Hockey’s a global sport, but have you ever wondered just how many NHL players come from America? During the 2019-2020 season, American-born players made up 24.8% of the NHL roster, translating to 157 players.
This places the United States second only to Canada, which boasts 427 players, and ahead of Sweden with 12.
Despite the NHL being predominantly Canadian in its early years, the presence of American players has significantly grown. Surprisingly, this shift occurred even though two-thirds of the NHL teams are based in the U.S. and four of the Original Six franchises are American.
Let’s dive into the story behind these numbers and explore how American players have risen to prominence in the NHL.