Which Countries Each NHL Team Doesn't Draft Players From?

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Which nationalities do certain NHL teams not draft players from? And why do you think they don't like drafting from that country?

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[WarriorofTime]

Cambodians because theyre never any good at hockey.

 

[wickedwitch]

Caps don't draft or sign Finns.

I have no clue why.

 

[Namejs]

I don't think teams draft players, people draft players.

Chuck Fletcher as the GM of Wild didn't draft a single Russian player in about 10 years and then went on to draft only a single Russian player in the 6th round as the GM of Flyers. So 1 Russian in 15 years.

It's easier to tell which teams favor certain countries.

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

Montréal

Sweden

 

[Bubbles]

The Canucks during the Mike Gillis era had an explicit "No Russians" draft strategy.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Rangers don’t go for Canadians that much

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Ottawa doesn't draft many Russians, specifically those out of Russian leagues

Tampa doesn't draft many Swedes

 

[Siludin]

The Canucks take very few Czechs & Slovaks

 

[miscs75]

Caps don't draft or sign Finns.

I have no clue why.

Backstrom said no because Sweden > Finland

 

[ValeriKamensky]

I don't think teams draft players, people draft players.

Chuck Fletcher as the GM of Wild didn't draft a single Russian player in about 10 years and then went on to draft only a single Russian player in the 6th round as the GM of Flyers. So 1 Russian in 15 years.

It's easier to tell which teams favor certain countries.

IIRC Fletcher drafted Kaprizov

 

[Realgud]

The last slovakian for the wings was in 2011. I feel like they draft a f ton out of the US and sweden compared to other teams but could be wrong.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Which nationalities do certain NHL teams not draft players from? And why do you think they don't like drafting from that country?

Great premise. I’d also be curious to hear whether teams’ FA/trade histories are in line with those draft preferences.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

The last slovakian for the wings was in 2011. I feel like they draft a f ton out of the US and sweden compared to other teams but could be wrong.

Slovak is the correct term for those from Slovakia. There's a Slovak Club a couple towns over from where I grew up.

Slovaks had fallen off a cliff in terms of being drafted until the past few years where we've seen an uptick in Slovakia producing quality prospects again

 

[Emerica]

Ottawa and Russians.

We’ve drafted two Russians in the past 18 years. One in 2020 the other in 2007, both played in the Q.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Edmonton hasn't taken an NCAA route American in the 1st round since 1992 when they drafted noted bust Joe Hulbig. The few other Americans they've taken in the 1st round have been CHLers (Kailer Yamamoto & Rob Schremp)

Edmonton has taken a decent number of NCAA route US players in the 2nd & 3rd round (Tyler Pitlick, Jeff Petry, Taylor Chorney, Colin McDonald, Matt Greene, Brad Winchester, Tom Poti & some others for example), but they've stayed away in the 1st round. They've taken more NCAA route Canadians in the 1st round, such as Dylan Holloway, Andrew Cogliano.

Not sure if pure coincidence, the old boys club preferring to draft Canadians/CHLers, or them worrying that NCAA route Americans would run out the clock to UFA because they didn't want to play in Canada.

 

[Flynn84]

Ottawa and Russians.

We’ve drafted two Russians in the past 18 years. One in 2020 the other in 2007, both played in the Q.

I guess it's because of Eugene Melnyk, who's of Ukranian descent and never liked Russians much

 

[Antiillafire]

Probably Florida, Dallas, Winnipeg, San Jose, Vancouver have the least Slovaks I believe. Arizona/utah too.

 

[OKR]

Tampa doesn't draft many Swedes

3 in the last 10 years, so it’s not like they actively avoid them either.

 

[Bounces R Way]

For the longest time Oleg Saprykin was the only Russian player the Flames had play for them since the turn of the millenium. Didn't draft many either, although I think there were a few over the years.

Conroy has appeared to have ended that moratorium.

 

[ViD]

I guess it's because of Eugene Melnyk, who's of Ukranian descent and never liked Russians much

Was he involved with Yashin though ?

 

[SI90]

Cambodians because theyre never any good at hockey.

 

[JabbaJabba]

They don't draft Finns in Anaheim. Last year they took a guy from Norway, even drafted a goalie from Italy a while ago, but no one from Finland. Ironically they traded away their only Finnish player during Finland's last independence day.

 

[Kingpin794]

Not a country entirely but the Red Wings under Yzerman have basically given up on using the CHL in any meaningful way outside of Danielson.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

The Flyers didn't draft a single Finn between 2006 (Joonas Lehtivuori) and 2021 (Samu Tuomaala)