List of countries with their first National Hockey League player

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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. One current example of this is Australia; while the country saw its first citizen reach the league in 2017, said player (Nathan Walker) had been born in the United Kingdom.

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[]

Country of birth Name Debut year
 Australia Nathan Walker[1] 2017-18
 Austria Reinhard Divis[2] 2001–02[3]
 Bahamas Andre Deveaux[4] 2008–09[5]
 Belarus John Miszuk[note 1] 1963–64[6]
 Belgium Jan Benda[7] 1997–98[8]
 Bulgaria Alexandar Georgiev[note 2] 2017–18[9]
 Brazil Mike Greenlay 1989–90[10]
 Brunei Craig Adams[note 3] 2000–01[11]
 Canada Multiple: all but one participant of the first NHL game were Canadian born 1917–18[12]
 Croatia Goran Bezina[note 4] 2003–04[13]
 Czech Republic Jaroslav Jirik[note 5][14] 1969–70[15]
 Denmark Poul Popiel 1965–66[16]
 Estonia Leo Komarov[17][note 6] 2012–13[18]
 Finland Albert Pudas[19][note 7] 1926–27[20]
 France Andre Peloffy 1974–75[21]
 Germany Walt Tkaczuk[22][note 8] 1967–68[23]
 Haiti Claude Vilgrain[24] 1987–88[25]
 Indonesia Richie Regehr 2005–06[26]
 Ireland Jack Riley[note 9] 1932–33[27]
 Italy Nelson DeBenedet 1973–74[28]
 Jamaica Graeme Townshend[29] 1989–90[30]
 Japan Yutaka Fukufuji[31] 2006–07[32]
 Kazakhstan Konstantin Shafranov[note 10] 1996–97[33]
 Latvia Charlie Cotch[note 11] 1924–25[34]
 Lebanon Ed Hatoum[35] 1968–69[36]
 Lithuania Darius Kasparaitis[note 12] 1992–93[37]
 Netherlands Ed Kea 1973–74[38]
 Nigeria Rumun Ndur[39] 1996–97[40]
 Norway Bill Johansen 1949–50[41]
 Paraguay Willi Plett 1975–76[42]
 Poland Joe Jerwa[note 13] 1930–31[43]
 Republic of China (Taiwan) Rod Langway[44] 1978–79[45]
 Russia Sweeney Schriner[note 14][46] 1934–35[47]
 Serbia Stan Smrke[48][note 15] 1956–57[49]
 Slovakia Stan Mikita[note 16] 1958–59[50]
 Slovenia Anze Kopitar[51][note 17] 2006–07[52]
 South Africa Olaf Kolzig 1989–90[53]
 South Korea Jim Paek[54] 1990–91[55]
 Sweden Gus Forslund[56] 1932–33[57]
  Switzerland Mark Hardy 1979–80[58]
 Tanzania Chris Nielsen 2000–01[59]
 United Kingdom Joe Hall[60] 1917–18[61]
 United States George Geran 1917–18[62]
 Ukraine Vic Hoffinger[note 18] 1927–28[63]
 Venezuela Rick Chartraw[64] 1974–75[65]

Former countries[]

Country Name Debut Year
 Czechoslovakia Anton Stastny
Peter Stastny		 1980–81[66][67]
 East Germany Udo Kiessling[68] 1981–82[69]
 Newfoundland[note 19] Alex Faulkner 1961–62[70]
 Russian Empire[note 20] Charlie Cotch 1924–25[34]
 Slovak Republic (1939–1945)[note 21] Stan Mikita[71] 1958–59[50]
 Soviet Union John Miszuk 1963–64[6]
 West Germany Willie Huber 1978–79[72]
 Yugoslavia, Kingdom of[note 22] Stan Smrke[73] 1956–57[49]
 Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of[note 23] Ivan Boldirev[74] 1970–71[75]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Miszuk was born in the Byelorussian SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Belarus in 1991.
  2. ^ Georgiev was born in Bulgaria, but has represented Russia at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.
  3. ^ Adams was born in Brunei prior to its independence from the UK, while it was still a protectorate
  4. ^ Bezina was born in the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in the territory now known as Croatia.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Komarov was born in the Estonian SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Estonia in 1991. However, he represents Finland.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Riley was born in Ireland while it was a constituent country of the United Kingdom.
  10. ^ Shafranov was born in the Kazakh SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Kazakhstan in 1991.
  11. ^ Cotch was born in the Russian Empire, in territory now known as Latvia.
  12. ^ Kasparaitis was born in the Lithuanian SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Lithuania in 1990.
  13. ^ Jerwa was born in the former country of the Russian Empire, in territory that is now known as Poland.
  14. ^ Schriner was born in the former country of the Russian Empire, in territory that is now Russia.
  15. ^ Smrke was born in the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in territory that is now known as Serbia.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Kopitar was born in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in territory that is now Slovenia.
  18. ^ Hoffinger was born in the Russian Empire, in territory now known as the Ukraine
  19. ^ Not to be confused with the modern day Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  20. ^ Not to be confused with modern day Russia.
  21. ^ Not to be confused with modern day Slovakia.
  22. ^ Not to be confused with either the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
  23. ^ Not to be confused with either the Kingdom of Yugoslavia or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

References[]

  1. ^ [1] title=NHL goes mad for 'Thunder from Down Under' Nathan Walker after Aussie scores first goal for St Louis Blues
  2. ^ The 2011 Invitees: Part One in a Two-Part Epic
  3. ^ Reinhard Divis
  4. ^ Andre Deveaux
  5. ^ Andre Deveaux
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b John Miszuk
  7. ^ SIHR – Global Hockey Facts: Belgium Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Jan Benda
  9. ^ [2]
  10. ^ Mike Greenlay
  11. ^ Craig Adams
  12. ^ Rosters of First NHL game
  13. ^ Goran Bezina
  14. ^ "First Czech NHL player dies in plane crash". Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  15. ^ Jaroslav Jirik
  16. ^ Poul Popiel
  17. ^ "Johnston on Leafs: Holzer making most of chance". Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2013-02-17.
  18. ^ Leo Komarov
  19. ^ Albert Pudas
  20. ^ Albert Pudas
  21. ^ Andre Peloffy
  22. ^ LA Kings News Clips 12–23–10
  23. ^ Walt Tkaczuk
  24. ^ Earthquake hits home for Vilgrain
  25. ^ Claude Vilgrain
  26. ^ Richie Regehr
  27. ^ https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/r/rileyja01.html
  28. ^ Nelson DeBenedet
  29. ^ Harris, Cecil (2005). Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey. Toronto: Insomniac Press. p. 153. ISBN 1894663802.
  30. ^ Graeme Townshend
  31. ^ Yutaka Fukufuji
  32. ^ Yutaka Fukufuji
  33. ^ Konstantin Shafranov
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b Charlie Cotch
  35. ^ Ed Hatoum
  36. ^ Ed Hatoum
  37. ^ Darius Kasparaitis
  38. ^ Ed Kea
  39. ^ Rumun Ndur
  40. ^ Rumun Ndur
  41. ^ Bill Johansen
  42. ^ Willi Plett
  43. ^ Joe Jerwa
  44. ^ Rod Langway
  45. ^ Rod Langway
  46. ^ Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. p. 770. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
  47. ^ Sweeney Schriner
  48. ^ Stan Smrke
  49. ^ Jump up to: a b Stan Smrke
  50. ^ Jump up to: a b Stan Mikita
  51. ^ Malkin not lock as NHL's no. 1 rookie
  52. ^ Anze Kopitar
  53. ^ Olaf Kolzig
  54. ^ Can I Play, Too?; Korean Athletes In U.S. Sports; Jim Paek, the First Korean to Hoist the Stanley Cup Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
  55. ^ Jim Paek
  56. ^ Swedish Ice Hockey Year By Year Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
  57. ^ Gus Forslund
  58. ^ Mark Hardy
  59. ^ Chris Nielsen
  60. ^ Joe Hall
  61. ^ Joe Hall
  62. ^ George Geran
  63. ^ Vic Hoffinger
  64. ^ Rick Chartraw
  65. ^ Rick Chartraw
  66. ^ Anton Stastny
  67. ^ Peter Stastny
  68. ^ Udo Kiessling
  69. ^ Udo Kiessling
  70. ^ Alex Faulkner
  71. ^ NHL Great Stan Mikita Has Oral Cancer[permanent dead link]
  72. ^ Willie Huber
  73. ^ Stan Smrke
  74. ^ Ivan Boldirev
  75. ^ Ivan Boldirev

See also[]

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