NHL Nationality Breakdown
Looking back at over 100 years of NHL history, the league has evolved from having an almost exclusively Canadian player base to a highly diverse league with player nationalities ranging from Canada to Japan.
After the 1960s, the Canadian dominance gradually diminished as players from the Unites States, Sweden and Finland began to find their way to the NHL in greater numbers. By the end of the 1980s, the share of Canadians in the league had dropped to approximately 75%.
Next wave of internationalization began when the collapse of the Eastern Bloc allowed players from the former Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia to compete in the NHL. In 10 years time, the share of Canadians dropped to little over 50%. During the last ten years, player production from United States and Sweden has increased further and the share of Canadians is now closer to 40%.
The chart below shows the relative proportions of different nationalities in the NHL starting from the 1917-1918 season. Season specific data used in the chart can be found on the nationality totals statistics pages.
Canada
Regular Season
Canadian NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Canadian NHL playersSeason records for Canadian NHL playersGame records for Canadian NHL playersPlayoffs
Canadian NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Canadian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Canadian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Canadian NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
Canadian NHL players - last night's leadersCanadian NHL players - last week's leadersCanadian NHL players - last month's leadersUnited States
Regular Season
American NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for American NHL playersSeason records for American NHL playersGame records for American NHL playersPlayoffs
American NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for American NHL players - playoffsSeason records for American NHL players - playoffsGame records for American NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
American NHL players - last night's leadersAmerican NHL players - last week's leadersAmerican NHL players - last month's leadersSweden
Regular Season
Swedish NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Swedish NHL playersSeason records for Swedish NHL playersGame records for Swedish NHL playersPlayoffs
Swedish NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Swedish NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Swedish NHL players - playoffsGame records for Swedish NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
Swedish NHL players - last night's leadersSwedish NHL players - last week's leadersSwedish NHL players - last month's leadersRussia
Regular Season
Russian NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Russian NHL playersSeason records for Russian NHL playersGame records for Russian NHL playersPlayoffs
Russian NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Russian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Russian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Russian NHL players - playoffsCzech Republic
Regular Season
Czech NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Czech NHL playersSeason records for Czech NHL playersGame records for Czech NHL playersPlayoffs
Czech NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Czech NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Czech NHL players - playoffsGame records for Czech NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
Czech NHL players - last night's leadersCzech NHL players - last week's leadersCzech NHL players - last month's leadersFinland
Regular Season
Finnish NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Finnish NHL playersSeason records for Finnish NHL playersGame records for Finnish NHL playersPlayoffs
Finnish NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Finnish NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Finnish NHL players - playoffsGame records for Finnish NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
Finnish NHL players - last night's leadersFinnish NHL players - last week's leadersFinnish NHL players - last month's leadersSlovakia
Regular Season
Slovak NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Slovak NHL playersSeason records for Slovak NHL playersGame records for Slovak NHL playersPlayoffs
Slovak NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Slovak NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Slovak NHL players - playoffsGame records for Slovak NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
Slovak NHL players - last night's leadersSlovak NHL players - last week's leadersSlovak NHL players - last month's leadersGermany
Regular Season
German NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for German NHL playersSeason records for German NHL playersGame records for German NHL playersPlayoffs
German NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for German NHL players - playoffsSeason records for German NHL players - playoffsGame records for German NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
German NHL players - last night's leadersGerman NHL players - last week's leadersGerman NHL players - last month's leadersSwitzerland
Regular Season
Swiss NHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Swiss NHL playersSeason records for Swiss NHL playersGame records for Swiss NHL playersPlayoffs
Swiss NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Swiss NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Swiss NHL players - playoffsGame records for Swiss NHL players - playoffsIntra Season Stats
Swiss NHL players - last night's leadersSwiss NHL players - last week's leadersSwiss NHL players - last month's leadersUnited Kingdom
Regular Season
British NHL players - 1999-2000 leadersAll-time records for British NHL playersSeason records for British NHL playersGame records for British NHL playersPlayoffs
British NHL players - 2000 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for British NHL players - playoffsSeason records for British NHL players - playoffsGame records for British NHL players - playoffsLatvia
Regular Season
Latvian NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Latvian NHL playersSeason records for Latvian NHL playersGame records for Latvian NHL playersPlayoffs
Latvian NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Latvian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Latvian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Latvian NHL players - playoffsDenmark
Regular Season
Danish NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Danish NHL playersSeason records for Danish NHL playersGame records for Danish NHL playersPlayoffs
Danish NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Danish NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Danish NHL players - playoffsGame records for Danish NHL players - playoffsAustria
Regular Season
Austrian NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Austrian NHL playersSeason records for Austrian NHL playersGame records for Austrian NHL playersPlayoffs
Austrian NHL players - 2022 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Austrian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Austrian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Austrian NHL players - playoffsBelarus
Regular Season
Belarussian NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Belarussian NHL playersSeason records for Belarussian NHL playersGame records for Belarussian NHL playersPlayoffs
Belarussian NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Belarussian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Belarussian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Belarussian NHL players - playoffsFrance
Regular Season
French NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for French NHL playersSeason records for French NHL playersGame records for French NHL playersPlayoffs
French NHL players - 2023 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for French NHL players - playoffsSeason records for French NHL players - playoffsGame records for French NHL players - playoffsUkraine
Regular Season
Ukrainian NHL players - 2012-2013 leadersAll-time records for Ukrainian NHL playersSeason records for Ukrainian NHL playersGame records for Ukrainian NHL playersPlayoffs
Ukrainian NHL players - 2012 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Ukrainian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Ukrainian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Ukrainian NHL players - playoffsItaly
Regular Season
Italian NHL players - 2001-2002 leadersAll-time records for Italian NHL playersSeason records for Italian NHL playersGame records for Italian NHL playersPlayoffs
Italian NHL players - 1985 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Italian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Italian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Italian NHL players - playoffsKazakhstan
Regular Season
Kazakh NHL players - 2012-2013 leadersAll-time records for Kazakh NHL playersSeason records for Kazakh NHL playersGame records for Kazakh NHL playersPlayoffs
Kazakh NHL players - 2010 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Kazakh NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Kazakh NHL players - playoffsGame records for Kazakh NHL players - playoffsNorway
Regular Season
Norwegian NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Norwegian NHL playersSeason records for Norwegian NHL playersGame records for Norwegian NHL playersPlayoffs
Norwegian NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Norwegian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Norwegian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Norwegian NHL players - playoffsNetherlands
Regular Season
Dutch NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Dutch NHL playersSeason records for Dutch NHL playersGame records for Dutch NHL playersPlayoffs
Dutch NHL players - 2023 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Dutch NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Dutch NHL players - playoffsGame records for Dutch NHL players - playoffsPoland
Regular Season
Polish NHL players - 2005-2006 leadersAll-time records for Polish NHL playersSeason records for Polish NHL playersGame records for Polish NHL playersPlayoffs
Polish NHL players - 2004 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Polish NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Polish NHL players - playoffsGame records for Polish NHL players - playoffsLithuania
Regular Season
Lithuanian NHL players - 2015-2016 leadersAll-time records for Lithuanian NHL playersSeason records for Lithuanian NHL playersGame records for Lithuanian NHL playersPlayoffs
Lithuanian NHL players - 2016 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Lithuanian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Lithuanian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Lithuanian NHL players - playoffsSlovenia
Regular Season
Slovenian NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Slovenian NHL playersSeason records for Slovenian NHL playersGame records for Slovenian NHL playersPlayoffs
Slovenian NHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Slovenian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Slovenian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Slovenian NHL players - playoffsAustralia
Regular Season
Australian NHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Australian NHL playersSeason records for Australian NHL playersGame records for Australian NHL playersPlayoffs
Australian NHL players - 2022 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Australian NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Australian NHL players - playoffsGame records for Australian NHL players - playoffsCroatia
Regular Season
Croatian NHL players - 2016-2017 leadersAll-time records for Croatian NHL playersSeason records for Croatian NHL playersGame records for Croatian NHL playersSouth Korea
Regular Season
South Korean NHL players - 2011-2012 leadersAll-time records for South Korean NHL playersSeason records for South Korean NHL playersGame records for South Korean NHL playersJamaica
Regular Season
Jamaican NHL players - 1993-1994 leadersAll-time records for Jamaican NHL playersSeason records for Jamaican NHL playersGame records for Jamaican NHL playersHungary
Regular Season
Hungarian NHL players - 2002-2003 leadersAll-time records for Hungarian NHL playersSeason records for Hungarian NHL playersGame records for Hungarian NHL playersIreland
Regular Season
Irish NHL players - 1953-1954 leadersAll-time records for Irish NHL playersSeason records for Irish NHL playersGame records for Irish NHL playersPlayoffs
Irish NHL players - 1953 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Irish NHL players - playoffsSeason records for Irish NHL players - playoffsGame records for Irish NHL players - playoffsJapan
Regular Season
Japanese NHL players - 2006-2007 leadersAll-time records for Japanese NHL playersSeason records for Japanese NHL playersGame records for Japanese NHL players