Juraj Slafkovsky, the first Slovakian to be drafted first overall in the NHL, signs his entry-level contract with the Montreal CanadiensĬredit: Montreal Canadiens Twitter NHL nationality breakdown Over the past 11 years, first overall picks have come from six different countries, something that just hasn’t been very common in the NHL’s history. This past draft, Juraj Slafkovsky became the first Slovakian to be selected first overall in the NHL draft. When Owen Power was selected first overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2021 draft, it was the first time six years that Canadians were taken first overall in back-to-back drafts. It’s only a matter of time that we start to see countries like Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark rise up the international ice hockey charts and continually challenge for medals at international tournaments.Įach year at the NHL draft, there are more and more players selected from non-traditional hockey markets, and the game really is growing in more countries around the world. The emergence of international superstars like Tim Stützle, Timo Meier, Mats Zuccarello, and many others, the game of hockey is clearly growing overseas.
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