NHL players of Yugoslavian descent

[wings5]

NHL players and prospects of Ex-Yugoslav descent

I'm just curious as I don't really see them represented as much in hockey. I'm close to many Serbs and the consensus is they seem to not care much about the sport the majority will grow up playing basketball or soccer, or in other cases tennis, volleyball etc. There's obviously Lucic and Alex Petrovic of Florida has good potential too. Are there any other current players/ promosing upcoming prospects from the Balkans? ( Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia etc )

 

[Angry Little Elf]

Anze Kopitar is from Slovenia. Steven Stamkos and Ed Jovanoski are Macedonian descent. Those are the only ones I can think of

 

[Terry Yake]

joe sakic is of croatian descent

i believe willie mitchell is half croatian

 

[MajorLeaf]

This post has some information on current and former Slavic players.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1547537

 

[tigervixxxen]

Avs just signed an undrafted prospect from Croatia, Borna Rendulic.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Marc-Edouard Vlasic's grandfather was from Croatia. He just did an interview with a Croatian writer.

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Staios?

 

[skeena1]

Ivan Boldirev was born in Zrenjanin, in what was then Yugoslavia. Now its in Serbia. 866 points in 1052 games.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Adrian Plavsic.

 

[Hasbro]

Cory Sarich and Joel Prpic.

 

[Look Up]

Here's a thread that also discusses NHL players of Croatian descent:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=671228

 

[Metalcommand]

Isn't Lucic's both parents Serbian? He's born in Canada though I think.

 

[Swervin81]

Mayor Bee probably has them all memorized. All kidding aside, my parents are both Croatian, so I come from a family that has deep roots in Croatia. Hell, a first cousin of mine owns a hotel in Herzegovina. I'm really glad to see how ice hockey has grown back home, culminating in Medveščak Zagreb becoming a KHL team.

Anyways, let's see what I can remember. I know that Kopitar is Slovenian. Joe Sakic is of Croatian descent, as is Vlasic. Lucic is of Serbian descent. Stamkos is of Macedonian descent, unless I'm mistaken. I also remember John Kordic (Croatian) with the Leafs. Man, what a horrible player. Frank Mahovlich is also of Croatian descent, and he was one of the greatest Leafs of all-time and had his number put up in the rafters here some ~15 years ago.

 

[wings5]

How about upcoming propects? I know there is Jack Roslovic of USNTDP u17 team not sure or his origins and Alex Nedeljkovic of Plymouth and Zach Bratina of North Bay both have surnames of people from the Balkans area.

 

[crobro]

Croatian 16 year old playing in Finland this year Fran gjoni , some saying as good if not better at 16 then borna rendulic .

Bo horvat is croatian
John kordic is Croat
Tie domi is Kosovo Albanian
Willie Mitchell Croat mothers side.
Raffi Torres Serbian/Chilean

 

[Urbanskog]

Croatian 16 year old playing in Finland this year Fran gjoni , some saying as good if not better at 16 then borna rendulic .

Bo horvat is croatian
John kordic is Croat
Tie domi is Kosovo Albanian
Willie Mitchell Croat mothers side.
Raffi Torres Serbian/Chilean

You mean 17-year-old?

 

[crobro]

You mean 17-year-old?

Sure ok 17 years old, has potential to be first born and bred croatian to be drafted by an NHL club.

Also croatian goalie vasim rosandic is getting some hype after his display at the world under 18s

Croatia- slovenia- Austria are almost fully integrated minor hockey wise,more games, better competition, better players .

 

[colman]

Croatian 16 year old playing in Finland this year Fran gjoni , some saying as good if not better at 16 then borna rendulic .

Bo horvat is croatian
John kordic is Croat
Tie domi is Kosovo Albanian
Willie Mitchell Croat mothers side.
Raffi Torres Serbian/Chilean

Mike Marcou and James Marcou both Croations

 

[Ryker]

No one mentioned Brandon Kozun, but I would expect him to be of "Yugoslavian" origin, though I couldn't pinpoint it better.

 

[Zagadka]

I'm just curious as I don't really see them represented as much in hockey. I'm close to many Serbs and the consensus is they seem to not care much about the sport the majority will grow up playing basketball or soccer, or in other cases tennis, volleyball etc. There's obviously Lucic and Alex Petrovic of Florida has good potential too. Are there any other current players/ promosing upcoming prospects from the Balkans? ( Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia etc )

Milan Lucic is the child of Serbia parents, who had emigrated separately to Canada and met at a Serbian function in Vancouver. Lucic's uncle (maternal side) played in the NHL.

 

[VanIslander]

Joe Sakic's first language is from there. Croatian? Something like that. I saw an interview where his quiet, understated leadership role was attributed to his late start in English in Burnaby, B.C. due to the foreign tongue in the home.

 

[Sundinisagod]

Croatian 16 year old playing in Finland this year Fran gjoni , some saying as good if not better at 16 then borna rendulic .

Bo horvat is croatian
John kordic is Croat
Tie domi is Kosovo Albanian
Willie Mitchell Croat mothers side.
Raffi Torres Serbian/Chilean

I've read that Horvat is Albanian, and Kordic Croat/Native.

 

[Wayward Son]

Croatian 16 year old playing in Finland this year Fran gjoni , some saying as good if not better at 16 then borna rendulic .

Bo horvat is croatian
John kordic is Croat
Tie domi is Kosovo Albanian
Willie Mitchell Croat mothers side.
Raffi Torres Serbian/Chilean

Gjoni is a very common Albanian surname. Not that that changes that he was born in Croatia but just FYI. And Domi is Macedonian Albanian not Kosovar Albanian.

Gjoni is an Albanian Roman Catholic surname, derived from the name John. It is a clan in the regions of Lezhe, Shkodra (northern Albania) and Ulqin (Montenegro).

 

[crobro]

Either way lets hope that gjoni continues to develop into a nhl er

 

[crobro]

John cena is also of Croat/Albanian heritage