How Do Canadian Fans Feel About Sons of Former Can Stars Playing For the USA

[Seiza]

Happens all the time to Canada. Most famous Canadians are down south. Hockey players stay there while the euros go home. Americans go home. It is what it is.

Not all euros. There are 3 Swedes in the USDP at the moment. Mattias Samuelsson, Adam Samuelsson and Oliver Wahlstrom.

 

[29dryden29]

I remember some Americans getting their panties in a twist over Tyler Meyers and a couple others choosing to play for Canada rather than the US.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Look at Sidney Crosby. He's been in Pittsburgh since 2005. Sure he grew up in Canada but eventually that's just where he's from and he's not really a Canadian anymore.

 

[New User Name]

The current USNTDP under 17 team has 8 duals on it.
4 Canadian, 3 Swedes and 1 Czech.

I wonder if players developing roots in the city they play in is unique to hockey. Do Raptors, Blue Jays and the many American CFL players live full time in Canada.

 

[New User Name]

Look at Sidney Crosby. He's been in Pittsburgh since 2005. Sure he grew up in Canada but eventually that's just where he's from and he's not really a Canadian anymore.

Crosby has built a huge home on the water in NS. Somehow I think Sid returns to Canada when he retires.
Though that can all change with a wife and children.
[MOD]

 

[mcleex]

How does Ireland and Scotland feel about their grandkids playing hockey for Canada

 

[New User Name]

There was a player (name eludes me) that grew up in Winnipeg with duel citizenship, that chose to play for Team USA. In the 99 World Juniors in Winnipeg, loud chants of "TRAITOR....TRAITOR" were heard. Poor kid.

Colin Wilson of the Preds.

 

[New User Name]

How does Ireland and Scotland feel about their grandkids playing hockey for Canada

That can be said for a lot of American players playing for any US team too, can't it?

 

[Rabid Ranger]

The current USNTDP under 17 team has 8 duals on it.
4 Canadian, 3 Swedes and 1 Czech.

I wonder if players developing roots in the city they play in is unique to hockey. Do Raptors, Blue Jays and the many American CFL players live full time in Canada.

You see a fair amount of American CFLers stay behind in Canada. Not sure about baseball or basketball (smaller sample size with the limited number of teams in those sports). I do find it interesting that most American NHL players who play in Canada come back to the U.S. There are exceptions (I believe Craig Conroy is one-but isn't he employed by the Flames?).

 

[covfefe]

The citizens of a country built on the shoulders of immigration have no right to be upset about people choosing to pursue their careers/lives in a different country. Particularly so when you are talking about the children of said citizens, who very importantly do not have the ability to choose their nationality.

 

[canuck2010]

The current USNTDP under 17 team has 8 duals on it.
4 Canadian, 3 Swedes and 1 Czech.

I wonder if players developing roots in the city they play in is unique to hockey. Do Raptors, Blue Jays and the many American CFL players live full time in Canada.

I've been saying this for quite sometime now. The NHL provides the USA with an unfair advantage in terms of international hockey.

There are 7 Canadian teams and the rest are American. Time was it was just Canadian duals now we are seeing more and more Euro duals as well.

 

[Xokkeu]

You see a fair amount of American CFLers stay behind in Canada. Not sure about baseball or basketball (smaller sample size with the limited number of teams in those sports). I do find it interesting that most American NHL players who play in Canada come back to the U.S. There are exceptions (I believe Craig Conroy is one-but isn't he employed by the Flames?).

Same reason the term snowbird exists and hardly any Americans move to Canada, the weather. Most people, I am not one of them but most, would rather live in California, Arizona or Florida than Saskatchewan or Ontario. Hell even Cristiano Ronaldo has an American kid.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Yes it bugs me. Only because Canadian hockey players have no choice but to leave home to ply their trade. Hockey for god sakes! It's a loss to our country, just as it is a loss to lose the best and brightest individuals in any field or endeavour. (The difference with hockey is that the offspring can come back and try and kick your ass every year).

I have no problem with any individual decision to play for the USA or any other country. If you legitimately feel that you are one or the other then that is your business and that decision should be honoured.

Canadian and American citizenship is of equal value. Someone born to Canadian parents in the USA has as much right and can have as much affinity to Canada and Canadian citizenship as someone born to American parents in Cambodia can have to the USA.

True, but the weather is nice. People live somewhere for 20 years, they get used to it.

Not all euros. There are 3 Swedes in the USDP at the moment. Mattias Samuelsson, Adam Samuelsson and Oliver Wahlstrom.

The current USNTDP under 17 team has 8 duals on it.
4 Canadian, 3 Swedes and 1 Czech.

I wonder if players developing roots in the city they play in is unique to hockey. Do Raptors, Blue Jays and the many American CFL players live full time in Canada.

Fair enough.

Crosby has built a huge home on the water in NS. Somehow I think Sid returns to Canada when he retires.
Though that can all change with a wife and children.
[MOD]

I've been saying this for quite sometime now. The NHL provides the USA with an unfair advantage in terms of international hockey.

There are 7 Canadian teams and the rest are American. Time was it was just Canadian duals now we are seeing more and more Euro duals as well.

I'm with you guys here. Sucks, but it is what it is.

You see a fair amount of American CFLers stay behind in Canada. Not sure about baseball or basketball (smaller sample size with the limited number of teams in those sports). I do find it interesting that most American NHL players who play in Canada come back to the U.S. There are exceptions (I believe Craig Conroy is one-but isn't he employed by the Flames?).

This is true. But I'm with 2525 and the Canuck fans here. Canadians talk a good game about being proud, but when they get wealthy they seems to flee.

 

[cleveland408]

I've been saying this for quite sometime now. The NHL provides the USA with an unfair advantage in terms of international hockey.

There are 7 Canadian teams and the rest are American. Time was it was just Canadian duals now we are seeing more and more Euro duals as well.

So what? Do you think we should create teams in Saskatoon, Regina, Victoria, Medicine Hat, and Halifax to balance it out?

 

[McJesu]

I could count the blood-French players in France's starting 11 on one hand.

I just want to point out how completely false this is. There were four players on their Euro 2016 squad that weren't born in France. Of those four, Patrice Evra was raised in France since he was one, Samuel Umtiti moved to France when he was two, Dimitri Payet was born in Reunion, essentially an overseas province of France that I don't think has it's own national team, and only Steve Mandanda was not raised or born in France. Their starting XI was literally 100% born or raised in France. France is an extremely diverse country and it doesn't have one single bloodline.

 

[Booba]

Nothing special about it. We're probably "winning" on that front if we expand this out of hockey. Most obvious case being Milos Raonic.

?

He moved to Canada before he could even hold a racquet...

Oliver Wahlstrom

Galchenyuk...

 

[Uncle Rotter]

You see a fair amount of American CFLers stay behind in Canada. Not sure about baseball or basketball (smaller sample size with the limited number of teams in those sports). I do find it interesting that most American NHL players who play in Canada come back to the U.S. There are exceptions (I believe Craig Conroy is one-but isn't he employed by the Flames?).

The only others than Conroy I can think of are Joel Otto and Todd Harkins. As for baseball and basketball, it's hard enough finding retired Canadian NBA or MLB players who live in Canada.

 

[Booba]

happens both ways.

Canada have American born players play for them for before.

Sean Coutier
Tyler Myers
Jacob Chycrun

to name a few.

The birthplace is pretty much irrelevant...

Dany Heatley, Owen Nolan, Robyn Regehr, Sean Couturier and Tyler Myers were developed as hockey players in Canada.

In my opinion, where you spent your forming years should be the number one criteria if a player has to choose between two nations.

What I don't like is seeing players who chose to represent a country only because it gives them a greater chance to play in international tournaments.

See Francis Bouillon (born in New York but raised in Canada) and Jason Pominville (born and raised in Canada by an American Mother and a Canadian father) for examples.

 

[Uncle Rotter]

Why would it bother me?



And also because he wasn't good enough to crack TC.

Considering Deadmarsh didn't score a point at the WJC until his 3rd appearance, it seems he wasn't quite good enough for Team USA either.

 

[MitchP*]

The only ones that ever bothered me were Hull and that Soccer player chick whose name i forget.

Hull was born in Canada and tried to play for the Canadian team but wasn't good enough so he switched sides... THAT does not sit right. If he just went to the americans first and "identified" as an american fine.. but to say i'm canadian.. .oh wait now its not convenient because i wasnt' good enough and can't wait till next time to try again is bush league imo.

The soccer chick was born and raised in canada, trained and developed in canada and i think even played on canadian jr level national teams .. then skipped to the US as an adult because her dad was an american.. and then to top it off talks chit to canada and sticks her US flag out at canadian fans when she scores... then comes back to chill with her mom in vancouver... screw her.

 

[Tuoppi]

Footballer Carl Jenkinson who has a Finnish mother and an English father played for Finland youth teams then switched to England. Only managed to get one cap for England. Then there is Nico Rosberg son of Finnish f1 world champion who represents Germany. We do have Barkov, Komarov, Russian and Kosovo footballers and American basketball players though in our national teams. Son of Teemu Selänne played in some Finnish youth national team tournament raised in USA. And then there are numerous players of Finnish ancestry like Matt Niskanen, Jake Virtanen, Magnus Pääjärvi and Tommy Salo. I myself have relatives in Minnesota and Florida. It was kinda funny when Finland won Sweden 6-1 in the World championship final in 2011 Magnus Pääjärvi was Swedens only goalscorer and Jake Virtanen helped Finland to victory in 2016 wjc quarterfinal with his penalties.

 

[Polar Vortex]

Is this the reason the WC created team NA??

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

I would guess too that it's far easier for the average Canadian to adjust and assimilate into the US and it's culture than it would be for the average US citizen to adjust and assimilate into Canada's culture.

Take basically every major Canadian city, Edmonton excluded, and drive two hours south. Where are you at?...somewhere in the US. The vast majority of Canadians live and work fairly close to the US and are much more exposed to US culture through radio, TV, tourism and other experiences.

That sort of familiarity with Canada isn't the case in the most US. Seattle, Detroit and Buffalo are close enough to be subject to Canadian influence...but that's about it as far as major US urban areas go. Most US people live far enough away from Canada to have little or no real experience with Canada or Canadians.

As a whole, Canada is just far stranger to the US than the US is to Canada.

 

[MitchP*]

I would guess too that it's far easier for the average Canadian to adjust and assimilate into the US and it's culture than it would be for the average US citizen to adjust and assimilate into Canada's culture.

Take basically every major Canadian city, Edmonton excluded, and drive two hours south. Where are you at?...somewhere in the US. The vast majority of Canadians live and work fairly close to the US and are much more exposed to US culture through radio, TV, tourism and other experiences.

That sort of familiarity with Canada isn't the case in the most US. Seattle, Detroit and Buffalo are close enough to be subject to Canadian influence...but that's about it as far as major US urban areas go. Most US people live far enough away from Canada to have little or no real experience with Canada or Canadians.

As a whole, Canada is just far stranger to the US than the US is to Canada.

Although that is kind of silly.. because a good number of the actors, musicians and comedians americans are familiar with are canadians.. they just don't know it. A good number of the movies and tv shows americans watch were written, acted, crewed and shot in canadian cities they just don't know it.. americans have blinders at their borders.

 

[SheldonJPlankton]

Although that is kind of silly.. because a good number of the actors, musicians and comedians americans are familiar with are canadians.. they just don't know it. A good number of the movies and tv shows americans watch were written, acted, crewed and shot in canadian cities they just don't know it.. americans have blinders at their borders.

I wouldn't say it's blinders...it's just the nature of the beast.

Few people dig past the superficial entertainment aspect of television or radio and look behind the scenes.

As far as the border goes, most people in the US, in places like Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Miami and others, the border they know and understand best is the border with Mexico. When they think border, they think of the huge problems of illegal aliens and criminality coming from the south. Canada is both distant and a lesser priority to much of the US.