C Nikita Alexandrov (2019, 62nd, STL)

Albatros

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The NHL draft tracker has him as German. I thougth he was only eligable for Russia. Nobody knows^^

It is also my understanding that he is only eligible to represent Russia, in other words is not a German citizen. But I don't think this has been explicitly cleared anywhere.
 

JJTT

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Russian leading sports media Sport-Express confirmed this today.

How is this even possible since he was born in Germany and played there for at least 5 seasons? Has he not applied for citizenship or something?
 

Atas2000

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How is this even possible since he was born in Germany and played there for at least 5 seasons? Has he not applied for citizenship or something?
Why would he necessarily apply for citizenship? And being born somewhere doesn't give you citizenship. In some countries it gives you the right to apply for one. The tricky part about Alexandrov is he is a 2000 born. In Germany that above law is in place since 2000. But even if he is eligible, that doesn't mean he necessarily applied for the citizenship.
 

S E P H

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Why would he necessarily apply for citizenship? And being born somewhere doesn't give you citizenship. In some countries it gives you the right to apply for one. The tricky part about Alexandrov is he is a 2000 born. In Germany that above law is in place since 2000. But even if he is eligible, that doesn't mean he necessarily applied for the citizenship.
The problem is that IIHF law is different from FIFA. In FIFA you just need citizenship in the country you want to play for, but in the IIHF they have to spend two seasons in the country playing hockey to represent them. In Alexandrov's case, I don't know if he ever played in any Russian league because his youth club was Iserlohner. That's why I am also confused how he's eligible for Russia, in IIHF case he shouldn't be eligible for any country as of now.
 

Caser

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The problem is that IIHF law is different from FIFA. In FIFA you just need citizenship in the country you want to play for, but in the IIHF they have to spend two seasons in the country playing hockey to represent them. In Alexandrov's case, I don't know if he ever played in any Russian league because his youth club was Iserlohner. That's why I am also confused how he's eligible for Russia, in IIHF case he shouldn't be eligible for any country as of now.

If I understood correctly, if you have only one citizenship, you don't need to fulfill the two seasons requirement.
 

Zine

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Correct. If you have one citizenship, that's who you play for.
The two season requirement is applicable to dual citizens only. The rule is in place to prohibit players, who gain new citizenship, from representing a country they have no hockey connection to.
 
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Maverick41

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Since Alexandrov was born in 2000 he would have automatically had dual citizenship if at least one of his parents had been legally residing in Germany for at least 8 years and had a permanent right of residence. If that was the case Nikita would have also been German, but even if he was, he may have just given up his German citizenship in order to be eligible to play for Russia.

At least that's how I understand it.
 

Caser

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Since Alexandrov was born in 2000 he would have automatically had dual citizenship if at least one of his parents had been legally residing in Germany for at least 8 years and had a permanent right of residence. If that was the case Nikita would have also been German, but even if he was, he may have just given up his German citizenship in order to be eligible to play for Russia.

At least that's how I understand it.

His parents moved to Germany in 1996, so in 2000 they couldn't meet the 8 year reqirement.

Upd.: Found an old interview by his father back from 2003, where he told that he is about to receive the permanent right of residence there.
 
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S E P H

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If I understood correctly, if you have only one citizenship, you don't need to fulfill the two seasons requirement.
Correct. If you have one citizenship, that's who you play for.
The two season requirement is applicable to dual citizens only. The rule is in place to prohibit players, who gain new citizenship, from representing a country they have no hockey connection to.
Not saying you lads are wrong, but this is new to me. I was always under the notion that you had to play two years of hockey in any country to be eligible to it. Because Alexandrov has been good enough to play for Russia, even in an exhibition tournament and he never has.
 

Zine

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Not saying you lads are wrong, but this is new to me. I was always under the notion that you had to play two years of hockey in any country to be eligible to it. Because Alexandrov has been good enough to play for Russia, even in an exhibition tournament and he never has.

Yes those are the regulations. It’s how Olaf Kolzig was eligible for Germany despite never playing there and being born in S. Africa. It was his sole citizenship via his parents.
Alexandrov is in a complex situation though. He’s lived entire life in Germany, is a German hockey product, but, presumably, only holds Russian citizenship. I heard an interview where he said his only experience in Russia is visiting his grandparents.
 

Atas2000

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Read my previous post. There is no such thing as automatic citizenship, especially dual citizenship. What he would have automaticaly is the right to apply for citizenship(which he would gain by design of the law).But if he did not apply then no. Also for kids born in Germany I think at age 16 is when you have to decide if you want the german citizenship. Again though it was up to him to decide.
 

Atas2000

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Not saying you lads are wrong, but this is new to me. I was always under the notion that you had to play two years of hockey in any country to be eligible to it. Because Alexandrov has been good enough to play for Russia, even in an exhibition tournament and he never has.
This whole rule is for dual citizenship or changing citizenship.

It's pretty pointless to demand that from a guy with one citizenship only. He technically can only play for one country.
 

TomB

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Read my previous post. There is no such thing as automatic citizenship, especially dual citizenship. What he would have automaticaly is the right to apply for citizenship(which he would gain by design of the law).But if he did not apply then no. Also for kids born in Germany I think at age 16 is when you have to decide if you want the german citizenship. Again though it was up to him to decide.

Off-topic, but automatic citizenship is definitely a thing in Canada. An Australian senator had to resign over it a couple of years ago. She had to formally renounce Canadian citizenship before she could be re-elected.

Larissa Waters - Wikipedia
 

Maverick41

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Read my previous post. There is no such thing as automatic citizenship, especially dual citizenship. What he would have automaticaly is the right to apply for citizenship(which he would gain by design of the law).But if he did not apply then no. Also for kids born in Germany I think at age 16 is when you have to decide if you want the german citizenship. Again though it was up to him to decide.

Actually there is now in Germany as long as certain requirements are met. That is not the case with Alexandrov so the point is moot for this particular case.

Until a few years ago any kid with dual citizenship had to choose one of the citizenships after they came off age. Now this is also changed a bit and they can keep both citizenships if the other citizenship is that of another EU member or Switzerland, or if, by the time they turn 21, they have:
  • lived at least 8 years in Germany or
  • attended school in Germany for at least 6 years or
  • graduated from school or vocational school or
  • have similiar ties to Germany and making them choos would constitute a considerable hardship
 

Atas2000

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Actually there is now in Germany as long as certain requirements are met. That is not the case with Alexandrov so the point is moot for this particular case.

Until a few years ago any kid with dual citizenship had to choose one of the citizenships after they came off age. Now this is also changed a bit and they can keep both citizenships if the other citizenship is that of another EU member or Switzerland, or if, by the time they turn 21, they have:
  • lived at least 8 years in Germany or
  • attended school in Germany for at least 6 years or
  • graduated from school or vocational school or
  • have similiar ties to Germany and making them choos would constitute a considerable hardship
There is no automatic citizenship. There is an automatic right to acquire one. There is a difference.
 

Atas2000

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Off-topic, but automatic citizenship is definitely a thing in Canada. An Australian senator had to resign over it a couple of years ago. She had to formally renounce Canadian citizenship before she could be re-elected.

Larissa Waters - Wikipedia
Immigrant countries US and Canada might have those laws. But anyway, they are not involved in this one.
 

snipes

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Immigrant countries US and Canada might have those laws. But anyway, they are not involved in this one.

So what citizenship would he carry? German?

It’s interesting because in Canada with our links to the British Empire it’s relatively easy for us who are of Scottish/English descent to get UK citizenship with parents/grandparents who were born in our motherland.
 

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