Where do NHL Players Come From?

Where do NHL players come from? It's a question we all know the short answer to: it's Canada, eh? Hockey has a long, rich history in Canada - it's part of its identity, part of every child's after-school activities, and even shares a proud place on its five dollar bill. Canada has produced some of the greatest hockey players of all time, some of the most storied franchise rilvaries, and to this day still maintains the winningest franchise in NHL history. Ontario and Quebec, home of the two oldest NHL franchises, have produced the largest amount of NHL players.

Canada's Dominance in the NHL has been in Decline Since the Expansion Era

As the NHL grows, with new teams, new fan bases, and a wealth of new talent, the league is undergoing a shift in power. While the number of Canadians in the NHL continues to rise, their dominance in terms of percentage of total players, is on the decline. The Expansion Era brought not only new franchises to the leagues, but generations of new players from accross the globe. While Canadians once made up over 90% of players in the NHL, they now make up just slightly more than half the league.

The States that have had NHL Teams since the Original Six Era have Produced the Highest Number of NHL Players from the US, with One Exception: Minnesota

Despite the league having 23 US based teams (to Canada's seven), Americans have been slow to occupy a significant stake in the NHL player base. The states with the original six NHL teams (Michigan, New York, Massachussets, and Illinois) have all produced a high number of NHL players over time. Surprinsingly, Minnesota, a state that did not get a team until the NHL expansion in 1967, with the Minnesota North Stars, has produced more NHL players than any other state.

The Expansion Era Brought Players from Across the Globe to the NHL

The percentage of NHL players born outside of North America began slowly climbing during the Expansion Era, and has seen a steep increase since the NHL's modern era (1992-today). Sweden, considered by many to be one of the top hockey countries, has produced more NHL players than any other country outside of North America.

The first NHL games were played on December 19, 1917. The league at that time was composed entirely of Canadian teams: the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators, the Quebec Bulldogs, and the Toronto Arenas. The NHL didn't expand into the US until 1924, with the addition of the Boston Bruins. From its birth in 1917, to its expansion in 1967, to its post-modern era today, the NHL has undergone considerable changes. A domination of US teams, and a flood of talented players from overseas reveals a shift in Canada's dominance within the league. While it's clear that the NHL, and hockey as a whole, is no longer just a Canadian past-time, the traditions and the history of the game will always be held by Canadiens.