SHL Nationality Breakdown
Until the early 1990s the SHL was predominantly played with domestic players as over 90% of players came from Sweden. During the 1990s, however, the proportion of foreign players in the league gradually increased, and has stabilized at between 20-30 percent in the 2000s.
Canadian players have always had a strong presence in the SHL. The first Canadian players appeared already in the inaugiral 1975-1976 season, when brothers Morris and Darwin Mott, along with Milton Black and Kevin O’Shea, played for Swedish clubs. All four players had played at either NHL or WHA earlier in their careers.
The chart below shows the relative proportions of different nationalities in the SHL from the 1975-1976 season onwards. The data used in the chart can be found on the nationality totals pages.
Sweden
Regular Season
Swedish SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Swedish SHL playersSeason records for Swedish SHL playersPlayoffs
Swedish SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Swedish SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Swedish SHL players - playoffs
Finland
Regular Season
Finnish SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Finnish SHL playersSeason records for Finnish SHL playersPlayoffs
Finnish SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Finnish SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Finnish SHL players - playoffs
Canada
Regular Season
Canadian SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Canadian SHL playersSeason records for Canadian SHL playersPlayoffs
Canadian SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Canadian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Canadian SHL players - playoffs
United States
Regular Season
American SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for American SHL playersSeason records for American SHL playersPlayoffs
American SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for American SHL players - playoffsSeason records for American SHL players - playoffs
Norway
Regular Season
Norwegian SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Norwegian SHL playersSeason records for Norwegian SHL playersPlayoffs
Norwegian SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Norwegian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Norwegian SHL players - playoffs
Czech Republic
Regular Season
Czech SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Czech SHL playersSeason records for Czech SHL playersPlayoffs
Czech SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Czech SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Czech SHL players - playoffs
Denmark
Regular Season
Danish SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Danish SHL playersSeason records for Danish SHL playersPlayoffs
Danish SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Danish SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Danish SHL players - playoffs
Slovakia
Regular Season
Slovak SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Slovak SHL playersSeason records for Slovak SHL playersPlayoffs
Slovak SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Slovak SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Slovak SHL players - playoffs
Russia
Regular Season
Russian SHL players - 2021-2022 leadersAll-time records for Russian SHL playersSeason records for Russian SHL playersPlayoffs
Russian SHL players - 2015 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Russian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Russian SHL players - playoffs
Latvia
Regular Season
Latvian SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Latvian SHL playersSeason records for Latvian SHL playersPlayoffs
Latvian SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Latvian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Latvian SHL players - playoffs
Austria
Regular Season
Austrian SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Austrian SHL playersSeason records for Austrian SHL playersPlayoffs
Austrian SHL players - 2023 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Austrian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Austrian SHL players - playoffs
Switzerland
Regular Season
Swiss SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Swiss SHL playersSeason records for Swiss SHL playersPlayoffs
Swiss SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Swiss SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Swiss SHL players - playoffs
Germany
Regular Season
German SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for German SHL playersSeason records for German SHL playersPlayoffs
German SHL players - 2023 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for German SHL players - playoffsSeason records for German SHL players - playoffs
Slovenia
Regular Season
Slovenian SHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Slovenian SHL playersSeason records for Slovenian SHL playersPlayoffs
Slovenian SHL players - 2023 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Slovenian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Slovenian SHL players - playoffs
Hungary
Regular Season
Hungarian SHL players - 2023-2024 leadersAll-time records for Hungarian SHL playersSeason records for Hungarian SHL playersPlayoffs
Hungarian SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Hungarian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Hungarian SHL players - playoffs
France
Regular Season
French SHL players - 2019-2020 leadersAll-time records for French SHL playersSeason records for French SHL playersPlayoffs
French SHL players - 2014 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for French SHL players - playoffsSeason records for French SHL players - playoffs
Italy
Regular Season
Italian SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Italian SHL playersSeason records for Italian SHL playersPlayoffs
Italian SHL players - 2006 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Italian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Italian SHL players - playoffs
Lithuania
Regular Season
Lithuanian SHL players - 2024-2025 leadersAll-time records for Lithuanian SHL playersSeason records for Lithuanian SHL playersPlayoffs
Lithuanian SHL players - 2024 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Lithuanian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Lithuanian SHL players - playoffs
Belarus
Regular Season
Belarussian SHL players - 2016-2017 leadersAll-time records for Belarussian SHL playersSeason records for Belarussian SHL playersPlayoffs
Belarussian SHL players - 2017 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Belarussian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Belarussian SHL players - playoffs
Estonia
Regular Season
Estonian SHL players - 2003-2004 leadersAll-time records for Estonian SHL playersSeason records for Estonian SHL playersPlayoffs
Estonian SHL players - 2002 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Estonian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Estonian SHL players - playoffs
Poland
Regular Season
Polish SHL players - 2004-2005 leadersAll-time records for Polish SHL playersSeason records for Polish SHL playersPlayoffs
Polish SHL players - 2005 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Polish SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Polish SHL players - playoffs
Croatia
Regular Season
Croatian SHL players - 2020-2021 leadersAll-time records for Croatian SHL playersSeason records for Croatian SHL playersPlayoffs
Croatian SHL players - 2021 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for Croatian SHL players - playoffsSeason records for Croatian SHL players - playoffs
United Kingdom
Regular Season
British SHL players - 2001-2002 leadersAll-time records for British SHL playersSeason records for British SHL playersPlayoffs
British SHL players - 2002 leaders - playoffsAll-time records for British SHL players - playoffsSeason records for British SHL players - playoffs
Ukraine
Regular Season
Ukrainian SHL players - 1999-2000 leadersAll-time records for Ukrainian SHL playersSeason records for Ukrainian SHL players
Thailand
Regular Season
Thai SHL players - 2004-2005 leadersAll-time records for Thai SHL playersSeason records for Thai SHL players