List of countries with their first NHL player

The globalization of the National Hockey League has been occurring since its inception. The early years saw a largely Canadian league, with some Americans playing. As the league progressed it experienced an influx of European players, at first from Western European countries such as Sweden. After the fall of Communism, players from Eastern European countries, such as the former Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union, joined the league. The NHL eventually saw fewer European players, but more players from Canada and the United States. Today the NHL has players from five continents. The following is a list of countries and the first person born there that played in the National Hockey League. These players are not necessarily the first citizen of each respective country to play in the NHL, as nationality is determined under a nation's nationality law and may differ. Additionally, some countries have had citizens play in the NHL, but have never had a native-born player reach the league.

Most statistical sources in the sport follow the convention of the Hockey Hall of Fame in classifying players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located.

Current countries

Country	Name	Debut year
	Jordan Spence	2021–22
	Reinhard Divis	2001–02
	Andre Deveaux	2008–09
	John Miszuk	1963–64
	Jan Benda	1997–98
	Alexandar Georgiev	2017–18
	Mike Greenlay	1989–90
	Craig Adams	2000–01
	Multiple: all but one participant of the first NHL game were Canadian born	1917–18
	Goran Bezina	2003–04
	Jaroslav Jirik	1969–70
	Poul Popiel	1965–66
	Leo Komarov	2012–13
	Albert Pudas	1926–27
	Andre Peloffy	1974–75
	Walt Tkaczuk
	Claude Vilgrain	1987–88
	Richie Regehr	2005–06
	Jack Riley	1932–33
	Nelson DeBenedet	1973–74
	Graeme Townshend	1989–90
	Yutaka Fukufuji	2006–07
	Konstantin Shafranov	1996–97
	Charlie Cotch	1924–25
	Ed Hatoum	1968–69
	Darius Kasparaitis	1992–93
	Ed Kea	1973–74
	Rumun Ndur	1996–97
	Bill Johansen	1949–50
	Willi Plett	1975–76
	Joe Jerwa	1930–31
	Rod Langway	1978–79
	Alexey Marchenko	2013–14
	Stan Smrke	1956–57
	Stan Mikita	1958–59
	Anze Kopitar	2006–07
	Olaf Kolzig	1989–90
	Jim Paek	1990–91
	Gus Forslund	1932–33
	Mark Hardy	1979–80
	Chris Nielsen	2000–01
	Joe Hall	1917–18
	George Geran	1917–18
	Vic Hoffinger	1927–28
	Rick Chartraw	1974–75
	Arthur Kaliyev	2020–21

Former countries

Country	Name	Debut year
	Anton Stastny Peter Stastny	1980–81
	Udo Kiessling	1981–82
	Alex Faulkner	1961–62
	Charlie Cotch	1924–25
	Stan Mikita	1958–59
	John Miszuk	1963–64
	Willie Huber	1978–79
	Stan Smrke	1956–57
	Ivan Boldirev

"Definitely multiple problems. First, many players on this list actually were born to parents from Ice Hockey nations, and many of these are not actually citizens of these countries. Second, the issue of on whether country of birth or the national team a player intends to play for determines what ..." Read more

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Original research, WP:SYNTH

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List of countries with their first NHL player

Current countries

Former countries

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