Fukufuji, and other non traditional hockey countries...

[haelwho]

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.

 

[shimy1221*]

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.

richard park is korean...and he's an nhl veteran

 

[DaveG]

-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)

is Babchuk considered a Russian or Ukranian?

 

[L4br3cqu3]

-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)

Brazil
Robyn Regehr (Calgary NHL)(althought I suppose he has been raised in Canada)

France
Cristobal Huet (Montreal NHL)

Ukraine
Alexei Zhitnik (Philadelphia NHL)(he plays for Russia in world championships...)

Kazakstan
Alexander Perezhogin (Montreal NHL)

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

And Kolzig was born in South Africa, although he represents Germany.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

-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)

I think Nabokov is also from Kazakstan.

 

[Martyros]

bondra- ukraine (even though he played for slovakia)

Nabokov- kazakstan
streit- latvia

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Streit is from Switzerland, along with Aebischer and Gerber.

 

[________]

-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 Marius Holtet(AHL Iowa Stars)
Hungary Janos Vas(AHL Iowa Stars)

 

[Reaper45]

richard park is korean...and he's an nhl veteran

He was also raised in L.A.

 

[GBG BLEED BLUE]

Isn't there another Chinese Canadian playing somewhere in the WHL?

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.

 

[Eagle Eye Cherry]

Luca i - NY Islanders.....

 

[Tb0ne]

Ukraine
Alexei Zhitnik (Philadelphia NHL)(he plays for Russia in world championships...)

Kazakstan
Alexander Perezhogin (Montreal NHL)

I thought about adding them but didn't because they play(ed) internationally for Russia (although I wasn't sure when it came to Perezhogin).
Same goes for a few other players, many (I think?) ethnic Russians born in former Soviet countries.


Forgot to post this one is as well:

Switzerland
David Aebischer (NHL Montreal), Martin Gerber (NHL Ottawa), Mark Streit (NHL Montreal), Patrick Fischer (NHL Phoenix)
Tim Ramholt (AHL Calgary Defense), Timo Helbling (AHL Nashville? Defense), Tobias Stephan (Goalie - AHL - Dallas)
Juraj Simek (WHL - LW - Vancouver)
Luca i (2007 Draft, Forward Projected 1st Round-2nd Round?)

 

[Adam91]

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.

Brandon Yip, drafted by Colorado, played Jr.A in the BCHL and got an NCAA scholarship can't remember where, somewhere in the Hockey East?
Not sure what country his oriental background is.


Also - Kasparitius I believe is Luthianian by birth

Sergi Zholtok(s.p) - Latvia (r.i.p.)

 

[Stephen]

He's still eligible to play for Poland though. (Unless he played for Team Canada once and I missed it)

http://www.ontariohockey.com/ohn/article_details.asp?League_No=482&Player_No=242643&Team_No=15879

He's represented Canada at the U-18 tournament I think, I don't remember if he was on the WJC teams..

 

[Redwingsfan]

Isn't Espen Knutsen from Norway?

he is from norway, but he had to retire a couple of years ago because he tryed to hit a guy in a SEL game, but he crashed in to the boards with he's head first. now he is a coach for valerenga. the top team in the norwegian elite league.

norway has to players in the nhl right now. patrick thoresen and ole-kristian tollefsen. btw. did anyone see tollefsen's hit on kotalik

norway has a guy that could get drafted in 07. martin ylven. he plays for linkoping in sweden and is ranked around 60-70 in the euro ranking, but he is kind of a long shot to play in the nhl.

 

[Matti_A]

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.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Danish, not Dutch.

When will there be a good Dutch player?

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.

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.

 

[Thundermare]

Taiwan made Norris winner here:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=2952

Wow

Aliu is indeed Nigerian and has excellent skill couple with great size... just a little worried about the Attitude thing

 

[Buddhaa]

-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)

Latvia:
Sandis Ozolinsh (NHL - Defense - Rangers), Karlis Skrastins (NHL - Defense - Colorado); Raitis Ivanans (NHL - enforcer - LA Kings)
Janis Sprukts (NHL - AHL - Centre - Florida, Rd 8, 2000), Martins Karsums (AHL - RW - Boston, Rd 2, 2000), Mikelis Redlihs (AHL - ECHL - Defence - CBJ, Rd 4, 2002)
Oskars Bartulis (QMJHL - Defense - Philly, Rd 3, 2005); Kaspars Daugavins (OHL - LW - Ottawa, Rd 3, 2006); Arturs Kulda (OHL - Defense - Atlanta Rd 7, 2006)
Herbert Vasiljevs (DEL - NHL - AHL) - did around 50 games in NHL with Atlanta and Vancouver 2000-2002, is having a career year in DEL being the best goal scorer in the league at the age of 30. I highly doubt he will ever again play in NHL, so he does not count for the purposes of this thread.
Past NHL'ers from Latvia with at least 50 games played include Arturs Irbe (40 years old right now), Peteris Skudra (33 years old, plays in RSL, played in NHL for several teams in late 90's) and Sergey Zholtok (r.i.p., last played for Nashville before the lockout, died from heart attack during a BEL game in the arms of another former NHL player Darby Henrickson).

i think Ozo is close to being done at NHL level. This leaves the current crop of NHL players from Latvia a rather thin one. Nevertheless, some of the young ones should soon join their NHL teams, if all goes according to the plan - Sprukts, Karsums, Bartulis and Daugavins.

 

[Buddhaa]

He's Canadian raised though, so his hockey development has nothing to do with Poland.

I agree. I also don't consider Heatley a German (born there). Mike Knuble (Philly) is half Latvian (one of his parents is a WW2 emigrant), but he is clearly a US player by my books. If you mention Wolski, you might as well mention the other Colorado rookie Stastny, who is of slovakian origin (son of HOF, who was played for Czechoslovakia?)

 

[arrbez]

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 think people confuse "asian" with "oriental". I don't really know, but I imagine there's a number of Russian players born in Asia. Alexander Mogilny is from a town on China's eastern border . I know most Russian players come from the European part though.

 

[YellHockey*]

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.

Ed Hatoum, who played in the 70's, is from Lebanon.

 

[FTowwn]

thats frightning to think Pushkarev might be the best player from Kazakhstan.

Nik Antropov

and in regards to Lavente Zsuper..i remember him playing for thr 67's in the OHL, he was actually a decent goalie and was the most highly regarded prospect out of Hungary until 2002 when Janos Vas exploded onto the scene and was drafted 2nd round by Dallas. He is currently playing with Iowa and in imo he is the best player out of Hungary.

 

[Kostitsyn404*]

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.

There used to be a woman who was a goalie for Tampa Bay, no? Not to say that makes her from a non-traditional country but certainly not traditionally a player in the NHL.