The globalization of the National Hockey League has been occurring since its inception. The early years saw a largely Canadian league, with some Americans playing. As the league progressed it experienced an influx of European players, at first from Western European countries such as Sweden. After the fall of Communism, players from Eastern European countries, such as the former Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union, joined the league. The NHL eventually saw fewer European players, but more players from Canada and the United States. Today the NHL has players from five continents. The following is a list of countries and the first person born there that played in the National Hockey League. These players are not necessarily the first citizen of each respective country to play in the NHL, as nationality is determined under a nation's nationality law and may differ. Additionally, some countries have had citizens play in the NHL, but have never had a native-born player reach the league.

Most statistical sources in the sport follow the convention of the Hockey Hall of Fame in classifying players by the currently existing countries in which their birthplaces are located.

Current countries

Country of birth	Name	Debut year
Australia	Nathan Walker[1]	2017–18
Austria	Reinhard Divis[2]	2001–02[3]
Bahamas	Andre Deveaux[4]	2008–09[5]
Belarus	John Miszuk[note 1]	1963–64[6]
Belgium	Jan Benda[7]	1997–98[8]
Bulgaria	Alexandar Georgiev[note 2]	2017–18[9]
Brazil	Mike Greenlay	1989–90[10]
Brunei	Craig Adams[note 3]	2000–01[11]
Canada	Multiple: all but one participant of the first NHL game were Canadian born	1917–18[12]
Croatia	Goran Bezina[note 4]	2003–04[13]
Czech Republic	Jaroslav Jirik[note 5][14]	1969–70[15]
Denmark	Poul Popiel	1965–66[16]
Estonia	Leo Komarov[17][note 6]	2012–13[18]
Finland	Albert Pudas[19][note 7]	1926–27[20]
France	Andre Peloffy	1974–75[21]
Germany	Walt Tkaczuk[22][note 8]	1967–68[23]
Haiti	Claude Vilgrain[24]	1987–88[25]
Indonesia	Richie Regehr	2005–06[26]
Ireland	Jack Riley[note 9]	1932–33[27]
Italy	Nelson DeBenedet	1973–74[28]
Jamaica	Graeme Townshend[29]	1989–90[30]
Japan	Yutaka Fukufuji[31]	2006–07[32]
Kazakhstan	Konstantin Shafranov[note 10]	1996–97[33]
Latvia	Charlie Cotch[note 11]	1924–25[34]
Lebanon	Ed Hatoum[35]	1968–69[36]
Lithuania	Darius Kasparaitis[note 12]	1992–93[37]
Netherlands	Ed Kea	1973–74[38]
Nigeria	Rumun Ndur[39]	1996–97[40]
Norway	Bill Johansen	1949–50[41]
Paraguay	Willi Plett	1975–76[42]
Poland	Joe Jerwa[note 13]	1930–31[43]
Republic of China (Taiwan)	Rod Langway[44]	1978–79[45]
Russia	Sweeney Schriner[note 14][46]	1934–35[47]
Serbia	Stan Smrke[48][note 15]	1956–57[49]
Slovakia	Stan Mikita[note 16]	1958–59[50]
Slovenia	Anze Kopitar[51][note 17]	2006–07[52]
South Africa	Olaf Kolzig	1989–90[53]
South Korea	Jim Paek[54]	1990–91[55]
Sweden	Gus Forslund[56]	1932–33[57]
Switzerland	Mark Hardy	1979–80[58]
Tanzania	Chris Nielsen	2000–01[59]
United Kingdom	Joe Hall[60]	1917–18[61]
United States	George Geran	1917–18[62]
Ukraine	Vic Hoffinger[note 18]	1927–28[63]
Venezuela	Rick Chartraw[64]	1974–75[65]
Uzbekistan	Arthur Kaliyev[66]	2020–21

Former countries

Country	Name	Debut Year
Czechoslovakia	Anton Stastny Peter Stastny	1980–81[67][68]
East Germany	Udo Kiessling[69]	1981–82[70]
Newfoundland[note 19]	Alex Faulkner	1961–62[71]
Russian Empire[note 20]	Charlie Cotch	1924–25[34]
Slovak Republic (1939–1945)[note 21]	Stan Mikita[72]	1958–59[50]
Soviet Union	John Miszuk	1963–64[6]
West Germany	Willie Huber	1978–79[73]
Yugoslavia, Kingdom of[note 22]	Stan Smrke[74]	1956–57[49]
Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of[note 23]	Ivan Boldirev[75]	1970–71[76]