Non-citizens after retiring

torniojaws

Registered User
Jan 10, 2017
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Finland
I guess this is the correct section?

What happens to non-US/Canadian citizens after they retire from playing in the NHL? Are they and their family allowed to stay in USA/Canada under some special visa? I don't hear often that players move back to their native countries, so I assume they stay there?

I found this article, but not sure how legit it is: How Can Foreign Professional Athletes Stay in the United States When the Arena Goes Dark on Their Career? | Collegiate & Professional Sports Law Blog
 

sr edler

gold is not reality
Mar 20, 2010
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6,289
Most Swedes at least go back to Sweden, unless they stay to coach or something. I know Ulf Samuelsson is a US citizen and do coach gigs, and Krusty the Clown is a Canadian citizen but still went back (as far as I know).

Mogilny is a US citizen, and defected under dramatic circumstances, but still went back to Russia.

Most of these hockey players are from well functioning European societies, it's not like they've come to the NHL from countries where the economies are down in the toilet and there's no infrastructure or no food to eat.
 

sr edler

gold is not reality
Mar 20, 2010
11,845
6,289
One Swede I read about recently though whose kids stayed in NA (New York) post his player career is Ulf "Lill-Pröjsarn" Nilsson.

Nilsson himself seemed to live in Sweden though, and came to visit his grown up kids in NA.
 

Staniowski

Registered User
Jan 13, 2018
3,508
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The Maritimes
Hockey players go through the regular immigration channels of the country at issue. There is lots of international migration in the world; hockey players are no different.

There are examples of Americans and Europeans living in Canada post-retirement, as well as Europeans and Canadians in the States, and Americans and Canadians in various European countries.

Of course, sometimes hockey players get married to someone from the country of their hockey playing location too, which would be a factor in their immigration.

Many of Canada's most famous hockey players - Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, etc. - lived primarily in the States after their retirements.

And obviously there are many examples of players moving back to the country in which they were born and raised. And there are a smaller number of players who were already dual-citizens, e.g. Brett Hull, whose father is Canadian and mother is American.
 

The Panther

Registered User
Mar 25, 2014
19,110
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Tokyo, Japan
This thread reminds me of the happy news that I got my Permanent Resident visa here in Japan last week! (Not that big a deal in Canada, say, but the Holy Grail for foreign residents here.)

I have heard some Swedish hockey players say they prefer living in Canada to living in the US, presumably because it's more like home -- more wintry, less aggressive, more laid-back. But there are lots of exceptions, and obviously it depends on which NHL city you first lived in and got accustomed to. The "downside", if that's the right word, to living in Canada is obviously the near-universal celebrity you have, which is cool in one way but makes living a low-key life rather difficult.

What about North Americans who settled in Europe after a playing career? Any examples?
 
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Inkling

Same Old Hockey
Nov 27, 2006
5,655
679
Ottawa
This thread reminds me of a non-hockey story, namely Henry Burris of the CFL. He played in the CFL for well over a decade and spent all the off-seasons in Canada (and I believe has Canadian born kids) but because the CFL only played for six months of the year, it was considered only part-time employment and didn't qualify him for permanent residency, which would lead him to citizenship. It looked like he was going to have problems staying in Canada, but eventually after a lot of media attention the government stepped in and he has since received permanent residency (not sure if he's a citizen yet). He now works for TSN as an analyst.

Henry Burris struggles to get Canadian citizenship—because the CFL's part-time?
 

Bakayoko Ono

Registered User
Aug 12, 2007
4,659
713
Helsinki
Most Swedes at least go back to Sweden, unless they stay to coach or something. I know Ulf Samuelsson is a US citizen and do coach gigs, and Krusty the Clown is a Canadian citizen but still went back (as far as I know).

Mogilny is a US citizen, and defected under dramatic circumstances, but still went back to Russia.

Most of these hockey players are from well functioning European societies, it's not like they've come to the NHL from countries where the economies are down in the toilet and there's no infrastructure or no food to eat.

Alfredsson lives in Canada and Mogilny in Florida...

You see more and more Finnish players deciding to stay in NA after their playing days are done(Selänne, OJokinen, Timonen, Numminen etc.). Players are crossing the pond at an earlier age, have longer careers in the NHL, some have North-American wifes/partners and kids who have spent their whole lives in NA.
 

Zenos

Registered User
Oct 4, 2009
2,171
2,380
2 ways Hockey players stay in Canada or USA

- they have decently long careers (4-5 seasons at least) and they have kids. Kids are born in USA are citizens. That is the gateway for the parents to get dual. Not sure what happens in Canada. I'm sure that Canada is different with being born in Canada.

Don't be so sure - it's essentially the same in Canada. A child born in Canada, regardless of the parents' nationality is automatically awarded Canadian citizen (outside of exceptional cases, ie. the children of foreign diplomats).
 

Rigafan

Registered User
Jul 28, 2016
902
195
Europe
What about North Americans who settled in Europe after a playing career? Any examples?

Depends what level of North American you want to know about? In the lower levels, many stick around. In the UK for example most of the guys stay here after they stop playing, many move on to coaching the team or managing or even owning the team.
 

gwh

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
3,688
622
Alfredsson lives in Canada and Mogilny in Florida...

You see more and more Finnish players deciding to stay in NA after their playing days are done(Selänne, OJokinen, Timonen, Numminen etc.). Players are crossing the pond at an earlier age, have longer careers in the NHL, some have North-American wifes/partners and kids who have spent their whole lives in NA.

Selanne lives in the US but might move back soon per his wife, Numminen lives in Tampere, Timonen would like to live in Kuopio but his kids overruled him.

OJ is the pretty much the only player solidly in the US.
 

MaV

Registered User
Jun 23, 2002
533
51
Selanne lives in the US but might move back soon per his wife, Numminen lives in Tampere, Timonen would like to live in Kuopio but his kids overruled him.

OJ is the pretty much the only player solidly in the US.
Kari Lehtonen isn't perhaps retired yet, but he is staying with this American wife and kids.
 

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