Nick Bjugstad will play his milestone 800th NHL game tonight against the team that he started his career with, the Florida Panthers.
The 33-year-old, who has played in the NHL since the 2012-13 season, spent seven seasons with the Panthers—the same team he faces tonight—before moving on to the Pittsburgh Penguins for two years, the Minnesota Wild for two seasons, the Arizona Coyotes, the Edmonton Oilers, the Utah Hockey Club, the St. Louis Blues, and now the New Jersey Devils.
In 799 NHL games, Bjugstad has scored 163 goals, tallying 174 assists for a total of 337 points.
Reflecting ahead of tonight’s milestone, Bjugstad spoke about his time with Florida and the irony of facing his former team in such a significant game.
“Pretty cool. I got to start in the league with Florida and had some fun years there,” he said. “It’ll be fun to play against them tonight. It takes a lot of people and fortunate circumstances to play 800 games in the league. I’m very grateful for that. Still having fun with it. I’m trying to enjoy myself and keep getting better every day.”
Drafted 19th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, the Minnesota native also spoke with NJD.tv about reaching this milestone and shared his perspective.
“The 1,000 mark is the big one for all the guys,” Bjugstad said. “Eight hundred is fine, but everyone sets their sights on 1,000. For the few that can make it there, that’s a very impressive feat. It feels like it’s been a 1,000 for me, but it’s only been 800. I still enjoy playing and feel fortunate to be in the NHL.”
Earlier this season, Bjugstad played 35 games with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 4, 2026, continuing his NHL journey.
He will hit the ice for his fifth game as a Devil at 7 pm as his current team and former team face off.
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