List of countries with their first National Hockey League player

The globalization of 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 birthNameDebut year
The BahamasAndre Deveaux[2]2008–09[3]
BelarusJohn Miszuk[note 1]1963–64[4]
BelgiumJan Benda[5]1997–98[6]
BulgariaAlexandar Georgiev[note 2]2017–18[7]
BrazilMike Greenlay1989–90[8]
BruneiCraig Adams[note 3]2000–01[9]
CanadaMultiple: most participants of the first NHL game were Canadian born1917–18[10]
CroatiaGoran Bezina[note 4]2003–04[11]
Czech RepublicJaroslav Jirik[note 5][12]1969–70[13]
DenmarkPoul Popiel1965–66[14]
EstoniaLeo Komarov[15][note 6]2012–13[16]
FinlandAlbert Pudas[17][note 7]1926–27[18]
FranceAndre Peloffy1974–75[19]
GermanyWalt Tkaczuk[20][note 8]1967–68[21]
HaitiClaude Vilgrain[22]1987–88[23]
IndonesiaRichie Regehr2005–06[24]
IrelandJack Riley1932–33[25]
ItalyNelson DeBenedet1973–74[26]
JamaicaGraeme Townshend[27]1989–90[28]
JapanYutaka Fukufuji[29]2006–07[30]
KazakhstanKonstantin Shafranov[note 9]1996–97[31]
LatviaCharlie Cotch[note 10]1924–25[32]
LebanonEd Hatoum[33]1968–69[34]
LithuaniaDarius Kasparaitis[note 11]1992–93[35]
NetherlandsEd Kea1973–74[36]
NigeriaRumun Ndur[37]1996–97[38]
NorwayBill Johansen1949–50[39]
ParaguayWilli Plett1975–76[40]
PolandJoe Jerwa[note 12]1930–31[41]
Republic of China (Taiwan)Rod Langway[42]1978–79[43]
RussiaSweeney Schriner[note 13][44]1934–35[45]
SerbiaStan Smrke[46][note 14]1956–57[47]
SlovakiaStan Mikita[note 15]1958–59[48]
SloveniaAnze Kopitar[49][note 16]2006–07[50]
South AfricaOlaf Kolzig1989–90[51]
South KoreaJim Paek[52]1990–91[53]
SwedenGus Forslund[54]1932–33[55]
SwitzerlandMark Hardy1979–80[56]
TanzaniaChris Nielsen2000–01[57]
United KingdomJoe Hall[58]1917–18[59]
United StatesGeorge Geran1917–18[60]
UkraineVic Hoffinger[note 17]1927–28[61]
VenezuelaRick Chartraw[62]1974–75[63]

Former countries
CountryNameDebut Year
CzechoslovakiaAnton Stastny
Peter Stastny		1980–81[64][65]
East GermanyUdo Kiessling[66]1981–82[67]
Newfoundland[note 18]Alex Faulkner1961–62[68]
Russian Empire[note 19]Charlie Cotch1924–25[32]
Slovak Republic (1939–1945)[note 20]Stan Mikita[69]1958–59[48]
Soviet UnionJohn Miszuk1963–64[4]
West GermanyWillie Huber1978–79[70]
Yugoslavia, Kingdom of[note 21]Stan Smrke[71]1956–57[47]
Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of[note 22]Ivan Boldirev[72]1970–71[73]

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.
  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. Shafranov was born in the Kazakh SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Kazakhstan in 1991.
  10. Cotch was born in the Russian Empire, in territory now known as Latvia.
  11. Kasparaitis was born in the Lithuanian SSR of the former USSR, which became the country of Lithuania in 1990.
  12. Jerwa was born in the former country of the Russian Empire, in territory that is now known as Poland.
  13. Schriner was born in the former country of the Russian Empire, in territory that is now Russia.
  14. Smrke was born in the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, in territory that is now known as Serbia.
  15. 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.
  16. Kopitar was born in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in territory that is now Slovenia.
  17. Hoffinger was born in the Russian Empire, in territory now known as the Ukraine
  18. Not to be confused with the modern day Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  19. Not to be confused with modern day Russia.
  20. Not to be confused with modern day Slovakia.
  21. Not to be confused with either the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
  22. Not to be confused with either the Kingdom of Yugoslavia or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

References
  1. The 2011 Invitees: Part One in a Two-Part Epic
  2. Andre Deveaux
  3. Andre Deveaux
  4. John Miszuk
  5. SIHR – Global Hockey Facts: Belgium Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Jan Benda
  8. Mike Greenlay
  9. Craig Adams
  10. Rosters of First NHL game
  11. Goran Bezina
  12. "First Czech NHL player dies in plane crash". Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  13. Jaroslav Jirik
  14. Poul Popiel
  15. "Johnston on Leafs: Holzer making most of chance". Archived from the original on 2016-03-10. Retrieved 2013-02-17.
  16. Leo Komarov
  17. Albert Pudas
  18. Albert Pudas
  19. Andre Peloffy
  20. LA Kings News Clips 12–23–10
  21. Walt Tkaczuk
  22. Earthquake hits home for Vilgrain
  23. Claude Vilgrain
  24. Richie Regehr
  25. https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/r/rileyja01.html
  26. Nelson DeBenedet
  27. Harris, Cecil (2005). Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey. Toronto: Insomniac Press. p. 153. ISBN 1894663802.
  28. Graeme Townshend
  29. Yutaka Fukufuji
  30. Yutaka Fukufuji
  31. Konstantin Shafranov
  32. Charlie Cotch
  33. Ed Hatoum
  34. Ed Hatoum
  35. Darius Kasparaitis
  36. Ed Kea
  37. Rumun Ndur
  38. Rumun Ndur
  39. Bill Johansen
  40. Willi Plett
  41. Joe Jerwa
  42. Rod Langway
  43. Rod Langway
  44. 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.
  45. Sweeney Schriner
  46. Stan Smrke
  47. Stan Smrke
  48. Stan Mikita
  49. Malkin not lock as NHL's no. 1 rookie
  50. Anze Kopitar
  51. Olaf Kolzig
  52. 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
  53. Jim Paek
  54. Swedish Ice Hockey Year By Year Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
  55. Gus Forslund
  56. Mark Hardy
  57. Chris Nielsen
  58. Joe Hall
  59. Joe Hall
  60. George Geran
  61. Vic Hoffinger
  62. Rick Chartraw
  63. Rick Chartraw
  64. Anton Stastny
  65. Peter Stastny
  66. Udo Kiessling
  67. Udo Kiessling
  68. Alex Faulkner
  69. NHL Great Stan Mikita Has Oral Cancer
  70. Willie Huber
  71. Stan Smrke
  72. Ivan Boldirev
  73. Ivan Boldirev

See also
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