The National Hockey League (NHL) consists of nearly 20 different nationalities with more than 40% of players being Canadian. But the nationalities of the NHL consist of more than just Canadians. According to data, players with a United States origin made up 29.1% of all NHL players from 2022-2023.
In 2022-2023, Sweden was the third biggest nationality group represented in the NHL, which made up roughly 10% of all players. This was followed by Russians who accounted for 5.1%.
As it stands, nationalities that represent 1% or less of the NHL include the following:
- Australians
- Austrians
- Dutch
- French
- Belarusians
- Norwegians
- Latvians
- Slovenians
- Slovakians
- Danish
Unsurprisingly, Canada continues to hold the top position in the NHL when it comes to the representation of its players. Nevertheless, Canada’s lead is gradually diminishing. Out of the 707 players on season-opening rosters, 295 (41.7%), hail from Canada. However, around seven and a half years ago, this figure was approximately 50%, and back in the 1980s, it exceeded 75%.
It’s important to remember that the NHL in the 1970s was composed of nearly 100% Canadian-born players. So, evidently, the game and league are no longer exclusive to Canada; it now belongs to everyone.
Canadian Representation of the NHL
Of course, of the 41.7% of Canadian players, some still dominate the league and represent the country well. For example, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche enter the 2023-2024 NHL season as the highest-rated Canadian players.
Also to grace the list are Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche and superstar Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Mitchell Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs round out the top six highest-rated Canadian players, respectively.
American Representation of the NHL
The United States players represent nearly one-third of the NHL. Hockey’s popularity in the United States has reached unprecedented levels, evident not only through the growing number of NHL players but also by the success of its international teams. Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, is highly regarded as one of the best goal-scorers in the world and is rated among the top Americans in the game.
Until his recent injury, Adam Fox of the New York Rangers was regarded as a player in his prime and considered one of the best defensemen in the NHL, alongside his teammate Chris Kreider, who had a breakout year during the 2021-2022 season. Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames and Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins round out the top seven highest-rated American NHL players.
Sweden’s Representation of the NHL
Back in the 1932-1933 season, Gus Forslund was the first Swedish player to ever play in the NHL. Nearly 40 years later, Thommie Bergman of the Detroit Red Wings kick-started an excellent career. To this day, his legacy precedes him as one of the best defensemen in the country during his eight years in the league.
Notable Swedish players currently in the NHL consist of guys like Henrik Lundqvist, who enters the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2023. Others such as the Avalanche’s Gabriel Landeskog, Washington Capitals’ Niklas Bäckström, and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning are all high-skill players continuing to build their legacy.
Russian Representation of the NHL
The undeniable talent of Russian players is evidenced by standout folk like Nikita Kucherov during the 2019-2020 NHL season. He put on a dazzling display of scoring and helped his Tampa Bay Lightning secure their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
We’d be remiss to go without mentioning one of the greatest goal-scorers in the history of the NHL. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has a chance to finish his career with the most goals scored in the history of the illustrious league.
Other Countries Standout Representation of the NHL
Even with contributing less than 1% of the NHL’s ethnic makeup, there are still more than a handful of star-studded players who impact the game and improve the product immensely. Jordan Spence of Australia, the Los Angeles Kings standout, has been one of the better playmakers on the team as he’s responsible for 79 assists over a two-season timeframe.
Bulgaria’s own Alexander Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche – similar to Spence because they’re the only players from their country in the NHL – also has made his mark in the league. Georgiev became one of just three goaltenders to start more than half of his team’s games during the 2022-2023 NHL season.
