Brett Hull

[Dr Pepper]

Do you consider him American, or Canadian?

I was playing around with NHL's stat pages, checking the all-time points lists.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/careerstats.htm

What I was amazed to see, however, was that when sorted by nationality, NHL.com apparently still considers Brett Hull to be an American-born player, as he's at the top of the list for goals and points.

I don't want to come across as overly defensive here, but I distinctly remember this website saluting Modano's accomplishments and supposed records as an American-born NHLer, yet here they've got Hull atop the list. Despite the fact that his bio correctly lists him as being born in Belleville, Ontario.

What gives?

Click to read more...

 

[Nalyd Psycho]

Brett Hull is American. But Modano is American-born.

 

[Big Phil]

Hull falls into the Deadmarsh/Pominville category of at one time not being good enough to make a Canadian team. He tried Canada first which proves where his heart really was, when he never made the national team he went to a place where he could. Call it the Olaf Kolzig syndrome (cough, Germany). After seeing him in a U.S. jersey for so long you don't get a warm fuzzy feeling about Hull as a "Canadian boy". He is Canadian of course though, born in Belleville and raised for a good part in Winnipeg.

During the 1998 Olympics I remember an article asking him which "anthem" he felt in his heart. His response:

"I don't feel anything, just a team that gave a guy a chance when no one else would."

Doesn't sound like a red blooded American either does he?

 

[mco543]

I don't really consider him either I think at this point most people view Hull as a player without a country, he's sort of an international hockey mercenary. Canadians don't claim him because he played for USA and Americans never mention him in discussions for best American player or highest scoring American.

 

[begbeee]

There are plenty of such players...
Czechoslovakia and former Soviet republics are good examples.

Around 2000-2005 there are two Hlinkas... Miroslav played for Slovakia, Jaroslav played for Czechs. Cousins.

Kasparaitis is Lithuanian who played for Russia...

Nedomansky was Czech born in part of Czechia called Moravia (another etnicity) near Slovak borders, considered himself Slovakian.

Dox-dox-paradoxxx

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

There are plenty of such players...
Czechoslovakia and former Soviet republics are good examples.

Around 2000-2005 there are two Hlinkas... Miroslav played for Slovakia, Jaroslav played for Czechs. Cousins.

Kasparaitis is Lithuanian who played for Russia...

Nedomansky was Czech born in part of Czechia called Moravia (another etnicity) near Slovak borders, considered himself Slovakian.

Dox-dox-paradoxxx

Yeah that part of the world must have a good few cases like this with all the different ethnicities and claims to differing parts of the region.

Slovakia is a stunning country with stunning women.

 

[jkrx]

You are forgetting Petr Nedved. Canada and Czech national teams.

Call it the Olaf Kolzig syndrome (cough, Germany).

What do you mean by that?

 

[begbeee]

You are forgetting Petr Nedved. Canada and Czech national teams.

Peter Šťastný - played for CSSR, Canada and finally Slovakia. And his son Paul played for some UNDERxy Slovak national teams and now he plays for USA. Awesome family

Thomas Vanek - plays for Austria, his father is Czech, his mother Slovak.

 

[jkrx]

Peter Å ťastný - played for CSSR, Canada and finally Slovakia. And his son Paul played for some UNDERxy Slovak national teams and now he plays for USA. Awesome family

Thomas Vanek - plays for Austria, his father is Czech, his mother Slovak.

Yea the slovaks and czechs really has a issue with natinal identity.

 

[VMBM]

Nedomansky was Czech born in part of Czechia called Moravia (another etnicity) near Slovak borders, considered himself Slovakian.

Well, if your parents are Slovaks (as Nedomansky's were at least according to this bio http://www.1972summitseries.com/othernedomansky.html), it would be quite weird to consider yourself Czech, I think. It wasn't maybe quite the same as in former Yugoslavia (Croats, Serbs etc.), but still...


As far as Brett Hull goes, I don't know. Canadian-American?

 

[Big Phil]

You are forgetting Petr Nedved. Canada and Czech national teams.



What do you mean by that?

Kolzig was born in South Africa (you read that correct) and raised in Canada. I believe one of his parent's were German if I remember correctly. Kolzig never had a chance in hell at making Team Canada and he knew it. He played for Germany based on a technicality.

I don't consider Petr Nedved anywhere near Canadian and don't know who does.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

Well, if your parents are Slovaks (as Nedomansky's were at least according to this bio http://www.1972summitseries.com/othernedomansky.html), it would be quite weird to consider yourself Czech, I think. It wasn't maybe quite the same as in former Yugoslavia (Croats, Serbs etc.), but still...


As far as Brett Hull goes, I don't know. Canadian-American?

I´m not sure whether it is true about Nedomanský´s parents, his name sounds Czech. But actually there are two major ethnic groups living in the Czech republic- Bohemians (ČeÅ¡i) and Moravians (Moraváci), who speak the Moravian dialect of Czech language. Nedomanský was born in Moravia, so therefore his ethnicity would be Moravian. Nowadays in population censuses most Moravians consider themselves "Čech" (Czech). There´s kind of a confusion as the Czech language uses the same word for Bohemian and Czech- Čech. Still, if you went to Moravia, most people would be very proud to tell you- "Já su Moravák"- "I am a Moravian." Additionally compared to Bohemia, which is predominantly atheistic, Moravia is pretty much strongly Roman-Catholic, which I suppose makes it more similar to Slovakia than the rest of the Czech republic. That´s what might have made Nedomanský closer to Slovakia as well. But that´s just a guess.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Benedict Arnold Hull

 

[jkrx]

Kolzig was born in South Africa (you read that correct) and raised in Canada. I believe one of his parent's were German if I remember correctly. Kolzig never had a chance in hell at making Team Canada and he knew it. He played for Germany based on a technicality.

I don't consider Petr Nedved anywhere near Canadian and don't know who does.

Kölzig never applied for Canadian citizenship. He is not canadian. He is a german born in South africa just like Langway was born in China. Would've been better if you called it "The Robert Demontis"-syndrome or the "The Chris Yule"-syndrome.

 

[Merya]

To me Brett Hull is American. As for his comments about national anthem, he's said pretty weird stuff in his career. Like eating cheeseburgers all summer and coming to camp 30 pounds overweight.

Btw. another interesting case is Nabokov. A Kazak playing for Russia.

 

[jkrx]

To me Brett Hull is American. As for his comments about national anthem, he's said pretty weird stuff in his career. Like eating cheeseburgers all summer and coming to camp 30 pounds overweight.

Btw. another interesting case is Nabokov. A Kazak playing for Russia.

Most people born within USSR got to choose a country to play for after the fall. I don't however know what the deal with Nabokov is and why they denied him to play with russia. IIHF let Nedved play for the czechs after playing with Canada.

 

[Bjorn Le]

Hes both IMO. If he was born in Canada, but he learned hockey in the US, I'd say yeah, Canadian Born American, but he learnt and honed his hockey skills in Canada. He wanted to play for Canada internationaly, but they didn't think he had a place, so the Americans offered him a spot.

I think he would consider himself Canadian at heart, since one coach who didn't think he was good enough was the reason people don't consider him completely Canadian.

 

[Canadarocks]

That's a complex one. His dad is Canadian and is mom is American. He was born during a summer vacation in Canada but his dad was playing in Chicago then so that's where he spent his early child. Later the family moved to Winnipeg and I think he stayed there until he grew up. He first tried out for a Canadian team but didn't make it so he played on the American team.

I would say that each country has equal claim to him but Brett is the only person can decide which nationality he identifies with most. I get the impression he's not that patriotic about either.