Active NHL players by nationality

[KevinRedkey]

At least 20 GP, 5 min avg TOI:

Canada 306
USA 222
Sweden 63
Russia 39
Finland 31
Czech Republic 19
Switzerland 9
Germany 7
Slovakia 7
Denmark 4
Latvia 3
Belarus 2
France 2
Norway 2
Australia 1
Austria 1
Netherlands 1
Slovenia 1

Of course this isn’t a flawless method. Is Matt Rempe an NHL regular? He didn’t meet the GP threshold and barely cleared 5 min avg TOI this season. Is Nicklas Bäckström a regular or a broken down mess on the brink of retirement? He only played 8 games but averaged 14+ minutes doing so. Both are missing under this method, as is Viktor Arvidsson who only played 18 games following back surgery.

But let’s say you have to have played at least every other game this season to be considered a regular, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a benchwarming plug as long as you’re available for an odd shift half the season: you’ve definitely made it (My condolences to Dougie Hamilton and Mikhail Sergachev: you’re out of the league).

At least 41 GP:

Canada 256
USA 183
Sweden 56
Russia 34
Finland 28
Czech Republic 14
Switzerland 9
Slovakia 7
Germany 6
Denmark 3
Belarus 2
Latvia 2
Australia 1
Austria 1
France 1
Netherlands 1
Norway 1
Slovenia 1

Edit: These numbers are skaters only, too much of a hassle to add goaltenders using nhl.com.

Just wanted to point out the quality of this post. A+ my man

 

[JabbaJabba]

I don't see any new ones coming.. don't see many getting drafted and junior results have been poor. I think they may have been relegated at a level too.

But yes.. drai, Seider and Stutz are unbelievable.

How far into the future can you reliably look and predict? Not too far. Maintaining that amount of NHL players doesn't require a massive amount of good prospects every year.

 

[Sanf]

I see a lot more than a 100 europeans , 20 years ago.

NHL Totals by Nationality ‑ 2003‑2004 Stats

NHL Totals by Nationality - 2003-2004 Regular Season Stats

www.quanthockey.com

NHL Totals by Nationality ‑ 2023‑2024 Stats

NHL Totals by Nationality - 2023-2024 Regular Season Stats

www.quanthockey.com

Probably my less than great English, but what I meant.

According to eliteprospects 2003-2004 there was 297 Europeans that played atleast one game. From which 52 were Swedes.

Current season there was 303 Europeans that played atleast one game. From which 102 were Swedes.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Probably my less than great English, but what I meant.

According to eliteprospects 2003-2004 there was 297 Europeans that played atleast one game. From which 52 were Swedes.

Current season there was 303 Europeans that played atleast one game. From which 102 were Swedes.

Wasn’t me you responded to, but your English is fine. The context of the 2003-04 numbers helped clarifying your point, however!

It’s surprising to me that Slovakia at almost any point has had as many NHLers as Finland. That Slovaks outproduced Finns that much… not as surprised, it makes sense when I think about it. Selänne needed the lockout to rejuvenate himself and it saved his career. At this point in time, Finland was actually pretty stacked at D. Koivu, Lehtinen, Jokinen, Ruutu were solid offensive contributors, but Slovakia had more all-star level offense with guys like Hossa, Demitra, Gaborik, Šatan, Palffy in their primes.

Really, it looks like US and Swedish players mainly have filled roster spots from the Canadians, Czechs, Russians and Slovaks, over the past 20 years.

To a somewhat lesser degree, the emergence of Switzerland and Denmark is notable. Otherwise there were 18 nationalities represented in 2004 as well as 2024. A couple have fallen off the map, a couple have peeked their heads in.

 

[Sanf]

It’s surprising to me that Slovakia at almost any point has had as many NHLers as Finland. That Slovaks outproduced Finns that much… not as surprised, it makes sense when I think about it. Selänne needed the lockout to rejuvenate himself and it saved his career. At this point in time, Finland was actually pretty stacked at D. Koivu, Lehtinen, Jokinen, Ruutu were solid offensive contributors, but Slovakia had more all-star level offense with guys like Hossa, Demitra, Gaborik, Šatan, Palffy in their primes.

Yes it would be nice if Slovakia could get back to those glory days.

Finland still could put a nice Best vs. Best combination during that time. But the slump was already starting to show. We had 4 U25 regulars in NHL (Väänänen, Ruutu, Hagman and Pitkänen) and only 2 of the others (Miettinen and Bergenheim) ever become NHL regulars.

It went as bad as 2011-2012 Tuukka Rask as Boston backup was our only U25 NHL regular.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Yes it would be nice if Slovakia could get back to those glory days.

Finland still could put a nice Best vs. Best combination during that time. But the slump was already starting to show. We had 4 U25 regulars in NHL (Väänänen, Ruutu, Hagman and Pitkänen) and only 2 of the others (Miettinen and Bergenheim) ever become NHL regulars.

It went as bad as 2011-2012 Tuukka Rask as Boston backup was our only U25 NHL regular.

Yeah, Finland entered a real lull in player development for a while there, except for goaltenders. The Sochi roster was a pretty crazy testament to that. Iirc, 43 year old Selänne and a teenaged Barkov were the standout forwards? Winning bronze with that roster was pretty impressive.

 

[Vikz]

Norway, Denmark and Lithuania have a low hockey population due to lack of icehockey rinks.

If Denmark, Norway and Lithuania had the same number of rinks as Sweden they would all be very well represented in the NHL. Those countries have poor hockey infrastructure compared to Sweden.

Why is Lithuania even in this discussion? Do people confuse Lithuania with Latvia again?

 

[mattihp]

What is Slovakia's high?

 

[kudla]

What is Slovakia's high?

I think 37 players from exactly 20 years ago

 

[Pazucha]

I think 37 players from exactly 20 years ago

Wow that's a lot and Czechia had 77 players that year

Not sure about Czechia but Slovakia definitely took it for granted.. I think people had the mindset that new elite players will just keep emerging because historically Slovakia always had someone and it was "hockey" country.

 

[kudla]

Wow that's a lot and Czechia had 77 players that year

Not sure about Czechia but Slovakia definitely took it for granted.. I think people had the mindset that new elite players will just keep emerging because historically Slovakia always had someone and it was "hockey" country.

Well yes, but also with hockey becoming more and more expensive that time ago, the decline of the 2 mentioned countries could have been somewhat expected.

 

[badfish]

Cool data, just wanted to say I love how varied the hockey talent pipeline is and I hope we see more players from Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Latvia, etc. in the future.

 

[Lartsaman]

I know this thread might not be the place to ask this but I ask anyways. Is it possible to find anywhere, how many canadian players have won the stanley cup? Not teams, just players. I guess there would be thousands and thousands....

 

[WarriorofTime]

I know this thread might not be the place to ask this but I ask anyways. Is it possible to find anywhere, how many canadian players have won the stanley cup? Not teams, just players. I guess there would be thousands and thousands....

You'd have to count year by year

 

[Silky Johnson]

I guess this also counts ahl players who steps into nhl for 1-5 games per season? Otherwise how can Slovakia have 11 players?

Finland = 48 players with 5,5mil population is crazy

Finland is good but I would not go as far as saying "crazy".

Finland approx. 1 in 114583

Canada approx. 1 in 87053

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

I know this thread might not be the place to ask this but I ask anyways. Is it possible to find anywhere, how many canadian players have won the stanley cup? Not teams, just players. I guess there would be thousands and thousands....

The Stanley Cup has been awarded since 1893 (decades before the foundation of the NHL), only cancelled in 1919 due to a Spanish flu epidemic and in 2004-05. 130 winners, I think.

Rosters were smaller way back when. I really don’t know the average roster size since 1893, but let’s say on average there’s been 15 players per Cup winning roster, of all nationalities. That would only make for 1965 individual cup winners, not counting repeat winners. Considering many players won several cups, and many more weren’t Canadian, I would guess… it’s fewer than a thousand Canadians.

Actually google helped me. I was way off with my estimate.

Here’s a Wikipedia article with every cup winner listed, where you can start counting haha

According to this article from May 14, 2024, 1090 players in total have won the Stanley Cup. I don’t know how many were Canadian.

Lastly, I actually did count Canadians per cup winner since the lockout cancelled season recently:

Average number of Europeans per cup final per decade:
1970s: 0.3
1980s: 5
1990s: 7.6
2000s: 10.8
2010s: 11.5
2020s: 13

The Golden Knights were indeed remarkably heavy on Canadian players with 16 out of 22 skaters during last year’s playoffs being Canadian.


Canadian skaters on cup winners

Year / Can players % of total / Team / Can players/total w/ at least one playoff GP / % of roster

2023 42.4% Knights 16/22 72.7%

2022 42.7% Avs 11/21 52.3%

2021 42.7% Bolts 9/20 45%

2020 42.6% Bolts 11/24 45.8%

2019 43.5% Blues 14/21 66.6%

2018 45.1% Caps 6/23 26.1%

2017 44.9% Pens 7/23 30.4%

2016 49.0% Pens 7/22 31.8%

2015 50.8% Hawks 11/23 47.8%

2014 51.7% Kings 14/21 66.6%

2013 52.9% Hawks 9/22 40.9%

2012 52.0% Kings 13/21 61.9%

2011 51.3% Bruins 16/20 80.0%

2010 51.6% Hawks 16/22 72.7%

2009 48.9% Pens 10/21 47.6%

2008 46.8% Wings 8/21 38.1%

2007 48.5% Ducks 18/26 69.2%

2006 49.8% Canes 11/21 52.4%

 

[Eye of Ra]

I think 37 players from exactly 20 years ago

 

[WarriorofTime]

Czechoslovakia was arguably just finding its stride as a hockey producer when communism collapsed. Hence why it seems like the generation that peaked in those countries were ones that started but didn’t necessarily finish development under communism.

 

[kudla]

View attachment 878711

Is that 20 years ago?

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

View attachment 878711

Pretty sure Sweden never had six 30-goal scorers in a season.

I’m thinking, three at most?

 

[garbageteam]

View attachment 878711

Man Slovakia was an absolute force back in the day. I still remember when they were considered on the same tier as almost everyone else in the big leagues of international hockey in the 2006 and going into the 2010 Olympics.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Pretty sure Sweden never had six 30-goal scorers in a season.

I’m thinking, three at most?

We never had many shooters. Most swedes are playmakers and non physical grinders.

Man Slovakia was an absolute force back in the day. I still remember when they were considered on the same tier as almost everyone else in the big leagues of international hockey in the 2006 and going into the 2010 Olympics.

They where! Also in the 90s they had many good players.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

We never had many shooters. Most swedes are playmakers and non physical grinders

Yeah, more playmakers and two-way forwards for sure.

But there were actually six Swedes scoring 30+ as recently as this season, and six in 2020-21 as well. That’s the record though.

 

[Eye of Ra]

nationality in the 2 final teams;

Oilers;

Canada; 18
Sweden, 3
Germany, 1
USA, 1

Panthers;

Canada, 9
Finland, 4
Sweden, 3
Russia , 3
USA, 2

 

[Uncle Rotter]

nationality in the 2 final teams;

Oilers;

Canada; 18
Sweden, 3
Germany, 1
USA, 1

Panthers;

Canada, 9
Finland, 4
Sweden, 3
Russia , 3
USA, 2

Stolarz would be the 3rd American for Florida