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

[Three On Zero]

1993

1993 was a great year. Montreal won the cup and Gretzky scored a hat trick to defeat the Maple Leafs.

 

[Czechboy]

I don’t think that’s fair. Czechs had a good generation in the 90’s led by the Jagr and Hasek but the next generation the Slovaks were better with Chara, Hossa, Gaborik, Halak. Since then neither country has done great relatively speaking.

First off.. I love my Slovak hockey and cheer for them.

Czechs since the Seperation

Slovaks since the seperation

Czechs have won a best on best Olympics. 2005 is highlighted because that was a best on best as well (NHL lockout year). Then a bronze at a best on best Olympics and another Bronze at a World Cup.

I also highlighted 2024 since we are defending World Champs. Definitely not a best on best but we also eliminated Canada at the Juniors in Xmas. I'd say we've had recent success. Unless I've miscounted... only 3 nations won a best on best Olympic gold. We are one of them. So I'll agree things aren't great but we've definitely had a lot of successes interspersed with a lot of tire fires.lol

In the same time - Slovakia has a worlds (which I loved) gold medal and no medals at best on best. The 2022 Olympics were amazing to watch (go Slaf go) but that was a non NHL/AHL Olympics.

Czechs in NHL last year that played a game 26. Goalies were 8. So 34 Czechs
Slovaks in NHL last year that played a game 11. Goalies were 0. So 11 Slovaks

Last years draft was 15 Czechs and 1 Slovak (Satan's boy since you are an Oilers fan)



World Junior results

2G, 1S and 2B vs 2B


And, again ,I say this as a big fan of Slovak hockey but these aren't equals and haven't been in a long while.

Having said that... Slovak hockey is on the rise and got a real nice bumper crop with Nemec and Slaf! We'll see how training camp shakes out but they may have better NHL D this year with Ferharvy, Cernak and Nemec. Just depends on whether or not Jiricek is full time.

 

[Barrie22]

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

Brett hull was canadian though, he was even about to be part of team canada for the world Jr's, but decided to use his dual citizenship to play for team usa because it was an easier route to make the team.

Mikita being canadian or slovak is kind of like the heatley talk, is heatley german or canadian?