Can we consider Stan Mikita as a Slovak player?

[alko]

As a little boy he moved to North America and He never played for Czechoslovakia or Slovakia.

But in many periodics here in Slovakia is he considered as Slovak player. So, im a little bit confused, because then it should be Peter Bondra considered as Ukrainer...

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[Reds4Life]

The difference is that Bondra actually played for Slovakia. Mikita is a Canadian born in (Czecho)Slovakia.

 

[Derick*]

Is Slovakia going to split up into Slo Republic and Vakia?

 

[Franck]

He's about as Slovakian as Bob Nystrom is Swedish.

The HHoF might go by place of birth, but I have a hard time considering anyone who has received his entire hockey "education" in Canada as a Slovak or Swedish hockey player, particularly not if they did not play for those national teams.

 

[justPlay]

No. He grew up in Canada.

 

[Eisen]

Dunno, if he considers himself Slovak, then yes. If not, then no.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

From a hockey perspective, he's a Canadian hockey player. His entire hockey education came in Canada. That said, there is absolutely no problem with Slovaks saying he is their first great hockey superstar.

From a citizenship perspective, I'm sure he's eligible for dual citizenship.

 

[Chumley]

100% Canadian in the way he played and how he carried himself. Class act.

 

[jkrx]

100% Canadian in the way he played and how he carried himself. Class act.

You mean that if he played like a slovakian he wouldn't be a class act?

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

You mean that if he played like a slovakian he wouldn't be a class act?

I guess Bobby Clarke grew up and learned how to play hockey in Slovakia

 

[JackSlater]

Mikita learned to play hockey in Canada, and because of that he is a product of Canadian hockey. When it comes to which country a player is from in the hockey sense this is by far the biggest factor to me.

 

[Stephen]

100% Canadian in the way he played and how he carried himself. Class act.

As a Canadian, I get pretty tired of this self congratulatory nonsense, as if Canada invented humility and dignity.

Anyway, having played for Team Canada, he's pretty Canadian, though the Slovaks obviously have a right to be proud of him too.

 

[Prince Pasta]

would that not make heatley german? regher brazilian? kolzig south african

 

[MadArcand]

would that not make heatley german? regher brazilian? kolzig south african

How so? Being born by accident in Brazil to Canadians and living whole life in Canada doesn't make Regehr Brazilian in any way, shape or form. It's quite different from being born in Slovakia to Slovak parents and living there a substantial part of Mikita's childhood.

 

[pirate94]

didn't Mikita play for Team Canada?

 

[gifted88]

Well, are there any quotes or interviews with him mentioning anything about that?

I consider him Slovak even though he played for team Canada. It's not like I consider Hull American cause he played for the US.

Edit: He is a Canadian citizen, Wiki says he is a Slovak born Canadian. So that sums it up, he's Canadian.
http://icehockey.wikia.com/wiki/Stan_Mikita

 

[Big Phil]

didn't Mikita play for Team Canada?

Well it only took 15 posts for someone to remember that. Yes he did play in the 1972 Summit Series..........for Canada.

Let's look at it this way, we all know he was born in Slovakia but raised in Canada. Was it 4 years old or so that he came over? I can't remember.

But in all fairness, he was born in 1940. Would he have learned the game of hockey at an elite level that would have propelled him to Hall of Fame status had he stayed in Slovakia? Almost certainly not, especially at that time. So you have to credit Canada for that.

Besides, there has yet to be a Slovakian player inducted into the HHOF. Palffy and Bondra won't make it. Some people make a case for Hossa eventually. Demitra has no shot. Only Chara will get in for sure out of that bunch. So here we are in 2011 and it'll take until 2020 (prediction) before a Slovak gets into the HHOF. I'm pretty sure Stan knows where he learned this game.

 

[jcbio11]

Absolutely not. Newspapers are full of it. Plus they usually say Slovak born, not Slovakian hockey player.

Mikita - Canadien hockey player
Bondra - Slovakian hockey player

What matter is where they were trained, not born. Bondra moved to Slovakia when he was 3, his father was Slovakian. He learned to play here, grew up here.

Mikita moved to Canada when he was 8. He might have been born to Slovakian parents and in Slovakia, but he was completely Canadien trained in hockey. Thus he is a Canadien hockey player.

Don't put too much stock into who played for which national team though. Remember Stastny played for Canada as well, but he's Slovak through and through. Played for Slovakia afterwards as well.

 

[Theokritos]

What matter is where they were trained, not born. Bondra moved to Slovakia when he was 3, his father was Slovakian. He learned to play here, grew up here.

Mikita moved to Canada when he was 8. He might have been born to Slovakian parents and in Slovakia, but he was completely Canadien trained in hockey. Thus he is a Canadien hockey player.

Don't put too much stock into who played for which national team though. Remember Stastny played for Canada as well, but he's Slovak through and through. Played for Slovakia afterwards as well.

I think it depends. Šťastný played in Czechoslovakia and for Czechoslovakia before he played for Team Canada in 1984: he's a Czechoslovakian resp. Slovakian hockey player, never mind the 84 Canada Cup. Bryan Trottier: played for Team Canada in 1981, but for Team USA in 1984 - he's Canadian, period. But then you have guys like Olaf Kölzig: Born to German parents in South Africa, moved to Canada at 3 years of age, grew up in Canada, learned to play hockey in Canada - now, would he have played for Canada in the World Junior Championships or in the World Championships before he decided to join Team Germany in 1996/1997, he wouldn't be considered a German hockey player at all. He's actually a Canadian hockey player and the only thing German about him is the fact that played for Team Germany. So there are cases where the national team matters.

 

[matnor]

Well it only took 15 posts for someone to remember that. Yes he did play in the 1972 Summit Series..........for Canada.

Let's look at it this way, we all know he was born in Slovakia but raised in Canada. Was it 4 years old or so that he came over? I can't remember.

But in all fairness, he was born in 1940. Would he have learned the game of hockey at an elite level that would have propelled him to Hall of Fame status had he stayed in Slovakia? Almost certainly not, especially at that time. So you have to credit Canada for that.

Besides, there has yet to be a Slovakian player inducted into the HHOF. Palffy and Bondra won't make it. Some people make a case for Hossa eventually. Demitra has no shot. Only Chara will get in for sure out of that bunch. So here we are in 2011 and it'll take until 2020 (prediction) before a Slovak gets into the HHOF. I'm pretty sure Stan knows where he learned this game.

As has been mentioned, Stastny is from Slovakia.

 

[Hacker10]

What "we" think dosen't matter.

What is his take on the subject? That's what counts.

 

[jekoh]

How so? Being born by accident in Brazil to Canadians and living whole life in Canada doesn't make Regehr Brazilian in any way, shape or form.

Actually, it does (at least according to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_nationality_law )

 

[gifted88]

He's a Slovak born Canadian, end of story. How is this so hard to figure out? He's a Canadian citizen, so that makes him a Canadian.

 

[MadArcand]

He's a Slovak born Canadian, end of story. How is this so hard to figure out? He's a Canadian citizen, so that makes him a Canadian.

Citizenship doesn't really define you as anything, it's just a paper. Stastny isn't Canadian if he's Canadian citizen.

Mikita is Slovak and Canadian both. As a player however, he's just Canadian.

 

[unknown33]

The only way to find this out is to ask Stan Mikita if he considers himself Canadian or Slovakian.