Dominiki Kubalik, seen here at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, led all rookies with 30 goals in 68 games during the NHL regular season.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
Exactly half of all NHL players appearing for the first time in a game during the 2019/20 regular season were born in Europe, a radical increase from last year and a record contribution by European nations to the makeup of the NHL.
By the time the NHL had to pause its season in mid-March there had been 112 players who skated in the league for the first time, and 56 came from eleven top hockey nations overseas.
Last year, nearly 31 per cent were from Europe, and the previous record was 2000/01 when 43 per cent came from Europe. Most of the last half dozen years have seen 30 per cent be the norm, but this year there was a significant surge.
In all, of the 112 rookies, 34 came from Canada and 22 from the United States. Not far behind was Sweden, with 18, and Russia, with 14. Finland had 10, while other contributions came from the Czech Republic and Switzerland (3 each), Denmark and Latvia (2 each), Germany, Italy, and Slovakia (1 each).
The only asterisk of the European lot is Italian-born Tommy Di Pauli, who really only developed as a player after his family had moved to the United States and represents the U.S. internationally.
But even discounting Di Pauli, the 55 European rookies in the most all time excepting that 2000/01 season when there were 65. The bump that year was attributable mostly to the league expanding from 28 to 30 teams and a commensurate need for players from all over.
Keeping in mind that the 2019/20 regular season ended early and with less games played than scheduled, the 112 total players is the lowest total in nearly a quarter of a century (107 in 1996/97). Even still, Sweden’s 18 is second most all time after 2016/17, when there were 19. Russia’s 14 is also its greatest number in 20 years, while Finland’s 10 is among its healthiest numbers as well (it had a record 13 in 2001/02).
The numbers aren’t huge, but it’s worth noting that Slovakia’s three is still its largest since 2005/06, when the NHL came out of its year-long lockout. At the other end, the Czechs’ three is disappointing, and among its lowest totals ever.
Among the smaller nations, the cumulative number of nine (including Switzerland, Denmark, Latvia, Germany, Slovakia) matches the second-highest total of all time. Only in 2014/15, when there were 11 players from smaller nations, did more make their NHL debuts.
By the time the NHL had to pause its season in mid-March there had been 112 players who skated in the league for the first time, and 56 came from eleven top hockey nations overseas.
Last year, nearly 31 per cent were from Europe, and the previous record was 2000/01 when 43 per cent came from Europe. Most of the last half dozen years have seen 30 per cent be the norm, but this year there was a significant surge.
In all, of the 112 rookies, 34 came from Canada and 22 from the United States. Not far behind was Sweden, with 18, and Russia, with 14. Finland had 10, while other contributions came from the Czech Republic and Switzerland (3 each), Denmark and Latvia (2 each), Germany, Italy, and Slovakia (1 each).
The only asterisk of the European lot is Italian-born Tommy Di Pauli, who really only developed as a player after his family had moved to the United States and represents the U.S. internationally.
But even discounting Di Pauli, the 55 European rookies in the most all time excepting that 2000/01 season when there were 65. The bump that year was attributable mostly to the league expanding from 28 to 30 teams and a commensurate need for players from all over.
Keeping in mind that the 2019/20 regular season ended early and with less games played than scheduled, the 112 total players is the lowest total in nearly a quarter of a century (107 in 1996/97). Even still, Sweden’s 18 is second most all time after 2016/17, when there were 19. Russia’s 14 is also its greatest number in 20 years, while Finland’s 10 is among its healthiest numbers as well (it had a record 13 in 2001/02).
The numbers aren’t huge, but it’s worth noting that Slovakia’s three is still its largest since 2005/06, when the NHL came out of its year-long lockout. At the other end, the Czechs’ three is disappointing, and among its lowest totals ever.
Among the smaller nations, the cumulative number of nine (including Switzerland, Denmark, Latvia, Germany, Slovakia) matches the second-highest total of all time. Only in 2014/15, when there were 11 players from smaller nations, did more make their NHL debuts.
Finland's Kaapo Kakko was the highest European pick in the 2019 NHL draft, going No. 2 overall to the New York Rangers.
The first wave of European rookies started in the early 1990s, after perestroika and the opening of borders across Europe, combined with significant expansion in the league, from 21 teams in 1990 to 30 teams a decade later. The second wave started around the year 2000, but for most of the last 25 years Europe has provided the NHL with a quarter of new players. A jump to 50 per cent this season, however, is monumental, and one would think with the addition of a 32nd team in 2021/22 (Seattle) these numbers could even increase.
Exactly half of all NHL players appearing for the first time in a game during the 2019/20 regular season were born in Europe, a radical increase from last year and a record contribution by European nations to the makeup of the NHL.
By the time the NHL had to pause its season in mid-March there had been 112 players who skated in the league for the first time, and 56 came from eleven top hockey nations overseas.
Last year, nearly 31 per cent were from Europe, and the previous record was 2000/01 when 43 per cent came from Europe. Most of the last half dozen years have seen 30 per cent be the norm, but this year there was a significant surge.
In all, of the 112 rookies:
-34 came from Canada
-22 from the United States
-18 from Sweden
-14 from Russia
-10 from Finland
Others also came from the Czech Republic and Switzerland (3 each), Denmark and Latvia (2 each), Germany, Italy, and Slovakia (1 each).
The only asterisk of the European lot is Italian-born Tommy Di Pauli, who really only developed as a player after his family had moved to the United States and represents the U.S. internationally.
But even discounting Di Pauli, the 55 European rookies in the most all time excepting that 2000/01 season when there were 65. The bump that year was attributable mostly to the league expanding from 28 to 30 teams and a commensurate need for players from all over.
Keeping in mind that the 2019/20 regular season ended early and with less games played than scheduled, the 112 total players is the lowest total in nearly a quarter of a century (107 in 1996/97). Even still, Sweden’s 18 is second most all time after 2016/17, when there were 19. Russia’s 14 is also its greatest number in 20 years, while Finland’s 10 is among its healthiest numbers as well (it had a record 13 in 2001/02).
The numbers aren’t huge, but it’s worth noting that Slovakia’s three is still its largest since 2005/06, when the NHL came out of its year-long lockout. At the other end, the Czechs’ three is disappointing, and among its lowest totals ever.
Among the smaller nations, the cumulative number of nine (including Switzerland, Denmark, Latvia, Germany, Slovakia) matches the second-highest total of all time. Only in 2014/15, when there were 11 players from smaller nations, did more make their NHL debuts.
The first wave of European rookies started in the early 1990s, after perestroika and the opening of borders across Europe, combined with significant expansion in the league, from 21 teams in 1990 to 30 teams a decade later. The second wave started around the year 2000, but for most of the last 25 years Europe has provided the NHL with a quarter of new players. A jump to 50 per cent this season, however, is monumental, and one would think with the addition of a 32nd team in 2021/22 (Seattle) these numbers could even increase.
Exactly half of all NHL players appearing for the first time in a game during the 2019/20 regular season were born in Europe, a radical increase from last year and a record contribution by European nations to the makeup of the NHL.
By the time the NHL had to pause its season in mid-March there had been 112 players who skated in the league for the first time, and 56 came from eleven top hockey nations overseas.
Last year, nearly 31 per cent were from Europe, and the previous record was 2000/01 when 43 per cent came from Europe. Most of the last half dozen years have seen 30 per cent be the norm, but this year there was a significant surge.
In all, of the 112 rookies:
-34 came from Canada
-22 from the United States
-18 from Sweden
-14 from Russia
-10 from Finland
Others also came from the Czech Republic and Switzerland (3 each), Denmark and Latvia (2 each), Germany, Italy, and Slovakia (1 each).
The only asterisk of the European lot is Italian-born Tommy Di Pauli, who really only developed as a player after his family had moved to the United States and represents the U.S. internationally.
But even discounting Di Pauli, the 55 European rookies in the most all time excepting that 2000/01 season when there were 65. The bump that year was attributable mostly to the league expanding from 28 to 30 teams and a commensurate need for players from all over.
Keeping in mind that the 2019/20 regular season ended early and with less games played than scheduled, the 112 total players is the lowest total in nearly a quarter of a century (107 in 1996/97). Even still, Sweden’s 18 is second most all time after 2016/17, when there were 19. Russia’s 14 is also its greatest number in 20 years, while Finland’s 10 is among its healthiest numbers as well (it had a record 13 in 2001/02).
The numbers aren’t huge, but it’s worth noting that Slovakia’s three is still its largest since 2005/06, when the NHL came out of its year-long lockout. At the other end, the Czechs’ three is disappointing, and among its lowest totals ever.
Among the smaller nations, the cumulative number of nine (including Switzerland, Denmark, Latvia, Germany, Slovakia) matches the second-highest total of all time. Only in 2014/15, when there were 11 players from smaller nations, did more make their NHL debuts.
The first wave of European rookies started in the early 1990s, after perestroika and the opening of borders across Europe, combined with significant expansion in the league, from 21 teams in 1990 to 30 teams a decade later. The second wave started around the year 2000, but for most of the last 25 years Europe has provided the NHL with a quarter of new players. A jump to 50 per cent this season, however, is monumental, and one would think with the addition of a 32nd team in 2021/22 (Seattle) these numbers could even increase.