The oldest active player in the NHL is Brent Burns, the Colorado Avalanche defenceman, whose birthday is 9 March 1985, making him 41 years old. The current 23rd season in the NHL for Burns is 2026-27. Second oldest is Corey Perry of the Los Angeles Kings, 41 years old; third is Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, 41 years old in September 2026. There are only four players in total starting the 2026-27 season at 40 years old or over. Here are all the details, with the Burns record being broken up next.
Oldest NHL Players at a Glance:
Current for the start of the 2026-27 season.
| Oldest active NHL player | Brent Burns |
|---|---|
| Team | Colorado Avalanche |
| Position | Defenceman |
| Date of birth | 9 March 1985 |
| Age | 41 |
| Season | 2026-27, his 23rd in the NHL |
| Second oldest | Corey Perry, Los Angeles Kings, born 16 May 1985, aged 41 |
| Third oldest | Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, born 17 September 1985, turning 41 in September 2026 |
| Fourth oldest | Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins, aged 40 |
| Players aged 40 or over | Only four start the 2026-27 season at 40 or older |
| Burns’ 2025-26 season | 12 goals and 35 points in all 82 games |
| Ironman streak | Burns passed 990 consecutive games in 2025-26, moving second on the all-time list |
| The record he is chasing | Phil Kessel’s 1,064 consecutive games. Burns is projected to pass it around mid-February 2027 if he stays healthy |
| Oldest player in NHL history | Gordie Howe, who played his final NHL game in 1980 at the age of 52 |
| Perry’s status | Re-signed with Los Angeles on 1 July 2026, a one-year deal worth 1 million dollars, entering his 22nd season |
| Ovechkin’s goal total | 929 regular-season goals entering 2026-27, having already passed Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 |
| Team with most veterans | Pittsburgh, with three players in the league’s ten oldest: Malkin, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby |
Brent Burns, the League’s Oldest Player:
Burns is not an old-timer looking for a retirement tour. In the 2025-26 season, he appeared in all 82 games and scored 12 goals and made 23 assists to finish with 35 points from the blue line position. Also, he was officially confirmed by the National Hockey League as the oldest active player on any opening night roster.
The even more impressive figure is durability. Burns went past 990 consecutive games played mark in the 2025-26 season, passing Keith Yandle and taking second place on the all-time ironman list, where his closest pursuer is Phil Kessel with 1,064 consecutive games streak.
If Burns will stay healthy until the middle of 2026-27 season, it is expected for him to shatter this record in February 2027. It is a very rare sightseeing to see 41 years old defenceman become the most durable man in the history of National Hockey League.
The Top Four, Aged 40 and Over:
- Brent Burns, Colorado Avalanche. Born 9 March 1985. Defenceman, 23rd season. The oldest player in the league and second on the all-time consecutive games list.
- Corey Perry, Los Angeles Kings. Born 16 May 1985. Re-signed with Los Angeles on 1 July 2026 on a one-year deal worth 1 million dollars, entering his 22nd season. He split 2025-26 between the Kings and Tampa Bay, recording 37 points in 72 games, his 15th 30-point season. He enters the year on 1,464 career games.
- Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals. Born 17 September 1985. Coming off a 32-goal, 64-point season in all 82 games. He has 929 regular-season goals, having already passed Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894, and 1,573 career games played.
- Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins. The only other player starting the season north of 40. Pittsburgh has three players in the league’s ten oldest, with Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby also on the list.
Why Ovechkin Is Not the Answer:
This is the most common wrong answer to this question, but I understand why. Ovechkin is the most prominent ageing star in the game of hockey, Ovechkin broke the all-time goal record, and thus people automatically think the most famous ageing player is the oldest.
That’s not the case. Ovechkin is in third place. Burns is six months older and Perry is four months older than him. Ovechkin was born in September 2026, which is after both of them.
The record that Ovechkin holds, however, is an incredibly long one when it comes to age-based scoring. He holds the record as the oldest player in league history to score 50 goals in one season. This was in his age-36 season, where he broke a Johnny Bucyk record that has been standing strong for more than half a century. In the same season, he surpassed Teemu Selanne’s record for 48 goals scored at the age of 36 or older.
Who Is the Oldest NHL Player of All Time:
Gordie Howe, and no one else has even come close. Howe retired from the NHL at age 52 after playing in his last NHL game with the Hartford Whalers in 1980. He had returned to the NHL after spending time in the World Hockey Association. Howe played an entire 80-game season when he was age 51. That no other player has even come close to him is obvious. Chris Chelios retired at 48, Jaromir Jagr retired at 45, and Zdeno Chara at 45. It’s just to give some perspective as Burns is a whole decade away from Howe at 41.
Why Players Last Longer Now:
There is an actual trend behind the question. Several decades ago, players used to retire between the ages of 30 to 35. In recent years, several have competed in Stanley Cup playoffs at the age of 40, and the number of people looking up for who the oldest player is has only increased.
Common explanations range from advances in sports medicine, year-round training, proper nutrition, improvements in equipment, reduction in obstruction, making the game easier on skilled players and economic reasons due to salary cap, where veterans willing to accept cheap short term contracts can be quite valuable for contending teams. Perry’s $1 million one-year contract fits that description. The argument against that is that there are very few of those players. Four players over 40 out of 700 total in the league does not constitute a wave.
Final Take:
Brent Burns is the oldest active player in the NHL league at age 41. He is followed closely by players like Corey Perry and Alex Ovechkin. Gordie Howe tops the charts all-time in this regard at age 52. The age has been unbeatable since 1980. This year, I will be looking at how many consecutive games Brent Burns can play. This will happen once he surpasses Phil Kessel’s record of 1,064 consecutive games played by the league’s oldest player.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who is the oldest player in the NHL right now?
Brent Burns of the Colorado Avalanche, born 9 March 1985. He is 41 and playing his 23rd NHL season in 2026-27.
Who is the second oldest player in the NHL?
Corey Perry of the Los Angeles Kings, born 16 May 1985. Alex Ovechkin is third.
Is Alex Ovechkin the oldest player in the NHL?
No, he is third. Brent Burns and Corey Perry are both older, having been born in March and May 1985 respectively, while Ovechkin was born in September 1985.
Who is the oldest NHL player of all time?
Gordie Howe, who played his final NHL game in 1980 at the age of 52. No other player has come close.
How many NHL players are over 40?
Four start the 2026-27 season aged 40 or older: Brent Burns, Corey Perry, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.
How old is Brent Burns?
He was born on 9 March 1985, making him 41.
What is Brent Burns’ consecutive games streak?
He passed 990 consecutive games in 2025-26, second all-time behind Phil Kessel’s 1,064. He is projected to break the record around mid-February 2027 if he stays healthy.
Which NHL team has the oldest players?
Pittsburgh, with three players in the league’s ten oldest: Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby.
Also read about: How Long Is the NHL Season? 84 Games in 2026-27, and How It Got There
