List of countries with their first National Hockey League player

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

  Uzbekistan || Arthur Kaliyev

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 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 [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]], 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 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. 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. John Miszuk
7. SIHR – Global Hockey Facts: Belgium Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
8. Jan Benda
9. https://www.newsday.com/amp/news/region-state/niemi-canadiens-defeat-rangers-3-1-to-snap-6-game-skid-1.16918700
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. "Jack Riley Stats".
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. 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. Stan Smrke
50. 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

• List of NHL statistical leaders by country