Is Leon Draisaitl on pace to be the best non-“big six” nation hockey player ever?

[93LEAFS]

Mikita was not a canadian. None of his family were born in canada. He moved to canada at 8 living with his aunt n uncle who had moved from slovakia to canada. Just because you learn a sport in a different country doesnt make you from said country.
What he can be called is a naturalized canadian but no he is slovakian first n foremost which he himself said.

Mikita is complicated, but he was on the Summit Series roster, and learned hockey in Canada. If people want to count him as Canadian for this discussion, I wouldn't dismiss it, since the spirit of the discussion is about players from non-traditional hockey countries who've succeded. When I think of this discussion I think more along the lines of Kopitar, Vanek, Josi and Draisaitl, than I do of Stan Mikita who while Slovakian grew up in St. Catherines and went through the Blackhawks player development system.

It's sort of like comparing Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk when talking of players from non-traditional Hockey markets. One had no previous connection to the sport, was born in California and raised in Arizona. The other is the son of an NHLer, born in Arizona, and raised in St. Louis. Matthew Tkachuk is someone you expect to see growing up playing hockey, Auston Matthews isn't.

 

[pld459666]

There’s a big six in hockey of Canada, USA, Russia, Czechia, Sweden, and Finland that have produced most of the best players of all time, including most of the best current players.

Is Leon Draisaitl on pace to become the best hockey player ever from another country?

I said yes, but I'd like to see the comps??

 

[Hisch13r]

HASEK!!!!!?

Is Czech

 

[JackSlater]

Mikita was not a canadian. None of his family were born in canada. He moved to canada at 8 living with his aunt n uncle who had moved from slovakia to canada. Just because you learn a sport in a different country doesnt make you from said country.
What he can be called is a naturalized canadian but no he is slovakian first n foremost which he himself said.

No, he was definitely Canadian. When he immigrated to Canada he became a Canadian. You could say he was also Czech, or a precursor to what became Slovakian. As a hockey player he is obviously Canadian as he wasn't even familiar with the sport before arriving in Canada. You could count him as also a Slovakian player, but that's certainly a minority opinion.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

No, he was definitely Canadian. When he immigrated to Canada he became a Canadian. You could say he was also Czech, or a precursor to what became Slovakian. As a hockey player he is obviously Canadian as he wasn't even familiar with the sport before arriving in Canada. You could count him as also a Slovakian player, but that's certainly a minority opinion.

He is a slovakian by blood n birth who learned hockey in canada. He himself said he was slovakian.

 

[jigglysquishy]

He is a slovakian by blood n birth who learned hockey in canada. He himself said he was slovakian.

Bigotry. Plain and simple.

He considered himself Canadian of Slovakian birth. He had Canadian citizenship. Learned hockey in Canada. Went to school in Canada. Had a Canadian passport. He had no hockey tie to Czechoslovakia.

Stop gatekeeping our nationality and considering immigrants as outsiders.

 

[JackSlater]

He is a slovakian by blood n birth who learned hockey in canada. He himself said he was slovakian.

Yeah I know where Mikita was born. He became a Canadian citizen, had all of his hockey development in Canada, even played for Canada internationally. I don't particularly care whether he called himself Slovakian, Canadian, Brazilian, or Kenyan. He's a Canadian player, the case is whether he is also a Slovakian player... but it isn't that strong. I'm also aware that Mikita was proud of his Slovak roots.As far as I recall from Slovakian posters discussing this, even in Slovakia they don't really consider Mikita a Slovakian player.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Bigotry. Plain and simple.

He considered himself Canadian of Slovakian birth. He had Canadian citizenship. Learned hockey in Canada. Went to school in Canada. Had a Canadian passport. He had no hockey tie to Czechoslovakia.

Stop gatekeeping our nationality and considering immigrants as outsiders.

Im telling you this because I have family from europe. Im telling you how it really is.

 

[Treb]

Bigotry. Plain and simple.

He considered himself Canadian of Slovakian birth. He had Canadian citizenship. Learned hockey in Canada. Went to school in Canada. Had a Canadian passport. He had no hockey tie to Czechoslovakia.

Stop gatekeeping our nationality and considering immigrants as outsiders.

Are you calling Mikita a bigot for calling himself a Slovak?

 

[jigglysquishy]

Are you calling Mikita a bigot for calling himself a Slovak?

He called himself a Canadian of Slovakian birth.

There's a huge difference between a Canadian excluding somebody (@Nathaniel Skywalker), a Slovakian wanting him, and the person themselves considering themselves both Slovakian and Canadian.

Mikita learned his hockey in Canada. To exclude him from the Canadian hockey history is simply excluding someone on dubious xenophobic grounds.

My father left europe at 19. He is now 69 Has lived 50 years in canada. U would consider him a canadian?

100%

If he has citizenship he is legally identical to someone born in Canada.

 

[Voight]

Kopitar is two-time playoffs leading scorer while playing Selke-level defense and won the Cup twice with one time being the captain. Both Cup runs he garnered many Conn Smythe votes

Draisaitl has placed third in playoff leading scoring and only once. He has scoring numbers but while playing behind McDavid.

Brown was captain for both cup wins.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

He called himself a Canadian of Slovakian birth.

There's a huge difference between a Canadian excluding somebody (@Nathaniel Skywalker), a Slovakian wanting him, and the person themselves considering themselves both Slovakian and Canadian.

Mikita learned his hockey in Canada. To exclude him from the Canadian hockey history is simply excluding someone on dubious xenophobic grounds.


100%

If he has citizenship he is legally identical to someone born in Canada.

Im not excluding him

He called himself a Canadian of Slovakian birth.

There's a huge difference between a Canadian excluding somebody (@Nathaniel Skywalker), a Slovakian wanting him, and the person themselves considering themselves both Slovakian and Canadian.

Mikita learned his hockey in Canada. To exclude him from the Canadian hockey history is simply excluding someone on dubious xenophobic grounds.


100%

If he has citizenship he is legally identical to someone born in Canada.

Yes he is a canadian citizen. Doesn't change the fact. You know you can gain citizenship in some countries by working there for 5 years. It's called naturalization. You calling someone a bigot for stating facts is funny

 

[Montreal Shadow]

So do I.

You're just plain being a bigot.

Dude, chill. He just doesn’t like dismissing Mikita’s birthplace and thinks where he was born and where his parents are from matter more. Nothing bigoted about that. He doesn’t want to oust Mikita from Canada.

The thread mentions where the players are from and Mikita was most definitely from Czechoslovakia.

 

[Coffey]

My life is similar to Mikita.
I was born in Poland, moved to Canada when I was 4.

If I played hockey internationally, I'd consider myself Canadian first. Just like Wojtek Wolski did.

 

[Treb]

He called himself a Canadian of Slovakian birth.

There's a huge difference between a Canadian excluding somebody (@Nathaniel Skywalker), a Slovakian wanting him, and the person themselves considering themselves both Slovakian and Canadian.

Mikita learned his hockey in Canada. To exclude him from the Canadian hockey history is simply excluding someone on dubious xenophobic grounds.


100%

If he has citizenship he is legally identical to someone born in Canada.

He isn't doing that though, he's just including him in Slovakian hockey history.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

He already is.

 

[jigglysquishy]

He isn't doing that though, he's just including him in Slovakian hockey history.

Mikita was not a canadian.

What's this if not exclusion?

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

What's this if not exclusion?

So are you excluding him from being slovakian? You do realize Stan Mikita is not his birthname as well? You writing off him being slovakian simply because he learned to play a f***ing sport in canada is comical

 

[jigglysquishy]

So are you excluding him from being slovakian? You do realize Stan Mikita is not his birthname as well? You writing off him being slovakian simply because he learned to play a f***ing sport in canada is comical

At no point have I said he wasn't Slovakian. He can be both Canadian and Slovakian. You're the one who said

Mikita was not a canadian.

 

[Treb]

As for the topic, looking quickly, I'd say:

Mikita
P. Statsny
Hossa
Draisaitl
Chara
Kopitar
A. Statsny
Bondra
Gaborik
Josi

Now, whether you want to consider Mikita or not is another question, but even then Statsny and Hossa accomplishments still overshadow Draisaitl's for now.

I expect him to end top3 (Mikita or not), but I'm not ready to predict him the first spot yet.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Since the OP was clearly asking about ethnicity not place of residence, Mikita makes sense to count as Slovakian since that's where he was born.

You can argue since he was raised in Canada he counts as Canadian for this topic. But I have to imagine the ones who say Mikita is Canadian unironically say Brett Hull is Canadian because he was born there

 

[Albatros]

He considered himself Canadian of Slovakian birth. He had Canadian citizenship. Learned hockey in Canada. Went to school in Canada. Had a Canadian passport. He had no hockey tie to Czechoslovakia.

Rather Slovak American that lived in Canada at one point. Very lukewarm about his relationship with Canada but a proud American and a proud Slovak.

He also had good ties to Czechoslovak hockey for what it's worth.

 

[jigglysquishy]

You can argue since he was raised in Canada he counts as Canadian for this topic. But I have to imagine the ones who say Mikita is Canadian unironically say Brett Hull is Canadian because he was born there

In both cases the players were raised in Canada and learned hockey in Canada.

 

[hamzarocks]

As for the topic, looking quickly, I'd say:

Mikita
P. Statsny
Hossa
Draisaitl
Chara
Kopitar
A. Statsny
Bondra
Gaborik
Josi

Now, whether you want to consider Mikita or not is another question, but even then Statsny and Hossa accomplishments still overshadow Draisaitl's for now.

I expect him to end top3 (Mikita or not), but I'm not ready to predict him the first spot yet.

Marian f***ing hossa joining a superteam to win 3 cups does not mean he had a better career than Leon Draisaitl who has been a top 5 or 6 plsyer for 5-6 year window. Hossa had maybe a 2 year window he was a top 6/7 player in the league

Statsny may have been a top 5/6 player level, didnt follow hockey back then

Draisaitl has passed Hossa for peak/prime and career is probaboy 1 or 2 years away.

 

[Fatass]

No. Hasek, Kopitar, Chara, Stastny,

Marian f***ing hossa joining a superteam to win 3 cups does not mean he had a better career than Leon Draisaitl who has been a top 5 or 6 plsyer for 5-6 year window. Hossa had maybe a 2 year window he was a top 6/7 player in the league

Statsny may have been a top 5/6 player level, didnt follow hockey back then

Draisaitl has passed Hossa for peak/prime and career is probaboy 1 or 2 years away.

Imo Hossa was better than Leon. Leon is 6-10 (in this category) for me.