Would you switch country allegiance if you could?

[Eagle Eye Cherry]

I was watching the norway-belarus game and it was mentioned that the Belarus goaltender Kevin lalande was canadian and it got me thinking,

If you were a professional hockey player, would you switch your nationality for another country if you couldn't make your national team? It would be like betraying your own country but you would get to play in the Olympics or world championships for sure with a different team.


Like I'm sure many good players couldn't make team canada because there's that many great players from canada.

Could you deal with the emotions of potentially alienating your own countrymen?

Personally, if I couldn't make team canada, I would play for switzerland.

Click to read more...

 

[Urbanskog]

It's hardly "betraying your own country" if you couldn't make the national team of your homeland.

 

[Sun God Nika]

I am a proud Canadian who roots for Sweden in WJC, WC, Olympics over any team. If I was a player I would not play for Canada because that would mean I would have to play against Sweden. I also wouldn't switch my nationality over tho because thats a spineless thing to do over hockey.

 

[torero]

I wouldn't change for nothing.

I love my country and live in it because i chose to do so. I tried to establish in a some countries ... but came back after 1-2-3 years. I if would have stayed, maybe i would love the other country. My blood, however, would remain Swiss forever.

 

[JackSlater]

Of course not, and I don't think that cases like Lalonde's should even be allowed. If you are from a country and unable to make that team, then too bad for you.

Then again... I would absolutely love to play against Canada if it was for the North America YoungGunz.

 

[Nakawick]

I'd play for Ireland, 4th string goalie

 

[Knave]

If you can't make the national team and you love playing hockey - sure, why not play for a country that wants you and will play you?

 

[Lim Ran]

I thought this was going to be about fans. Heck nah, pretty spoiled as a fan of Canada Although I'll openly cheer for certain other countries when they're playing. Latvia, for one. Finland if they're not playing Canada, etc.

I don't think a player playing for another country is "betraying" anyone. It's hockey. They can't make Team Canada. I assume they live in the country they're playing for often times too, right?

So.

Now if they COULD make Team Canada, that's a bit different.

 

[CaseyMitts37]

I'd play for either Mongolia or the United Arab Emirates

 

[airbus1094]

If you have lived in the other country for a while and know the language, then I have no problem with someone playing for another country. However me personally, I don't think so.

 

[Atas2000]

Being a professional athlete is trying to perform at the biggest stage possible. A player not given a chance to play for his country obviously would be interested in a chance to still play at the WC or the Olympics which as described by all participating athletes as a once in a lifetime experience. Nothing wrong with it. There are regulations in place to prevent abuse of it(i.e. switching more than once, switching too fast etc.).

P.S. Not always athletes take such a step just because they only have a chance to go to a weaker team. There are different circumstances.

 

[NHL Dude 120]

Only team I could play for besides Canada is Team Ethiopia and as an Ethiopian let me take a moment to laugh at Ethiopia having an ice hockey team hahahhahahaha.

But no I wouldn't switch my alliance hell I'd go through hell and back to have the chance to play for Canada.

 

[nabby12]

Daniel Sprong wants to play for Canada over his home Netherlands.

 

[afrobomber11]

Of course not, and I don't think that cases like Lalonde's should even be allowed. If you are from a country and unable to make that team, then too bad for you.

Then again... I would absolutely love to play against Canada if it was for the North America YoungGunz.

if you made the choice in your life to move and stay and assimilate then yes you should be able to play if thats where you consider home, not the geographical place your mother dropped you from her womb

 

[Stuzchuk]

I have a maple leaf tattooed to my heart... so no I would not

Canadian for life!

 

[Juggernaut27]

Never.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

Most of the guys who do it aren't much closer to playing for Team Canada or Team USA than people here are.

They're journeyman professionals who ended up playing in a really low tier league, they've probably played with and against most of the national setup and some of them are citizens.

If I was like an ECHL player, I moved to somewhere like Serbia and the national team eventually wanted me, I'd be super honored and I'd do it.

 

[FiLe]

The IIHF actually has a procedure in place that ensures that a player wishing to play for another country has to be at least somewhat naturalized before they're allowed to do so. It's not like they're just presented an offer, a second passport and after a moment's consideration they go like, "sure, why not".

So in a sense it's not as clear cut as the question in the OP implies. The players who do switch have actually given it some serious thought.

 

[mariemarie]

Only for Team France

 

[The Noot]

 

[airbus1094]

The IIHF actually has a procedure in place that ensures that a player wishing to play for another country has to be at least somewhat naturalized before they're allowed to do so. It's not like they're just presented an offer, a second passport and after a moment's consideration they go like, "sure, why not".

So in a sense it's not as clear cut as the question in the OP implies. The players who do switch have actually given it some serious thought.

Right, but it's not very strict at all. I believe it's what, play 3 years in that country? I really think it should be more strict. Maybe something like:

You must be one of the following:
-Born in the country.
-Have ethnic/cultural ties (i.e both parents born in the country)
-Live for 6 consecutive years in the country after 18 years of age.
-Live for 10 years in the country while under 18.



Not to go off topic, but does anybody know what the rules are for u18/u21 teams. Are they same as for senior squads?

 

[Pominville Knows]

I think if you do that you deserve the term "traitor" from people in your birth country, but i think its a personal choice that is fully up to you when you have fullfilled the IIHF's rules to do so. If my familys roots are from said new country i would do it after playing and living in the new country for a few years. Otherwise not if i dont really feel like playing against NHL all-stars lol, it is somewhat understandable.

 

[FiLe]

Right, but it's not very strict at all. I believe it's what, play 3 years in that country?

Four years (or two year for those who are not previously locked down to any given NT).

And given the tendency of hockey players to switch clubs every other season, it actually is a pretty tall order. If a player is good enough to break any NT lineup that appears regularly in major tournaments, he will likely have to turn down some seriously enticing offers from other leagues while the process is underway.

So yes, it already is pretty strict and requires rather deliberate intent from a player to represent the country in question. Anybody on the fence or just thinking it would be nice to play in an international event sometime - no matter the jersey - do not do so on the expense of lucrative job offers.

 

[holyprime]

These players have two citizenships, which means they lived a fair amount of time there. Its not really switching allegiance, just playing for one of "your" countries.

If you have a chance to play a WHC or even in the Olympics, does it really matter if you were born there or not? With a little less luck you could've been born in Somalia, worrying about different things than hockey. Or not exist at all.

I'm swiss and i would even play for germany (our biggest rival in sports).

 

[BobDobolina]

USA! USA! USA!

Nation states are arbitrary entities imposed on humans, we could just as well pledge "allegiance" to or be "proud" of our cities, towns or villages or the hospital we were born in. While nation states may serve a purpose in the current world, the concept of a state is not meaningful to me in any way so yes, I would chase around a piece of rubber for another country if they would have me


USA USA USA