An NHL Birthplace Is Not A Hockey Nationality
The league counts 20 birth countries but only 17 represented nationalities.
In the National Hockey League, birthplace is not the same as hockey nationality. In the 2025-26 season, NHL players counted 20 birth countries but only 17 international allegiances.
Jordan Spence came into the world in Australia, yet his international play is for Canada. Harrison Brunicke started life in South Africa and also plays for Canada.
Arthur Kaliyev lists Uzbekistan as his birthplace and the United States as his international side. Nathan Walker claims Great Britain as his birthplace and Australia as his team.
The gap shows birthplace alone does not decide the country a player represents. Counting by birthplace gives a wider map than counting by national team.
Questions people ask
How can an NHL player represent a different country than the one where he was born?
The source does not explain the reasons for these players. It only shows that birthplace and represented country can differ.
Are there many NHL players born in those far-flung countries?
No. In this roster count, each of these four birthplaces has one player. Australia, Uzbekistan, Great Britain, and South Africa each appear once.
Which countries produce most NHL players?
Canada and the United States lead. Canada accounts for 43% of NHL players and the United States for 29%. The next largest groups are Sweden, Finland, Czechia, and Russia, and together those six countries make up 98% of the league.