Edmonton Oilers centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been named the NHL Rookie of the Month for October.
The 18-year-old scored a goal in his first NHL game and led all rookies in scoring with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 11 games.
Nugent-Hopkins edged Nashville Predators centre Craig Smith (4-5-9 in 11 games), Buffalo Sabres centre Luke Adam (3-6-10 in 10 games), Ottawa Senators left wing Colin Greening (4-4-8 in 12 games) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (4-3-7 in 11 games) for the award.
Making his NHL debut less than four months after being selected first overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, Nugent-Hopkins notched the game-tying goal with 4:55 remaining in regulation as the Oilers rallied for a 2-1 shootout victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in their season opener Oct. 9. He tallied a hat trick in his third career game, a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks Oct. 15; scored his first game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over the New York Rangers Oct. 22; and concluded the month with a pair of assists in a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues Oct. 30. The win extended the Oilers’ winning streak to five and lifted the club to first place in the Western Conference.
Nugent-Hopkins entered the draft as the top-rated North American skater by the league’s Central Scouting Service after leading the Western Hockey League with 75 assists in 69 games for the Red Deer Rebels in 2010-11. The Burnaby, B.C., native became the first WHL player selected first overall since 1996, when the Ottawa Senators tabbed Prince Albert Raiders defenseman Chris Phillips as the top pick.
