toronto's Mike Brown early in the third and did not return. He aggravated the same shoulder that he injured on Jan. 2 when he fell into the boards in a game against the Blackhawks in Chicago."

Nugent-Hopkins pain-free after contact skate

February 3

Edmonton Sun

"Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took another step on the road back into the Edmonton Oilers lineup on Wednesday. The Oilers rookie passed Tom Renney's fitness test, then took part in a full-contact practice with the team for the first time since injuring his shoulder. It is expected Nugent-Hopkins will make his return to the lineup Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. "His test was good, there was almost no drop-off," said Renney. "We'll see how he does in the morning. I'm very cautious there. He had no pain (Wednesday) but that's his first day of contact and bumping and being involved with that part of it. I'm thinking he won't play (Thursday) but we'll see.""

Returning Oilers take their U turn

February 2

Edmonton Journal

"It is called the U-test, and the Edmonton Oilers who have taken it do not speak of it fondly. "It puts fear in everyone," said defenceman Ryan Whitney. The test is a signature of head coach Tom Renney, and any Oiler returning from an injury has to take it. Simulating 45-second shifts, it is a leg-burning exercise that Renney uses to determine whether or not a player is physically ready to move back into the lineup. "If you don't pass, you're just ready to start crying," said Whitney. "It's four shifts of 45-50 seconds with three minutes rest. And three minutes sounds a lot longer than it is. You can't have a drop off of one to two seconds from the first to the fourth, which is what makes"

Nugent-Hopkins only Oiler invited to NHL all-star game

January 13

Edmonton Journal

"The NHL's list of all-stars would have looked considerably different if the Edmonton Oilers had any input. Specifically, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would have both been pencilled in on the 42-man roster. Neither player made the list announced Thursday, although the league admitted that both would have definitely received tickets to Ottawa if they had been healthy. Brendan Shanahan, speaking from the NHL's hockey operations department, said the league did not want to start looking for last-minute replacements if Eberle wasn't able to get back from his knee injury."

Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins, the Diaper Snipers, would have been in All-Star Game if they weren't injured

January 13

Edmonton Journal

columnist David Staples

"Bob McKenzie of TSN reports on Twitter: "If Eberle and RNH were healthy, they would have been named to the All-Star Game. The Oilers were told that." The Oilers have now confirmed this. Oilers fans were momentarily outraged when the NHL All-Star teams were announced today and Jordan Eberle wasn't on the team, but it makes good sense that the only reason he wouldn't be on the squad is his current injury. Better to make sure he's sound than to rush back for a ceremonial contest. All-Star rosters are mainly decided on basic scoring stats and reputation, not two-way play, and Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins have both done very well by the obvious indicators."

Oilers' says Nugent-Hopkins out 3-4 weeks

January 6

Edmonton Sun

"In a year of firsts for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, another one has been added to the list. The Edmonton Oilers rookie will be out three to four weeks with a left shoulder injury, marking the first time he'll miss games for an extended period. "It's actually the first time I've ever missed a game because of an injury," said Nugent-Hopkins on Thursday. "This is new to me and I'm just going to try to take care of it as best I can. "It's a little bit sore, and personally, I want to be out there and help out any way I can. But I have to take it for what it is and recover the best I can.""

Oilers send ailing rookie Nugent-Hopkins home

January 5

Edmonton Journal

"It's no surprise Edmonton Oilers rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins headed home with his left arm in a sling on Wednesday afternoon. The odds of the 18-year-old centre suiting up for one of the team's last two games on the seven-game road trip were slim after he injured the shoulder when he fell late in the first period of Monday's game against the Blackhawks in Chicago. There was no reason for Nugent-Hopkins to hang around for Thursday's game against the St. Louis Blues or the Saturday tilt against the Dallas Stars. He did not play in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres."

Nugent-Hopkins out with shoulder injury

January 4

Edmonton Sun

"The road trip could be over for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Edmonton Oilers rookie had his left arm in a sling Tuesday after sustaining a shoulder injury the night before in Chicago. Nugent-Hopkins suffered the injury after catching a rut on the ice and falling on his own in the first period of the Oilers 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Josh Green was called up from the Oklahoma City Barons to take his spot in the lineup Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres. "He wiped out," said Oilers head coach Tom Renney. "He said there wasn't anyone around him and that he just caught an edge. "He has a sore shoulder and until we get the medical information, I'd hate to speculate. He's sore, he's"

Oilers, Hawks suffer key injuries

January 3

NHL.com

"It was a hard-fought win for the Edmonton Oilers, but it didn't come without a potentially steep price for both them and the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night at the United Center. Edmonton downed Chicago 4-3 in a game the Hawks wanted revenge for a 9-2 blowout loss at Rexall Place, but the Oilers lost star rookie center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the first period and defenseman Tom Gilbert in the second to injuries that could keep them out multiple games. Nugent-Hopkins appeared to catch and edge in the ice in the first and fall hard to injure what's believed to be his shoulder and didn't return. Gilbert was hit hard from behind by Chicago's Daniel Carcillo in the second while racing for the"

Nugent-Hopkins eager to play in own backyard

December 26

Edmonton Journal

"Ryan Nugent-Hopkins probably won't hear any "Nuuugge" chants at Vancouver's Rogers Arena when he touches the puck on Monday night. But he could be the only Edmonton Oiler with some sort of fan constituency in the Canucks playground. The NHL's best rookie so far this season, who grew up in Burnaby, was home for Christmas, with the Boxing Day NHL game in his own backyard. He just drove to the rink, unlike the rest of the team that flew in on a chartered jet. "Pretty nice, very convenient (schedule-making), I'd say," allowed Nugent-Hopkins, who will be playing his first league game at home on Monday. He was there for a pre-season game on Oct. 1 — a 4-1 loss, with the only goal coming from"

Nugent-Hopkins recalls World Juniors disappointment

November 29

Edmonton Sun

"Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be playing the month of December for all those junior hockey players who didn't get the invite to the Team Canada camp Monday. And he says he'll particularly be playing for those who will be getting that dreaded phone call, the one he received before the crack of dawn telling him he wasn't going to be a member of Team Canada at the World Junior. Keep your heads up, kids. It may seem like the worst day of your hockey life, but it doesn't have to be. "When you get that call … I don't know how to describe it. You don't want to get that call," he said. "I wanted to make that team so bad. "But when I went back to my team and those guys went to play in the World Junior,"

Oilers pleasantly surprised by Smyth, Nugent-Hopkins

November 25

Edmonton Journal

"What's more surprising 21 games into the Edmonton Oilers' 2011-12 season? The fact that rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 22 points in 21 games, or that veteran Ryan Smyth is also having a banner campaign? Did anybody in their right mind expect Nugent-Hopkins, 18, to be a point-a-game guy? Or Smyth, who turns 36 in February, to be doing the same? The youngest and oldest Oilers forwards are on the page of the NHL scoring race, just outside the top 10. The kid who has played just six weeks in the NHL and the guy who has 15 seasons on his resume are getting the job done for the upstart Oilers, who face the red-hot Minnesota Wild in St. Paul on Friday."

RNH going where few have gone before

November 24

Edmonton Journal

"When somebody asked Ryan Nugent-Hopkins if he thought he could be a point-a-game rookie several weeks back, he did what he does best. He stickhandled. "Geez, I don't know. The National Hockey League is a very tough league," he said. Well, Nugent-Hopkins has 22 points in 21 Edmonton Oilers games. Only 20 rookies in NHL history have managed at least 82 points, including Peter Stastny (109 in 1980-81 with the Quebec Nordiques), Stastny's brothers Marian (89) and Anton (85), plus Mikael Renberg (82). Only 51 rookies have racked up even 70 points, including current Montreal Canadiens centre Scott Gomez in a tie with Billy Mosienko, who is in the record book for the fastest three goals (21"

Oilers' Nugent-Hopkins fondly recalls Grade 5 project on Rocket Richard

November 8

Edmonton Journal

"The details are a little fuzzy, so much so that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins can't even remember the specifics of the assignment. But the Edmonton Oilers rookie centre does remember acing his grade school project on Maurice Richard. "I don't remember why we did it, I think it was just a project on somebody you looked up to, but it was my best project. I was just so interested in it," he said of his Grade 5 report."

Oilers' Nugent-Hopkins top NHL rookie for October

November 3

Edmonton Journal

"Edmonton Oilers' centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, was named the NHL's rookie of the month for October. The 18-year-old centre had 11 points in 11 games in October which puts him in the top 20 in NHL scoring. He leads the Oilers in points and is tied with Ryan Smyth in goals with five."

Road adventure for Oilers' Nugent-Hopkins

November 2

Edmonton Sun

"SpongeBob Squarepants sat there talking about the adventure ahead. Two spots down, The Green Men were laughing about the Oilers Halloween party. "Four years ago I was trick or treating," said Green Man No. 1, Taylor Hall. "I think it was the same for me," said Green Man No. 2, Jordan Eberle. "I think I was 13 or 14," said Sponge Bob, a.k.a., 18-year-old Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. "I can't remember what I dressed up as, but I'm pretty sure I was somebody real scary," said The Nuge. "I think everybody got a laugh at me as SpongeBob," said the kid who looks like he's about 12 without the costume. A picture of him in the costume singing Karaoke and another of Hall and Eberle in their Green Men"

Road trips a whole different game for NHL rookie

November 2

Edmonton Journal

"Apart from the fact that teenager Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has to look the part of an NHLer when he goes on the road now, there's the matter of pocket money. "I got $80 every two weeks when I played in Red Deer. I think per diem in the NHL is $98 a day. I don't think I've touched much of that yet," said the 18-year-old Edmonton Oilers centre. Nugent-Hopkins gets more money for dinner and cabs in the National Hockey League than he got paid to play with the junior Rebels as one of the Western Hockey League's marquee draws, and the buses go from the hotel to the rink, not down the highway to Prince Albert, Sask., or Cranbrook, B.C., in the dead of winter."

'Awesome' to stay with Oilers: Nugent-Hopkins

October 28

Edmonton Journal

"Ryan Whitney tweeted that it was a slam-dunk that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would never see junior hockey again, like "the sky is blue, the grass is green," but when the first overall pick in the June draft was told he was an NHLer on Friday, he was as much relieved as thrilled. "There were times (in the nine-game probation period) when I was thinking 'just tell me either way, am I staying or am I going (back to the Red Deer Rebels).' That would have been easier on my mind," admitted the 18-year-old Edmonton Oiler, who went into Friday's game with the Colorado Avalanche with nine points in those nine games. He's tied with linemate Jordan Eberle. "There's some doubt that goes through your mind"

Roman Hamrlik discusses facing fellow No. 1 pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

October 28

Washington Post

"During the course of Thursday night's game, if you happen to see Roman Hamrlik matched up against Oilers rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, consider that the 37-year-old Czech was wrapping up his first year when the young center was born. In fact, on April 13, 2009, the day after Nugent-Hopkins was born, Hamrlik recorded a goal and an assist in a Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Winnipeg Jets. (h/t Japers' Rink). When told about the factoid, Hamrlik, now 37 years old to Nugent-Hopkins's 18, laughed."

Keeping rookies a tough decision

October 27

ESPN.com

columnist Scott Burnside

"These are nervous days for teenage players around the NHL. The clock is ticking, their bags are packed. Will they stay or will they go? And, perhaps more to the point for NHL teams, what happens to these elite prospects when a team elects to keep them rather than send them back to the cloistered lives of major junior hockey? It's not just assessing what a player can do on the ice. "You really have to know what they're like as people," Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini told ESPN.com this week. Tambellini and the Oilers are poster boys for the "staying or going" debate. A year ago, the team opted to keep three high-end rookies in their everyday lineup: 2010 No. 1 overall pick Taylor Hall, Jordan"

RNH a keeper for Oilers

October 27

Edmonton Sun

"Five goals in eight games, leads the team in scoring, out there late in the third period of a one-goal game against the Sedins … and reporters are STILL asking if Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is going back to Red Deer. What's the next question? Is Taylor Hall going down to Oklahoma City? Anybody wondering why the Oilers haven't made an official announcement hasn't been watching the games because Nugent-Hopkins has been announcing it himself every time he steps on the ice. Tom Renney has seen enough of his 18-year-old rookie, who hits the nine-game mark Thursday against Washington and will board a plane to Denver for his 10th on Friday against the Avalanche, to know he can line him up against"

Oilers Hall thinks RNH should play

October 23

Edmonton Sun

"Taylor Hall doesn't get a vote, but if he did, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wouldn't be worrying about the press box. Despite turning in a couple of mediocre games toward the end of his own nine-game audition last year, Hall was never a healthy scratch then and doesn't believe Nugent-Hopkins should be one now. "There were a couple of times last year when I was probably pretty close to sitting out a game and getting a bird's eye view, but it never happened," said the dynamic sophomore. "We're going to stand by whatever the team does, obviously, but for a young player to sit does suck. It might blow your confidence a little bit." As with all things relating to RNH, speculation he'd be scratched from"

Oilers Nugent-Hopkins ho-hum about hat trick

October 17

Edmonton Sun

"It was like everybody in the gathering of media surrounding Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at 11 a.m. Sunday was far more excited for The Nuge than he seemed to be for himself. It was like everybody who showed up the morning after his three-goal performance in only his third NHL game Saturday night was expecting it to have all kicked in for the 18-year-old and that he would wake up giddy. I don't know what we were expecting him to say, exactly. Maybe something like ... "I can't believe this is happening to me! This is incredible! A hat trick in my third game! And against the Vancouver Canucks, the team I grew up following in Burnaby as a kid! This is unreal! And I hear it broke some records! There's"

Nugent-Hopkins stays focused, puts hat trick behind him

October 17

Edmonton Journal

"There was no basking in the spotlight for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Instead, the man-child of the hour was back at Rexall Place Sunday morning for an off-ice workout with the rest of the Edmonton Oilers. He was determined to try to put his three-goal night behind him so he could focus on Monday's meeting with the Nashville Predators. All Nugent-Hopkins has been guaranteed is a nine-game window to show he's ready to stick in the National Hockey League rather than return to the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League."

Nugent-Hopkins hat trick not enough for Oilers against Canucks

October 16

Edmonton Journal

"Really, what could have gone wrong? Between them, the Edmonton Oilers brat pack had 144 games of NHL experience; Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, had won just three of his first 23 NHL faceoffs; Jordan Eberle was minus-12 in his first go-round in the league while Taylor Hall was minus-8. Oh yeah, and it was the Stanley Cup finalists who were waiting across the ice Saturday at Rexall Place. But it didn't take long before the kids proved that offence not only sells tickets, it can dominate a hockey game. Flanked by Hall and Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, in just his third NHL game, notched his first hat trick in a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks."

Three for Oilers 93

October 16

Edmonton Sun

"Get a place, kid. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took the decision out of management's hands on Saturday night at Rexall Place. On a Hockey Night In Canada centre stage against the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks, the 18-year-old rookie guaranteed he'll spend the season with the Edmonton Oilers, scoring his second, third and fourth goals of the season in a history-making natural hat-trick performance. The team still needs work, though, losing 4-3, but Nugent-Hopkins ended the junior debate. "It definitely is exciting," said the 2011 first pick overall, who has sniped four of Edmonton's five goals on the season."

Oilers Hall praises Nugent-Hopkins effort

October 16

Edmonton Sun

"Taylor Hall was not interested in raining on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins parade Saturday. So despite getting a stick on the puck and forcing it into the back of the net in the second period, the Edmonton Oilers winger was hoping it had already crossed the line. "I was just banging at it. I have no idea whether it had crossed the line when I got up," Hall said. "I told him that I thought it was his goal. I was doing what any hockey player would do, just crash the net. "It's almost better to see him get his hat-trick then just me get a goal. Especially in his third NHL game, it's great to see.""

Nugent-Hopkins' debut in Edmonton packed full of NHL firsts

October 10

Edmonton Journal

"Never had Ryan Nugent-Hopkins heard a din like he heard in his NHL debut. And not just any run-of-the-mill debut either. The Edmonton Oilers prized pick acknowledged that he had a pretty tough night in the faceoff circle — and he did, winning just two of the 15 draws that he took. But with the Oilers down 1-0 late in the third, the 18-year-old took a pass from Taylor Hall and pushed it past the Pittsburgh Penguins' Brent Johnson to pull the Oilers back in the game. "It was a relief. I just wanted to do everything I could to try and create something," the rookie said of his first NHL goal. "It worked out.""

Nugent-Hopkins to start season with Oilers

October 4

Edmonton Journal

"When he didn't get a call or a text ushering him to the office, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins deduced that he was sticking around long enough to make it to the Edmonton Oilers' team-bonding mini-camp in Jasper. Ditto for Lennart Petrell, Anton Lander and even Linus Omark, who were all on the ice Monday with a much leaner lineup. "I can't let my emotions get the best of me, but I'm very happy with the way things have gone," said Nugent-Hopkins, who will be in the Oilers' lineup for their season-opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday."

Oilers say Nugent-Hopkins will start season in Edmonton

October 3

TSN.ca

"For the second time in as many seasons, the Edmonton Oilers will have their first-overall pick in the lineup for opening night. Head coach Tom Renney confirmed after practice on Monday that centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will begin the 2011-12 campaign with the NHL club. "Ryan will start the season with us," he told reporters. "We all understand the parameters there, that he can operate (here) before we have to make a real concrete decision on the season. Again, we'll do it a game at a time, but he's had a very good camp.""

Slow start for RNH in Oilers 4-1 loss to Canucks

October 2

Edmonton Sun

"Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played his first pre-season game without getting a point and was minus one on the night, but nobody was suggesting he failed his final test. "This is one of those games where you learn a lot," said coach Tom Renney, who watched his Edmonton Oilers complete the pre-season with a 5-3 record as a result of a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, who scored two goals in the final minute including an empty-netter. "It's the first full NHL lineup we've seen. It took a couple of shifts for him to get up with the speed," said the coach of RNH improving each period."

Oilers' three amigos ride again

September 29

Edmonton Sun

"On Tuesday, all the excitement was about the Edmonton Oilers young line of Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle and how they ate up the Phoenix Coyotes. There was a time when Ales Hemsky, Shawn Horcoff and Ryan Smyth created a similar buzz, helping the club get to within one win of the Stanley Cup. And while the trio may have been overshadowed by their younger counterparts against the Coyotes, there is belief they can rediscover some of the magic that made them an effective unit in that playoff march all those years ago. "They looked like a veteran line in lots of ways, just how they managed the puck and they attacked the game," said Oilers head coach Tom Renney. "They maybe"

Oilers' RNH makes his case

September 28

Edmonton Sun

"It was a line which looked, only moments after it came together, like it could live happily ever after. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made magic with Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle as coach Tom Renney decided to go forward to the future and the kid basically served notice he's not going to be easy to ship back to his past. Forget about it Red Deer? Play on Rebels? You've seen the last of the No. 1 pick in the NHL Entry Draft? How do you send the kid back to junior after that performance? He may be slight, but his sleight of hand looked at least a little like another skinny guy about his age way back when as RNH scored his first goal and set up two gorgeous goals by Hall who had one of his Mark"

Oilers' new Kids Line delivers all the scoring

September 28

Edmonton Journal

"It's a little early to say Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle will be a happily-ever-after line with only 134 NHL games under their belt, but if this was a sneak peek into the future, Edmonton Oilers fans should all be smiling broadly today. The trio had seven points and 10 shots Tuesday as the Oilers babies took a huge bite out of the Phoenix Coyotes at Rexall Place. The Coyotes didn't come to Edmonton with defenceman David Schlemko and dressed only 75 per cent of their likely opening-night lineup, with pretty much their NHL defence. Yet, Hall had two goals and an assist when he drove the net recklessly and Nugent-Hopkins tapped in the loose puck for his first pro goal."

Nugent-Hopkins determined to 'make jump' to NHL

September 12

Vancouver Province

"The last thing the Edmonton Oilers need to do is rush Ryan Nugent-Hopkins into their lineup this year. On the other hand, what's the kid going to learn if he's forced to go back to junior with the Red Deer Rebels? It will come down to whether the Burnaby native, chosen No. 1 in June's NHL entry draft, earns a spot at training camp, Steve Tambellini said. "I know the kid and he wants to make the team," the Oilers general manager said on Sunday before his prospects played Canucks prospects at the Young Stars tournament. The Oilers are deep at centre and it's unlikely Nugent-Hopkins will join Edmonton's group of talented young forwards. But don't tell him that. "That's my goal right now, I"

Will Nugent-Hopkins catapult from rookie tourney to Oilers roster?

September 10

Edmonton Journal

"The label is mighty new, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is settling into his role as a No. 1 pick. He's already lost count of how many times he's declared that he is going to do everything he can to make the Edmonton Oilers club this season. He has had a chance to skate with several of the veterans — one of his "welcome to the NHL" moments — and now he is about to take centre stage at the Young Stars Tournament, which gets underway Sunday in Penticton and wraps up on Thursday. It is the next step for the next one who is expected to help alter the course of the Oilers, a team that has finished 30th in the past two seasons. "I'm going to do everything I can to stand out as much as I can, but I am"

Ennis expects Nugent-Hopkins to thrive

September 3

Edmonton Journal

"With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins's size a weighty issue here, nobody is more versed on talking about size or lack of it in the NHL than local boy Tyler Ennis, who will play this year for the Buffalo Sabres at 169 pounds. "The most important thing in hockey is intelligence and he seems to have it," said the dynamic Ennis, who has proven emphatically that he can thrive as a paperweight. Ennis is very quick, has keen radar when going into heavy traffic areas, and can make plays on the fly and in claustrophobic spots on the ice. He got 49 points last year as a freshman in the toughest league in the world. Nugent-Hopkins has a similar modus operandi, although he's not as fast as Ennis. He's taller (at"

What's big deal about Nugent-Hopkins' weight?

August 29

Edmonton Journal

"Ryan Nugent-Hopkins caloric intake has taken on a life of its own. What do the scales say? How many pounds has he gained? How's he going to do against, say, 6'4?, 220-pound Ryan Getzlaf? The kid has tons of talent and his hockey IQ is Mensa like. But, here's one dissenting thought. Could there be too much emphasis on RNH getting bigger to play against NHL men. Could the 18-year-old Edmonton Oilers' first overall draft be carrying a little too much weight for his body right now. There's been so much written about the kid getting larger that maybe he'll struggle with the extra pounds. Maybe he won't be quite so quick or shifty. If so, it would be understandable. "He was about 161 pounds or"

Oilers' Smyth gets a glimpse of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at development camp

August 8

Edmonton Journal

"Ryan Smyth doesn't think his career path will lead to coaching, not after being behind the Red bench Saturday as the junior team blew a three-goal lead in the Hockey Canada summer development camp scrimmage at Rexall Place. But Smyth liked what he saw from possible Edmonton Oilers teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. "First time I've seen him live and he's a nifty little player," Smyth said after the first overall pick in the NHL entry draft tied the wide-open scrimmage with three minutes to play and won it for the White team with 20 seconds left. "Nice to see what he brings to the table. He's patient with the puck. On the second goal he got, he pulled the puck back, shot it quickly and found the"

Nugent-Hopkins' natural talent shines through

August 8

Edmonton Sun

"It's a trait typical of great players. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was practically invisible for two periods Saturday in the national junior team intra-squad game at Rexall Place. But with the game in the balance, the first overall pick in this summer's NHL Entry draft, scored the tying goal then netted the winner in dramatic fashion. Overall, it was an impressive way for Nugent-Hopkins to endear himself to local hockey fans who hope he is able to do the same for the Edmonton Oilers in the near future. "He's a nifty little player, that was the first time I've actually seen him live," said Oilers winger Ryan Smyth, who acted as a guest coach Saturday. "It's nice to see what he brings to the table"

Hyphenated Ones dazzle in Whites-Reds junior game

August 7

Edmonton Journal

"Who knew that fans would see two dynamic Hyphenated Ones? It wasn't just the people's choice, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who tied the scrimmage with 3-1/2 minutes left with a brilliant spin-a-rama backhand, then won it with a bullet 20-footer with 20 seconds left as the Whites rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Reds on Saturday in the first of two Canadian junior team summer development camp games. The Edmonton Oilers' first overall pick in the NHL entry draft in June had a quiet game until the clock was ticking down. Then he delighted the pro-Oilers crowd of 6,391 at Rexall Place with some magic on two of his last three shifts. But big Devante Smith-Pelly, who played with equal parts commotion"