"Most International" NHL roster?

[The Panther]

There are different ways you could interpret the thread title (one simply being most nationalities represented), but I was noticing that last season's (2022-23) San Jose Sharks had an impressively internationally diverse and internationally balanced line-up. Just going by Hockey Ref.'s birth countries:

14 x Canada
11 x USA
6 x Sweden
4 x Czech Republic
4 x Russia
2 x Finland
1 x Swizerland
1 x Germany
1 x UK (but he grew up in Canada as a Canadian)

________

So, that's 9 countries represented in the line-up, including all the "main" ones. Toss in a Swiss, a German, and even a UK (birth)!

Which teams have been equally or more diverse in balance and/or in countries represented?

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[Yozhik v tumane]

Interesting question. My first thoughts are about teams with relatively few Canadians or many Swedes for example, but I’m not as sure on teams with many nationalities represented.

The Red Wings springs to mind. Going by Eliteprospects, the current iteration only features 6 Canadian players. There’s a lot of Americans on the team though, a German, couple of Swedes and Finns, and Daniel Sprong. The current Canucks seem like a candidate for the least Canadian NHL team ever. Seven nationalities represented, Houston born Tyler Myers and Phil Di Giuseppe with 23 and 10 points respectively the highest scoring Canadian nationals.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

I count 10 different nationalities on the 1999-00 Penguins:

13 Canadians
7 Czechs
6 Americans
3 Russians
2 Swedes
1 Finn (Laukkanen)
1 German (Butenschön)
1 Latvian (Skudra)
1 Lithuanian (Kasparaitis)
1 Slovak (Döme)

 

[decma]

I believe there are only seven nationalities on this year's Canucks (Canadian, American, Swedish, Czech, Russian, Latvian, and Swiss), but they are notable for having so few Canadian-born players on the roster. Only Di Giuseppe, Soucy and Juulsen get regular playing time (Myers was born in Houston).

They have only had 11 goals scored by Canadian-born players (DiGiuseppe 5, Beauvillier 2, Soucy 2, Juulsen 1, and Studnicka 1).

Beauvillier and Studnicka are no longer with the franchise and Juulsen will likely be back to the press box once Myers returns from injury (likely very soon), so I can't see that number rising much by the end of the season.

Has a team ever had to few goals scored by Canadian-born players? (or by Canadian nationals because even counting Myers I doubt the total gets to 20).

 

[JianYang]

I count 10 different nationalities on the 1999-00 Penguins:

13 Canadians
7 Czechs
6 Americans
3 Russians
2 Swedes
1 Finn (Laukkanen)
1 German (Butenschön)
1 Latvian (Skudra)
1 Lithuanian (Kasparaitis)
1 Slovak (Döme)

That's the penguins era I thought of when I saw this thread. They also had hlinka behind the bench around that era.

I think it's more incredible that they had 7 Czechs.

 

[RussianShark]

2002-2003 Leafs are up there

19 Canadians
5 Swedes
3 Czech
2 Finns
2 Americans
1 Slovak (Švehla)
1 Northern Irish (Owen Nolan)
1 Russian (Mogilny)
1 Kazakh (Antropov)
1 Ukranian (Ponikarovsky)

 

[McGarnagle]

The Bruins 2019 finals team had 4 Canadians, 2 Czechs, 2 Slovaks, 1 Finn, 2 Swedes, and 12 Americans.

 

[MadLuke]

00 Trashers


3x swede
2x russian
1x Nigerian
1x Latvian
5x Czech
1x Swiss
many Canadians and Americans.

 

[Staniowski]

Increasingly, the concept of international "players" is an interesting subject. Players who grow up living transnational lives.

The Hughes brothers are a good example. Both parents are American, all three brothers are born in the States, live about a decade in the GTA, play almost all their minor hockey in Canada, then move to Michigan.

Of course Brett Hull, who's born in Canada (but born a US resident), lives half his childhood in the States and half in Canada. One parent from each country. Plays most of his minor hockey in Winnipeg, but some in Chicago, some in the Lower Mainland.

William Nylander was born in Calgary, grew up mostly in the States, then to Sweden.

Sean Couturier grew up all over the place, including the States and Europe, but considers Canada home.

Mason McTavish lived in Europe and Canada.

Macklin Celebrini grew up mostly in Canada, partly in the States.

All these examples have parents involved in pro sports.