Updated September 18, 2026
The NHL has no shortage of young stars, but a surprising number of players from another generation are still going strong.
Brent Burns is the oldest active player in the NHL entering the 2026–27 season. The Colorado Avalanche defenseman is 41 years old and preparing for his 23rd NHL season. Corey Perry and Alex Ovechkin are also 41, while Evgeni Malkin is the only other active player who will be 40 or older when the season begins.
In total, 13 players under NHL contract will be at least 38 years old when the 2026–27 season begins on September 29.
For this list, ages are measured on opening night. That means Sergei Bobrovsky, who turns 38 on September 20, makes the cut.
Rank | Player | Team | Position | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brent Burns | Colorado Avalanche | D | 41 |
2 | Corey Perry | Los Angeles Kings | RW | 41 |
3 | Alex Ovechkin | Washington Capitals | LW | 41 |
4 | Evgeni Malkin | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 40 |
5 | Kris Letang | Pittsburgh Penguins | D | 39 |
6 | Cam Talbot | Columbus Blue Jackets | G | 39 |
7 | Sidney Crosby | Pittsburgh Penguins | C | 39 |
8 | Mats Zuccarello | Los Angeles Kings | RW | 39 |
9 | Nick Foligno | Minnesota Wild | LW | 38 |
10 | Claude Giroux | Ottawa Senators | C/RW | 38 |
11 | Brad Marchand | Florida Panthers | LW | 38 |
12 | Jordan Staal | Carolina Hurricanes | C | 38 |
13 | Sergei Bobrovsky | Toronto Maple Leafs | G | 38 |
The cutoff only includes players signed to NHL contracts for 2026–27. Veterans such as David Perron, Jeff Petry and James Reimer remain unrestricted free agents as of September 18 and therefore aren't included among the active 13.
Brent Burns isn't merely hanging around at age 41.
The Avalanche defenseman played all 82 games last season, recorded 35 points and averaged 18:53 of ice time. Colorado subsequently brought him back on another one-year contract. Burns enters 2026–27 as the oldest active player in the NHL and is preparing for his 23rd season.
His durability might be even more impressive. Burns has played 1,007 consecutive regular-season games, leaving him just 57 short of Phil Kessel's NHL record of 1,064.
Burns' longevity is particularly remarkable for a defenseman, and he remains part of Colorado's blue-line depth in our ranking of every NHL team's No. 1 defenseman and defensive group.
Corey Perry is also back for a 22nd NHL season.
The 41-year-old signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles in July after splitting last season between the Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning. He produced 28 points in 50 games for Los Angeles before being traded to Tampa Bay at the deadline.
Perry's role has changed considerably from his Hart Trophy-winning prime, but his willingness to adapt into a bottom-six, net-front and playoff role has helped extend a career that began in 2005.
Alex Ovechkin turned 41 on September 17, but retirement is not here yet.
The NHL's all-time leading goal scorer signed another one-year contract with Washington and enters his 22nd season having scored 929 career goals. Ovechkin has spent every one of those seasons with the Capitals.
At this stage, every additional goal adds to a record that once appeared nearly untouchable. Washington's ability to compete around him will determine whether Ovechkin's 22nd season becomes another playoff run or primarily another chapter in his individual record book.
Evgeni Malkin is the youngest member of the NHL's 40-and-over club.
The Penguins center turned 40 in July and is returning alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang for their 21st season together as teammates, extending what is already the longest-tenured trio in major North American professional sports.
Malkin remains productive, too, recording 61 points in 56 games last season.
Pittsburgh's ability to keep both Malkin and Crosby productive down the middle is one reason the Penguins remain an interesting case in our ranking of every NHL team's center situation.
Kris Letang gives Pittsburgh its third player among the NHL's seven oldest.
The 39-year-old has spent his entire NHL career with the Penguins and, like Crosby and Malkin, was part of each of Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016 and 2017.
Even after two decades of NHL hockey, Letang remains an important piece of Pittsburgh's defense. His longevity at one of the league's most physically demanding positions also makes the Penguins' veteran trio even more unusual.
Cam Talbot's NHL career is continuing in Columbus.
The 39-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Blue Jackets on September 15 after going 12-9-6 in 34 appearances for Detroit last season. Columbus added him as experienced depth behind Jet Greaves, particularly with Elvis Merzlikins recovering from shoulder surgery.
Talbot has now played more than 560 NHL games despite entering the league as an undrafted free agent.
Sidney Crosby is 39, but statistically he still looks much younger.
The Penguins captain led Pittsburgh with 74 points in 68 games last season and extended his NHL record to 21 consecutive point-per-game seasons. He is now entering his franchise-record 22nd year with Pittsburgh.
Crosby remains one of the league's premier centers rather than simply one of its elder statesmen, which is reflected in our 2026–27 NHL center rankings.
Mats Zuccarello turned 39 on September 1 and will begin his first season with Los Angeles.
The Kings signed him to a one-year contract after he produced 54 points in only 59 regular-season games with Minnesota last year, followed by nine points in the playoffs.
Los Angeles now has two of the league's three 41-and-over players in Perry and Zuccarello, giving the Kings one of the NHL's most experienced forward groups.
Nick Foligno isn't finished yet either.
The Wild signed the 38-year-old to a one-year deal after acquiring him from Chicago during last season. Foligno has played more than 1,280 regular-season NHL games across a career that began with Ottawa in 2007.
He also gets to continue playing in Minnesota alongside his younger brother, Marcus.
Claude Giroux will spend at least one more season in Ottawa.
The 38-year-old re-signed on a one-year contract after recording 49 points while playing all 82 games last season. Giroux also surpassed 1,300 career regular-season appearances during the year.
He remains an important veteran presence for an Ottawa team trying to stay in the playoff picture in what should again be an extremely competitive Atlantic Division.
Brad Marchand enters 2026–27 at age 38, although his season will begin a little later than everyone else's.
The Panthers have confirmed that Marchand will miss the start of the season following offseason surgery, with the expectation that he returns early in the year.
Marchand remains part of a Florida roster we expect to rebound strongly after missing the playoffs last season. The Panthers are also among our leading 2026–27 Stanley Cup favorites.
Jordan Staal may be 38, but he's entering the season after one of the defining years of his career.
The Carolina captain scored 20 goals during the regular season before helping the Hurricanes win the 2026 Stanley Cup. Staal recorded 12 points in 19 playoff games and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP. Carolina then signed him to an extension that will keep him under contract through 2027–28.
Few players on this list enter 2026–27 with more momentum.
Sergei Bobrovsky rounds out the list.
He turns 38 on September 20, nine days before the NHL regular season begins, after signing a three-year contract with Toronto during the offseason. Bobrovsky arrives with 456 career regular-season wins and two Stanley Cups from his time in Florida.
His arrival dramatically changes Toronto's outlook in net, and we have Bobrovsky and the Maple Leafs included in our ranking of every NHL goalie tandem for 2026–27.
The list would have been considerably longer only a year or two ago.
Several prominent veterans aged 38 or older have retired since 2025:
Player | Age at Retirement | Final NHL Team | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|
Marc-Andre Fleury | 40 | Minnesota Wild | 2025 |
T.J. Oshie | 38 | Washington Capitals | 2025 |
Derek Ryan | 38 | Edmonton Oilers | 2025 |
Jack Johnson | 38 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 2026 |
Jonathan Quick | 40 | New York Rangers | 2026 |
Anze Kopitar | 38 | Los Angeles Kings | 2026 |
Jonathan Toews | 38 | Winnipeg Jets | 2026 |
Ryan Reaves | 39 | San Jose Sharks | 2026 |
Marc-Andre Fleury retired after 21 NHL seasons and finished second in league history with 575 wins and 1,051 games played by a goaltender. Jonathan Quick followed in 2026 at age 40 after 19 seasons and three Stanley Cups.
The 2026 offseason then removed several more familiar names. Anze Kopitar retired after 20 seasons with Los Angeles, Jonathan Toews stepped away following his comeback season with Winnipeg, and Ryan Reaves announced his retirement just days before 2026–27 training camps opened.
It is a reminder of how quickly a list like this can change. Burns, Perry and Ovechkin are currently the NHL's 41-year-old outliers, but a significant part of their generation has disappeared from the league in just the past two years.
Gordie Howe remains the oldest player ever to appear in an NHL game. “Mr. Hockey” played his final NHL game for the Hartford Whalers in April 1980 at 52 years old, a longevity record that has never seriously been threatened. Chris Chelios came closest, playing until 48.
Some of the NHL's most notable longevity marks:
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