The oldest player to ever play in an NHL game is Gordie Howe, who played his last game at the age of 52 years and 11 days.
Gordie Howe, also known as "Mr. Hockey," was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for 32 seasons in the NHL and the World Hockey Association (WHA). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time and held many records over the course of his career. Howe retired from the NHL in 1971 but came out of retirement to play in the WHA, where he played until 1980. He played his last professional game on April 6, 1980, at the age of 52.