Players with nationalities you didnt expect based on their name

[johan f]

After all, some millions migrated to USA and Canada in 19 and 20th century. Gretzkys and Lindroses. Even today, ie Wahlstrom.

 

[Mickey Marner]

I was surprised to find out Zarley Zalapski was from Earth.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Eric Lindros comes across very Swedish.

 

[Ceremony]

Nigel Dawes

 

[ohheyhemsky]

Justin Abdelkader (Abdul Qadir).

 

[Machinehead]

Joakim Ryan

Born in the US with his super US last name, represents Sweden with his super Swedish first name.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Pierre Engvall is Swedish. It's definitely the first name that throws you off.

 

[BattleLevel]

Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn’t expect , best Swedish player

Wherever Zlatan lives the country becomes a citizen of his, not the other way around.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Pavel Buchnevich is American

 

[tempofound]

I always thought that Nicklas Bäckström was Finnish and Niklas Bäckström was Swedish.

Also used to think that Ralph Bäckström was American, turns out he was Canadian.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

A lot of the players named so far likely have ancestry from the assumed countries.

For example, Paul Stastny is Canadian/American but his dad Peter was born in Czechoslovakia (Bratislava would be in Slovakia today).

I don’t think it’s racist at all to initially assume that a guy named Paul Stastny is Slovak.

 

[WolfgangPuck]

Sebastian Aho confused me.
Couldn’t figure out if he was Finn or Swede few years ago

 

[Streetsamurai]

Robert Lang never stood out as a czech name. Especially since there's a ton of lang that are french canadian

 

[Machinehead]

Robert Lang never stood out as a czech name. Especially since there's a ton of lang that are french canadian

See, this is why we have these threads.

I'm finding this out today.

 

[Future GOAT]

Eric Lindros comes across very Swedish.

Most people I know that don't know much about hockey, or last names for that matter that I've discussed stuff like this with, generally thought it was Greek sounding rather than Swedish, which I guess I could understand.

 

[sr edler]

Johnny Oduya - nothing about that sounds Swedish to me as a Canadian.

Actually, first names ending with a -y was quite popular in Sweden for a while back – in the 60s/70s/80s – almost entirely within a working class context. Names like Tommy, Johnny, Kenny, Ronny, et cetera. Note that Johnny is Oduya's real name, not John. Kenny Jönsson's real name is Kenny, not Kenneth or something. You also have the Swedish IndyCar driver Kenny Bräck, and there are many other examples. So yes, part of that name actually has somewhat of a Swedish/local context to it, so to speak.

The y-names went out of fashion in the 90s and names like say William or Kevin became more common, as you can see in players like William Karlsson and Kevin Lankinen.

 

[Jaytee]

Patrick Laine is not a typical Finnish name.

 

[Reality Czech]

When John Carlson entered the league I assumed he was Swedish for a couple of years.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

Patrick Laine is not a typical Finnish name.

The last name is pretty common, first name so much, more Patriks and Patricks in Sweden.

Niskanen, Lindros, Virtanen and some others mentioned have parents, grandparents or great-grandparents who emigrated from Finland and Sweden, just like Nylanders

Barkov fools many people thinking he is Russian, his father Alexander Barkov Sr. emigrated from Soviet Union to Finland to play hockey, he is a legend.

 

[Future GOAT]

I think something like Mika Zibanejad is about the only time this thread fits, born in Sweden but with Iranian and Finnish parents and to be frank, that's not something the NHL gets to see much. It's a unique blend and he is one of just two Iranian descent to ever play in the nhl

AFAIK Kadri and Domi are of Iranian descent. So that'd make it 3.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

AFAIK Kadri and Domi are of Iranian descent. So that'd make it 3.

Kadri is Lebanese, a very common descent in canada these days and so I'm sure we will see many in the nhl some day, though I do believe he is the only one of that descent right at the moment.

Max Domi is Albanian.

 

[Future GOAT]

Kadri is Lebanese, a very common descent in canada these days and so I'm sure we will see many in the nhl some day, though I do believe he is the only one of that descent right at the moment.

Max Domi is Albanian.

Yeah I'm actually talking about the last name origin. Kadri's parents are Lebanese but I was wrong the last name Kadri is apparently of Turkish and Albanian origin not Iranian. But the last name Domi is also Albanian origin so I stand corrected on both.

 

[ottawa]

Ekblad

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

There are so many Euros in the league now I automatically assume a weird last name is European only to find later out their Canadian or American. E.g., Scheifele, Guentzel, Boeser, Ekblad, Slavin (and many more).

i remember ESPN showed a hockey highlight a couple years ago, it was Jacob Slavin saving a goal on the goal line, the anchor pronounced his name as if he was Czech lol (Yah-kub Slah-vin)


However i don't think any American, Canadian or even Swedish these days players should surprise people as these countries are very multicultural. I mean throughout NHL history theres tons of Canadian hockey legends with Ukrainian names

 

[JuJu Mobb]

Always thought Satan was from hell.