the first Chinese blood player, well, hes chinese Canadian, but Drafted by Colorado, Gordon Yip.
His name's Brandon though.
Also, Akim Aliu was born in Nigeria.
the first Chinese blood player, well, hes chinese Canadian, but Drafted by Colorado, Gordon Yip.
If i'm not mistaken Fukufuji is the only Asian born player who is nearing the top level, but for potential future players looking into Asian League Ice Hockey. Development has taken a major step forward in Asia, but is still well below Europe and North American development.
For "Asian" players you are better off look at Asian-Canadian and Asian-American players.
-Norway
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (NHL Columbus), Patrick Thoresen (NHL Edmonton)
-Denmark
Jannik Hansen (AHL Vancouver), Kim Staal (AHL Nashville), Frans Nielsen (AHL NY Islanders).
Morton Madsen (QMJHL Minnesota), Kiril Starkov (WHL Columbus)
Peter Regin (SEL? Ottawa)
A fewl of other 2007 draft prospects in the U-20 Sweden, Lars Eller, Mads Bodker, etc.
-Austria
Vanek (NHL Buffalo), Pock (NHL New York)
Grabner (WHL Vancouver), Nodl (NCAA Philly)
-Slovenia
Anze Kopitar (NHL LA)
Jan Mursak (OHL Detroit)
Gasper Kopitar (Slovenia)
Latvia
Sandis Ozolins (NHL - Defense - Rangers), Karlis Skrastins (NHL - Defense - Colorado)
Janis Sprukts (NHL - AHL - Centre - Florida)
Martins Karsums (QMJHL - RW - Boston), Oskars Bartulis (QMJHL - Defense - Philly)
Herbert Vasiljevs (DEL - NHL - AHL)
Lithuania
Dainius Zubrus (NHL - Forward - Washington)
Belarus
Ruslan Salei (FLO NHL)
Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal AHL)
Sergei Kostitsyn (OHL Undrafted?)
Konstantin Koltsov (PIT NHL-RSL)
Ukraine
Ruslan Fedotenko (Tampa Bay NHL), Alexei Ponikarovsky (Toronto NHL).
Kazakstan
Nik Antropov (NHL - TOR)
Vitaly Kolesnik (NHL - AHL - RSL, Played for Colorado last year as a goalie)
Japan
Yutaka Fukufuji (ECHL - AHL - NHL - LA - Goalie)
-Norway
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (NHL Columbus), Patrick Thoresen (NHL Edmonton)
-Denmark
Jannik Hansen (AHL Vancouver), Kim Staal (AHL Nashville), Frans Nielsen (AHL NY Islanders).
Morton Madsen (QMJHL Minnesota), Kiril Starkov (WHL Columbus)
Peter Regin (SEL? Ottawa)
A fewl of other 2007 draft prospects in the U-20 Sweden, Lars Eller, Mads Bodker, etc.
-Austria
Vanek (NHL Buffalo), Pock (NHL New York)
Grabner (WHL Vancouver), Nodl (NCAA Philly)
-Slovenia
Anze Kopitar (NHL LA)
Jan Mursak (OHL Detroit)
Gasper Kopitar (Slovenia)
Latvia
Sandis Ozolins (NHL - Defense - Rangers), Karlis Skrastins (NHL - Defense - Colorado)
Janis Sprukts (NHL - AHL - Centre - Florida)
Martins Karsums (QMJHL - RW - Boston), Oskars Bartulis (QMJHL - Defense - Philly)
Herbert Vasiljevs (DEL - NHL - AHL)
Lithuania
Dainius Zubrus (NHL - Forward - Washington)
Belarus
Ruslan Salei (FLO NHL)
Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal AHL)
Sergei Kostitsyn (OHL Undrafted?)
Konstantin Koltsov (PIT NHL-RSL)
Ukraine
Ruslan Fedotenko (Tampa Bay NHL), Alexei Ponikarovsky (Toronto NHL).
Kazakstan
Nik Antropov (NHL - TOR)
Vitaly Kolesnik (NHL - AHL - RSL, Played for Colorado last year as a goalie)
Japan
Yutaka Fukufuji (ECHL - AHL - NHL - LA - Goalie)
-Norway
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (NHL Columbus), Patrick Thoresen (NHL Edmonton)
-Denmark
Jannik Hansen (AHL Vancouver), Kim Staal (AHL Nashville), Frans Nielsen (AHL NY Islanders).
Morton Madsen (QMJHL Minnesota), Kiril Starkov (WHL Columbus)
Peter Regin (SEL? Ottawa)
A fewl of other 2007 draft prospects in the U-20 Sweden, Lars Eller, Mads Bodker, etc.
-Austria
Vanek (NHL Buffalo), Pock (NHL New York)
Grabner (WHL Vancouver), Nodl (NCAA Philly)
-Slovenia
Anze Kopitar (NHL LA)
Jan Mursak (OHL Detroit)
Gasper Kopitar (Slovenia)
Latvia
Sandis Ozolins (NHL - Defense - Rangers), Karlis Skrastins (NHL - Defense - Colorado)
Janis Sprukts (NHL - AHL - Centre - Florida)
Martins Karsums (QMJHL - RW - Boston), Oskars Bartulis (QMJHL - Defense - Philly)
Herbert Vasiljevs (DEL - NHL - AHL)
Lithuania
Dainius Zubrus (NHL - Forward - Washington)
Belarus
Ruslan Salei (FLO NHL)
Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal AHL)
Sergei Kostitsyn (OHL Undrafted?)
Konstantin Koltsov (PIT NHL-RSL)
Ukraine
Ruslan Fedotenko (Tampa Bay NHL), Alexei Ponikarovsky (Toronto NHL).
Kazakstan
Nik Antropov (NHL - TOR)
Vitaly Kolesnik (NHL - AHL - RSL, Played for Colorado last year as a goalie)
Japan
Yutaka Fukufuji (ECHL - AHL - NHL - LA - Goalie)
-Norway
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (NHL Columbus), Patrick Thoresen (NHL Edmonton)
-Denmark
Jannik Hansen (AHL Vancouver), Kim Staal (AHL Nashville), Frans Nielsen (AHL NY Islanders).
Morton Madsen (QMJHL Minnesota), Kiril Starkov (WHL Columbus)
Peter Regin (SEL? Ottawa)
A fewl of other 2007 draft prospects in the U-20 Sweden, Lars Eller, Mads Bodker, etc.
-Austria
Vanek (NHL Buffalo), Pock (NHL New York)
Grabner (WHL Vancouver), Nodl (NCAA Philly)
-Slovenia
Anze Kopitar (NHL LA)
Jan Mursak (OHL Detroit)
Gasper Kopitar (Slovenia)
Latvia
Sandis Ozolins (NHL - Defense - Rangers), Karlis Skrastins (NHL - Defense - Colorado)
Janis Sprukts (NHL - AHL - Centre - Florida)
Martins Karsums (QMJHL - RW - Boston), Oskars Bartulis (QMJHL - Defense - Philly)
Herbert Vasiljevs (DEL - NHL - AHL)
Lithuania
Dainius Zubrus (NHL - Forward - Washington)
Belarus
Ruslan Salei (FLO NHL)
Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal AHL)
Sergei Kostitsyn (OHL Undrafted?)
Konstantin Koltsov (PIT NHL-RSL)
Ukraine
Ruslan Fedotenko (Tampa Bay NHL), Alexei Ponikarovsky (Toronto NHL).
Kazakstan
Nik Antropov (NHL - TOR)
Vitaly Kolesnik (NHL - AHL - RSL, Played for Colorado last year as a goalie)
Japan
Yutaka Fukufuji (ECHL - AHL - NHL - LA - Goalie)
richard park is korean...and he's an nhl veteran
Isn't there another Chinese Canadian playing somewhere in the WHL?
Ukraine
Alexei Zhitnik (Philadelphia NHL)(he plays for Russia in world championships...)
Kazakstan
Alexander Perezhogin (Montreal NHL)
The only player that I can think of is Torrie Jung a goalie playing for the Kelowna Rockets(watched them today on Roger's Sportsnet VS the Calgary Hitmen) Other than that I have no clue.
He's still eligible to play for Poland though. (Unless he played for Team Canada once and I missed it)
Isn't Espen Knutsen from Norway?
Danish, not Dutch.
When will there be a good Dutch player?
Well the DEL is a pretty good league and quite some (German) players from there are now playing in the NHL. I'm stunned too the Dutch can't even produce one quality player. Ah well, Yzerman has some Dutch roots, just like some other Canadiens.Probably never unless they send some of their young players to NA like the British have done. All of the young talented British players have been developed over here because their national leagues aren't competitive enough to develop their skills. The Dutch leagues are in a similar state and getting worse.
-Norway
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (NHL Columbus), Patrick Thoresen (NHL Edmonton)
-Denmark
Jannik Hansen (AHL Vancouver), Kim Staal (AHL Nashville), Frans Nielsen (AHL NY Islanders).
Morton Madsen (QMJHL Minnesota), Kiril Starkov (WHL Columbus)
Peter Regin (SEL? Ottawa)
A fewl of other 2007 draft prospects in the U-20 Sweden, Lars Eller, Mads Bodker, etc.
-Austria
Vanek (NHL Buffalo), Pock (NHL New York)
Grabner (WHL Vancouver), Nodl (NCAA Philly)
-Slovenia
Anze Kopitar (NHL LA)
Jan Mursak (OHL Detroit)
Gasper Kopitar (Slovenia)
Latvia
Sandis Ozolins (NHL - Defense - Rangers), Karlis Skrastins (NHL - Defense - Colorado)
Janis Sprukts (NHL - AHL - Centre - Florida)
Martins Karsums (QMJHL - RW - Boston), Oskars Bartulis (QMJHL - Defense - Philly)
Herbert Vasiljevs (DEL - NHL - AHL)
Lithuania
Dainius Zubrus (NHL - Forward - Washington)
Belarus
Ruslan Salei (FLO NHL)
Andrei Kostitsyn (Montreal AHL)
Sergei Kostitsyn (OHL Undrafted?)
Konstantin Koltsov (PIT NHL-RSL)
Ukraine
Ruslan Fedotenko (Tampa Bay NHL), Alexei Ponikarovsky (Toronto NHL).
Kazakstan
Nik Antropov (NHL - TOR)
Vitaly Kolesnik (NHL - AHL - RSL, Played for Colorado last year as a goalie)
Japan
Yutaka Fukufuji (ECHL - AHL - NHL - LA - Goalie)
He's Canadian raised though, so his hockey development has nothing to do with Poland.
If i'm not mistaken Fukufuji is the only Asian born player who is nearing the top level, but for potential future players looking into Asian League Ice Hockey. Development has taken a major step forward in Asia, but is still well below Europe and North American development.
For "Asian" players you are better off look at Asian-Canadian and Asian-American players.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned former Flames goalie Levente Szuper yet.
He's Hungarian, certainly one of the most obscure nations to be represented in the NHL.
thats frightning to think Pushkarev might be the best player from Kazakhstan.
Just curious how many NHLers, or players on the cusp of the NHL, are close to making it, that are from non traditional hockey countries. Are there anymore Japanese, maybe Chinese, or Korean players on the verge of being good players at the pro level. Just asking, because you guys obviously know your own teams system better than me.