List of countries with their first NHL player explained
The globalization of the National Hockey League has been occurring since its inception. The early years saw a largely Canadian league, with some Americans playing. As the league progressed it experienced an influx of European players, at first from Western European countries such as Sweden. After the fall of Communism, players from Eastern European countries, such as the former Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union, joined the league. The NHL eventually saw fewer European players, but more players from Canada and the United States. Today the NHL has players from five continents. The following is a list of countries and the first person born there that played in the National Hockey League. These players are not necessarily the first citizen of each respective country to play in the NHL, as nationality is determined under a nation's nationality law and may differ. Additionally, some countries have had citizens play in the NHL, but have never had a native-born player reach the league.
Most statistical sources in the sport follow the convention of the Hockey Hall of Fame in classifying players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located.
Current countries
Former countries
See also
Notes and References
- https://wwos.nine.com.au/news/nathan-walker-scores-nhl-goal-for-st-louis-blues/2d881463-c9be-4d58-9a86-c9b429f5473f NHL goes mad for 'Thunder from Down Under' Nathan Walker after Aussie scores first goal for St Louis Blues
- http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2011/07/04/the-2011-invitees-part-one-in-a-two-part-epic/ The 2011 Invitees: Part One in a Two-Part Epic
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=41826 Reinhard Divis
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=20721 Andre Deveaux
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=55196 Andre Deveaux
- Miszuk was born in the Byelorussian SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Belarus in 1991.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=3748 John Miszuk
- http://www.sihrhockey.org/public_intl_hockey.cfm?letter=b&c=belg SIHR – Global Hockey Facts: Belgium
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=315 Jan Benda
- Georgiev was born in Bulgaria, but represented Russia at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
- https://www.newsday.com/amp/news/region-state/niemi-canadiens-defeat-rangers-3-1-to-snap-6-game-skid-1.16918700
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2025 Mike Greenlay
- Adams was born in Brunei prior to its independence from the UK, while it was still a protectorate
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=25067 Craig Adams
- https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yApkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=v3oNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4195%2C5753042 Rosters of First NHL game
- Bezina was born in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in the territory now known as Croatia.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=45138 Goran Bezina
- Jirik was born in the former area of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia which was part of Nazi Germany. It occupied most of the territory now known as the Czech Republic.
- Web site: First Czech NHL player dies in plane crash . 2011-07-17 . https://archive.today/20120719151637/http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/07/11/first-czech-nhl-player-dies-in-plane-crash/ . 2012-07-19 . dead .
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=10802 Jaroslav Jirik
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4346 Poul Popiel
- Web site: Johnston on Leafs: Holzer making most of chance . 2013-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160310002729/http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2013/02/08/toronto_maple_leafs_korbinian_holzer_making_most_of_chance/ . 2016-03-10 . dead .
- Komarov was born in the Estonian SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Estonia in 1991. However, he represents Finland.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=90107 Leo Komarov
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14056 Albert Pudas
- Pudas was born in the former area of the Grand Duchy of Finland which was part of the Russian Empire. It occupied the territory now known as Finland.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=22312 Albert Pudas
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=6674 Andre Peloffy
- http://kings.nhl.com/v2/ext/news/kingsclips/12-23-10.pdf LA Kings News Clips 12–23–10
- Tkaczuk was born in the Bizone, the combination of the American and British occupation zones of Germany following the defeat of the Nazi regime in World War II.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=5415 Walt Tkaczuk
- http://devils.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=517987 Earthquake hits home for Vilgrain
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=5578 Claude Vilgrain
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=46410 Richie Regehr
- Riley was born in Ireland while it was a constituent country of the United Kingdom.
- Web site: Jack Riley Stats.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=6794 Nelson DeBenedet
- Book: Harris, Cecil . Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey . registration . Insomniac Press . 2005 . Toronto . 1894663802 . 153.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=6198 Graeme Townshend
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=21496 Yutaka Fukufuji
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=70188 Yutaka Fukufuji
- Shafranov was born in the Kazakh SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Kazakhstan in 1991.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=11084 Konstantin Shafranov
- Cotch was born in the Russian Empire, in territory now known as Latvia.
- http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2015/09/charlie-cotch.html Charlie Cotch
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12877 Ed Hatoum
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=8757 Ed Hatoum
- Kasparaitis was born in the Lithuanian SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Lithuania in 1990.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2652 Darius Kasparaitis
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2657 Ed Kea
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=15082 Rumun Ndur
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=14095 Rumun Ndur
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=12375 Bill Johansen
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4320 Willi Plett
- Jerwa was born in the former country of the Russian Empire, in territory that is now known as Poland.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=17104 Joe Jerwa
- http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/player/Rod-Langway Rod Langway
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2952 Rod Langway
- Schriner was born in the former country of the Russian Empire, in territory that is now Russia.
- Book: Podnieks, Andrew . Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL . Doubleday Canada . 2003 . Toronto . 0-385-25999-9 . 770.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4823 Sweeney Schriner
- http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8449089 Stan Smrke
- Smrke was born in the Kingdom of Serbs,Croats and Slovenes, in territory that is now known as Serbia.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=10051 Stan Smrke
- Mikita was born in the Slovak Republic (1939-1945), a puppet state of Nazi Germany which occupied most of the territory now known as Slovakia.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=3711 Stan Mikita
- http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06306/734999-61.stm Malkin not lock as NHL's no. 1 rookie
- Kopitar was born in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in territory that is now Slovenia.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=83457 Anze Kopitar
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2774 Olaf Kolzig
- http://www.keia.org/Publications/Exchange/03Exchange09.pdf Can I Play, Too?; Korean Athletes In U.S. Sports; Jim Paek, the First Korean to Hoist the Stanley Cup
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4108 Jim Paek
- http://www.keia.org/Publications/Exchange/03Exchange09.pdf Swedish Ice Hockey Year By Year
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=20344 Gus Forslund
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2151 Mark Hardy
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=28653 Chris Nielsen
- http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8446669 Joe Hall
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2097 Joe Hall
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=24545 George Geran
- Hoffinger was born in the Russian Empire, in territory now known as Ukraine
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=22862 Vic Hoffinger
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12252 Rick Chartraw
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=907 Rick Chartraw
- https://thehockeynews.com/news/arthur-kaliyevs-unusual-road-to-hollywood
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=5154 Anton Stastny
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=5156 Peter Stastny
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13190 Udo Kiessling
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=8731 Udo Kiessling
- Not to be confused with the modern day Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=1625 Alex Faulkner
- Not to be confused with modern day Russia.
- Not to be confused with modern day Slovakia.
- http://www.wpxi.com/sports/28017462/detail.html NHL Great Stan Mikita Has Oral Cancer
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=2394 Willie Huber
- Not to be confused with either the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14385 Stan Smrke
- Not to be confused with either the Kingdom of Yugoslavia or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
- http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12033 Ivan Boldirev
- http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=458 Ivan Boldirev