NHL Players

What percentage of NHL players are from Canada?

By Swikriti Kandel / 8 June 2023 05:23 AM

Arber Xhekaj Is 22 Years Old And Is Associated With Montreal Canadiens
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42.1% of NHL players are from Canada. There are 445 active Canadian players in the 32 different teams of the National Hockey League.

Canada is the pioneer of modern hockey. As the one to begin the professional indoor game, they have a dominating number of players in the league.

The county has dominated in the percentage of all-time ice hockey athletes as well. 64.4% which is 5414 players who have participated in NHL so far hails from Canada.

Ice hockey is one of the two national games of the country, the other one being lacrosse. Among them, ice hockey has become a religion in the country.

Countries like the USA, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and other Scandinavian countries also have players in the National Hockey League. However, they share a significant gap with Canada. 

Percentage Of NHL Players From Canada By Province

Ontario is the Canadian province with the highest percentage of NHL players. 44% of the players representing Canada hail from this province.

191 players in the professional league were born in Ontario. Quebec has followed it on the list with 15.2% of athletes currently playing in the league.

Some other provinces along with the percentage of players for the current season are as follows:

  • British Columbia: 11.5%
  • Alberta: 12.9%
  • Manitoba: 6.0%
  • Saskatchewan: 6.0%
  • Nova Scotia: 2.3% 

Alberta

NHL players from Alberta have 12.9% out of 42.7% of Canadian players in the league. Brayden Point, Taylor Hall, and Cale Makar can not be missed.

Other National Hockey League athletes who were born in the province of Alberta are as follows:

  • Jake DeBrusk
  • Nick Holden 
  • Tyson Jost
  • Matthew Benning
  • William Nylander
  • Brendan Gallagher
  • Jared Spurgeon
  • Josh Morrissey
  • Colton Parayko
  • Kirby Dach
  • Sam Steel
  • Brett Kulak
  • Carson Soucy
  • Nicolas Aube-Kubel
  • Noah Gregor
  • Peyton Krebs
  • Ty Smith
  • Jake Bean
  • Austin Wagner
  • Joshua Mahura
  • Taylor Fedun
  • Alexander Nylander
  • Jacob Middleton
  • Jaret Anderson-Dolan
  • Taro Hirose
  • Kaiden Guhle
  • Parker Kelly
  • Ian Mitchell
  • Jake Neighbours
  • Eric Comrie
  • Tyler Benson

Manitoba

NHL players from Manitoba make up 6.0% of Canadian players associated with the league. Max Domi, Seth Jarvis, and Mark Stone are the reputed ones.

More players of the league who hail from Manitoba are as follows:

  • Cody Glass
  • Jordan Martinook
  • Damon Severson
  • Jonathan Toews
  • Calen Addison
  • Morgan Geekie
  • Ryan Pulock
  • Travis Sanheim
  • Travis Hamonic
  • Keegan Kolesar
  • Connor Dewar
  • Wade Allison
  • Ryan Reaves
  • Brett Howden
  • Joel Edmundson
  • Zach Whitecloud
  • Michael Stone
  • Nick Cicek
  • Byron Froese
  • Dylan McIIrath
  • Joel Hofer
  • Darren Helm
  • James Reimer

Ontario

NHL players from Ontario include Connor McDavid, Mitchell Marner, and Steven Stamkos. The province supplies the highest number of athletes from Canada.

Other Ontario athletes who have made a place in the league are listed below:

  • Zach Hyman
  • Jeff Skinner
  • John Tavares
  • Claude Giroux
  • Dougie Hamilton
  • Carter Verhaeghe
  • Jordan Kyrou
  • Tyler Toffoli
  • Brandon Montour
  • Jared McCann
  • Bo Horvat
  • Mark Scheifele
  • Logan Couture
  • Nicholas Suzuki
  • Dylan Strome
  • Robert Thomas
  • Vince Dunn
  • Travis Konecny
  • Brent Burns 
  • Reilly Smith
  • Nazem Kadri
  • Matt Duchene
  • Alex Pietrangelo
  • Drew Doughty
  • Tyler Seguin
  • Owen Tippett
  • Michael Bunting
  • Cam Fowler
  • Morgan Frost
  • Boone Jenner

New Brunswick

NHL players from New Brunswick cover 0.7% percent of athletes in the league. Philippe Myers, Jake Allen, and Brad Malone hail from the state.

Philippe is a defenseman contracted by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is currently playing for the team's minor affiliated Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.

Jake is a goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. He won the 2019 playoff trophy with the team St. Louis Blues that booked him in the 2008 NHL Draft.

Kris Letang Serves As An Alternate Captain Of The Pittsburgh Penguins
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Brad is a forward player associated with the Edmonton Oilers. By 2023, he has appeared in 217 regular season games and 8 playoff matches.

Former league players who were from New Brunswick are as follows:

  • Danny Grant
  • Greg Malone
  • Gordie Drillon
  • Hilliard Graves
  • Eddie Wiseman
  • Don Sweeney
  • Joe Lamb
  • Buster Harvey
  • Scott Pellerin
  • George Allen
  • Mike Eagles
  • Forbes Kennedy
  • Randy Jones
  • Bob Joyce
  • Dick Gamble
  • Charles Bourgeois
  • Yvon Vantour
  • Everett Sanipass
  • Rick Bowness
  • Billy Stuart
  • John Leblanc

Nova Scotia

NHL players from Nova Scotia make up 2.3% of the league. Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, and Brad Marchand are some well-known athletes.

Other players who come from the land of Nova Scotia are as follows:

  • Alex Killorn
  • Ryan Graves
  • Morgan Barron
  • Justin Barron
  • Liam O'Brien
  • Shane Bowers
  • Matthew Highmore

Former athletes from the state who participated in the league are listed below:

  • Al MacInnis
  • Bobby Smith
  • Glen Murray
  • Mike McPhee
  • Lowell MacDonald
  • Doug Sulliman
  • Parker MacDonald
  • Flash Hollett
  • Tony Currie
  • Jon Sim
  • Norm Ferguson

Calgary

NHL players from Calgary are Taylor Hall, Brayden Point, and William Nylander. Garry Unger and Troy Murray are former athletes from the city of Alberta.

Some of the former players who competed in the league from the city are as follows:

  • Bill Gadsby
  • Ron Stewart
  • Mike Rogers
  • Mike Green
  • Paul Thompson
  • Herbie Lewis
  • Rob Dimaio
  • Shaun Van Allen
  • Wes Walz
  • Pat Hughes
  • Mason Raymond
  • Baldy Northcott
  • Patrick Eaves 
  • Braydon Coburn
  • Bob Bassen
  • Brent Sopel

Montreal

NHL players from Montreal include Kristopher Letang, Joseph Veleno, and Alex Chiasson. There are only 6 active players from the city in the league.

Other active athletes who represent Montreal in the league are:

  • Marc-Edouard Vlasic
  • Michael Matheson
  • Marco Scandella

Former players from Montreal who competed in the National Hockey League are:

  • Mario Lemieux
  • Ray Bourque
  • Luc Robitaille
  • Vincent Damphousse
  • Mike Bossy
  • Henri Richard
  • Rod Gilbert
  • Scott Mellanby

What NHL Team Has The Most Canadian Players?

NHL team Montreal Canadiens has the most Canadian players. Out of 29 players on the roster, 21 hail from Canada.

Vegas Golden Knights have the second-highest number of Canadian athletes. 20 athletes out of 28 hail from the country where professional ice hockey originated.

Established in 1909, the Canadiens is the oldest team of the franchise. It has harbored more athletes from Canada than any other team associated with the league.

Alex Chaisson Secured His First NHL Goal On 5 April 2013 Against Anaheim Ducks
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The club also has players from the USA and other Nordic countries to maintain diversity. Moreover, the general manager, head coach, and captain of the team are Canadian.

Montreal players who hail from Canada are as follows:

  • Josh Anderson
  • Alex Belzile
  • Kirby Dach
  • Jonathan Drouin
  • Jake Evans
  • Brendan Gallagher
  • Mike Hoffman
  • Sean Monahan
  • Michael Pezzetta
  • Rem Pitlick
  • Nick Suzuki
  • Chris Tierney
  • Justin Barron
  • Joel Edmundson
  • Kaiden Guhle
  • Jonathan Kovacevic
  • Mike Matheson
  • David Savard
  • Arber Xhejak
  • Jake Allen
  • Sam Montembeault

Canadian NHL Players On Hockey Hall of Fame

Canadian NHL Players on Hockey Hall of Fame include Charlie Gardiner, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Malone, Art Ross, and Lester Patrick.

Howie Morenz, Eddie Gerard, Tommy Phillips and a few others were the first inductees. Though it was founded in 1943, the NHL players were inducted only in 1945.

Other athletes from Canada who competed in the National Hockey League and were inducted into the HHF are as follows:

From 1945 to 1960

Eddie Gerard, Howie Morenz, and Georges Vezina are a few athletes who got inducted between 1945 to 1960. King Clancy is also named to the list.

Francis Michael Clancy aka King Clancy competed in 16 seasons of the league. He represented Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs in his playing career.

Following his retirement, Francis served as a coach and a referee. Due to his impeccable leadership qualities, the King Clancy Memorial trophy was named in his honor.

Other players who made it to the HHF in a similar timeframe are as follows:

  • Dit Clapper
  • Aurele Joliat
  • Frank Nighbor
  • Eddie Shore
  • Newsy Lalonde
  • Bill Cook
  • Nels Stewart
  • Frank Boucher
  • Sprague Cleghorn
  • Alec Connell
  • Red Dutton
  • Frank Fredrickson
  • Herb Gardiner
  • George Hay
  • Dick Irvin
  • Ching Johnson
  • Duke Keats
  • Hughie Lehman
  • Jack Adams
  • Cy Denneny
  • Tiny Thompson
  • Buck Boucher
  • Sylvio Mantha
  • Jack Walker

From 1960 to 1970

Maurice Richard, Joe Hall, and Syl Apps were inducted into the HHF in the 1960s. Bill Mosienko received the same memorial in 1965.

Legendary athlete Bill was a right winger and he played for Chicago Black Hawks throughout his career. He competed in 710 regular season games and 22 playoff ones.

Mosienko's record for the fastest hat trick in 21 seconds is still standing. Besides HHF, he was named to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum back in 1980.

Some other players who reached the list between 1960 to 1970 are:

  • Charlie Conacher
  • Hap Day
  • George Hainsworth
  • Milt Schmidt
  • Punch Broadbent
  • Harry Hyland
  • Reg Noble
  • Sweeney Schriner
  • Harry Cameron
  • Rusty Crawford
  • Jack Darragh
  • Ebbie Goodfellow
  • Shorty Green
  • Jack Laviolette
  • Didier Pitre
  • Joe Primeau
  • Earl Seibert
  • Bullet Joe Simpson
  • Barney Stanley
  • Doug Bentley
  • Bill Durnan
  • Babe Siebert
  • Black Jack Stewart
  • Marty Barry
  • Clint Benedict
  • Red Horner
  • Syd Howe
  • Max Bentley
  • Toe Blake
  • Emile Bouchard
  • Ted Kennedy
  • Elmer Lach
  • Ted Lindsay
  • Babe Pratt
  • Ken Reardon
  • Turk Broda
  • Neil Colville
  • Harry Oliver
  • Bill Cowley
  • Sid Abel
  • Bryan Hextall
  • Red Kelly
  • Roy Worters
  • Babe Dye
  • Bill Gadsby
  • Tom Johnson

From 1970 to 1980

Cooney Weiland, Jean Beliveau, and Tim Horton were placed in the HHF during this time period. Tim was named to the memorial in 1977.

Horton was an ice hockey defenseman as well as a businessman. He played 1,446 regular season and 126 playoff games in 25 seasons.

Tim passed away in a single-vehicle crash on 21 February 1974. He was inducted into the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame in 1982. Likewise, his number 2 jersey was retired by the team in 1996.

Other players who made it to the list between 1970 and 1980 are:

  • Bernie Geoffrion
  • Busher Jackson
  • Terry Swachuk
  • Hap Holmes
  • Gordie Howe
  • Hooley Smith
  • Doug Harvey
  • Chuck Rayner
  • Tommy Smith
  • Billy Burch
  • Art Coulter
  • Dickie Moore
  • George Armstrong
  • Ace Bailey
  • Gordie Drillon
  • Glenn Hall
  • Pierre Pilote
  • Johnny Bower
  • Bill Quackenbush
  • Alex Delvecchio
  • Andy Bathgate
  • Jacques Plante
  • Marcel Pronovost
  • Harry Howell
  • Bobby Orr
  • Henri Richard
  • Harry Lumley
  • Lynn Patrick
  • Gump Worsley

From 1980 to 1990

The players who secured a place in HHF from 1980 to 1990 are Johnny Bucyk and Frank Mahoclich. Darryl Sittler is another name not to miss.

Sittler is a former center who represented Maple Leafs, Red Wings, and Flyers. He competed for 16 seasons and retired in 1985.

Besides HHF, Darryl was elected to the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2016. He is one of the greatest players in NHL history.

 Other athletes who achieved the Hockey Hall of Fame are:

  • Yvan Cournoyer
  • Rod Gilbert
  • Norm Ullman
  • Bobby Hull
  • Stan Mikita
  • Phil Esposito
  • Jacques Lemaire
  • Bernie Parent
  • Gerry Cheevers
  • Bert Olmstead
  • Jean Ratelle
  • Leo Boivin
  • Dave Keon
  • Serge Savard
  • Bobby Clarke
  • Eddie Giacomin
  • Jacques Laperriere
  • Tony Esposito
  • Guy Lafleur
  • Buddy O'Connor
  • Brad Park
  • Herbis Lewis
  • Darryl Sittler
  • Bill Barber
  • Fernie Flaman
  • Gilbert Perreault

From 1990 To 2000

Denis, Potvin, Mike Bossy, and Bob Pulford are a few athletes who got HHF from 1990 to 2000. Bossy was elected for the memorial in 1991.

Mike played on behalf of the New York Islanders throughout his NHL career spanning 10 years. He won 4 consecutive Stanley Cups with the team.

Bossy worked as a sportscaster, analyst, and salesperson following his retirement. Moreover, he shares the record for most hat tricks in a row with other athletes.

The athletes who were inducted into HHF from 1990 to 2000 are as follows:

  • Denis Potvin
  • Bob Pulford
  • Clint Smith
  • Marcel Dionne
  • Woody Dumart
  • Bob Gainey
  • Lanny McDonald
  • Guy Lapointe
  • Edgar Laprade
  • Steve Shutt
  • Billy Smith
  • Lionel Conacher
  • Harry P. Watson
  • Bun Cook
  • Larry Robinson
  • Bobby Bauer
  • Mario Lemieux
  • Bryan Trottier
  • Roy Conacher
  • Michel Goulet
  • Wayne Gretzky
  • Denis Savard

From 2000 To 2010

Mike Gartner, Sale Hawerchuk, and Paul Coffey were inducted into the HHF between 2000 to 2010. Paul was elected for the memorial in 2004.

Coffey is renowned for his fabulous defense job. He spent more than 21 seasons in the league representing 9 outstanding ice hockey teams.

Paul ended his playing career in 2001 and coached Toronto Marlboros. He is currently the co-owner of the Pickering Panthers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League(OJHL).

 Some athletes who were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside them are:

  • Clark Gillies
  • Grant Fuhr
  • Ray Bourque
  • Bernie Federko
  • Larry Murphy
  • Cam Neely
  • Dick Duff
  • Patrick Roy
  • Ron Francis
  • Al MacInnis
  • Mark Messier
  • Scott Stevens
  • Glenn Anderson
  • Brett Hull
  • Luc Robitaille
  • Steve Yzerman
  • Dino Ciccarelli

From 2010 Onwards

Ed Belfour and Doug Gilmour were chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in the early 2010s. Roberto Luongo is a recent addition to the list.

Luongo is a retired goaltender who played for 19 seasons in the league. He ranks 11th in the highest save percentage throughout a career with .919.

Roberto shares the record with Andrei Vasilevskiy, Roman Cechmanek, Linus Ullmark, and Juuse Saros. He served as an assistant GM for Hockey Canada post-retirement.

Athletes who have been inducted from 2010 onwards are:

  • Adam Gates
  • Joe Sakic
  • Joe Nieuwendyk
  • Scott Neidermayer
  • Martin Brodeur
  • Brandan Shanahan
  • Rob Blake
  • Chris Pronger
  • Eric Lindros
  • Rogie Vachon
  • Dave Andreychuk
  • Paul Kariya
  • Mark Recchi
  • Martin St. Louis
  • Guy Carbonneau
  • Jarome Iginla
  • Kevin Lowe
  • Doug Wilson

Best and Top Canadian NHL Ice Hockey Players

Best and Top Canadian NHL Ice Hockey Players of all time are Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Tim Horton, and seven others.

1. Wayne Gretzky1978-1999
2. Mario Lemieux1984 - 2006
3. Tim Horton1949 - 1974
4. Jonathan Toews2007 - Present
5. Martin Brodeur1991 - 2015
6. Bobby Hull1957 - 1980
7. Brett Hull1986 - 2005
8. Sidney Crosby2005 - Present
9. Maurice Richard1942 - 1960
10. Guy Lafleur1971 - 1985 and 1988 - 1991

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