Favourite Players From Each Hockey Nation

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Thought it might be fun for everyone to share their favourite players from each major hockey playing country. They don't necessarily have to be the best player nor do they have to be current or former Wings - though I realize many will. They just have to be your favourite. Feel free to add a country if I left it out. Have a current and all-time to make it more interesting

Canada - Sam Gagner and Steve Yzerman

Sweden - Henrik Zetterberg and Tommy Salo (Always felt bad for him after that Olympic game in '02 against Belarus)

Czech Republic - Ales Hemsky and Petr Nedved

United States - Jason Pominville and Pat LaFontaine

Russia - Pavel Datsyuk tie between Pavel Bure and Igor Larionov

Finland - Valtteri Filppula and Jari Kurri

[Doggy 130]

Canada - Yzerman and Lemieux

U.S. - Chelios

Czech Republic - Jagr

Russia - Datsyuk

Slovakia - Zdeno Chara and now Marian Hossa too

Finland - Jari Jurri

Sweden - Lidstrom

Australia - Joey Hughes

[The Noodle 39 14]

Canada - Yzerman, Gretzky, Curtis Joseph, Joe Sakic

Czech Republic - Dominik Hasek

Russia - Larionov, Kovalev, Fetisov, Nabokov, Datsyuk

USA - Pat LaFontaine, Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Chelios, John Vanbiesbrouck

Latvia - Arturs Irbe

Sweden - Lidstrom, Sundin, Zetterberg, Holmstrom

Finland - Saku Koivu, Kiprusoff

Germany - Olaf Kolzig

[55fan 5,133]

The nice thing about favourites is there's no wrong answer.

US: Cheli

Canada: Ozzie, Mac, Malts, Drapes

Finland: Selanne, Val

Sweden: Kronner

Russia: Larionov

Czech: Lang, Hasek

[Holmstrom96Screens 0]

do they have to be currently active or can they be former players who are retired now?

That wasnt made clear in the topic starter's post

Canada - k my all time fave from here is Mario Lemieux who is of course now retired

Sweden - Tomas Holmström

I'll just say the place formerly known as Czechoslovakia just to make it simple cause I'll be darned if I know who's czech republic now and who is slovakian - Dominic Hasek

United States - Brett Hull

Russia - Pavel Bure

Finland - Saku Koivu

Edited July 19, 2008 by Holmstrom96Screens

[Guest mindfly]

Come on guys, just one player from each country

Canada - Steve 'Captain" Yzerman

Sweden - Nicklas Lidström

Czech Republic - Jaromir Jagr

United States - Brian Leech

Russia - Sergei Fedorov

Finland - Kimmo Timmonen

Slovakia - Marian Hossa

Edited July 19, 2008 by mindfly

[GoOzzieGo 22]

Does Brett Hull count? Considering he has dual citizenship and was actually born in Ontario.

{playing the part of 'pain in the ass' this morning}

Edited July 19, 2008 by GoOzzieGo

[miksteri 55]

Canada - Gretzky

US - Chelios

Czech Republic - Jagr

Russia - Datsyuk

Slovakia - Marian Hossa

Finland - Esa Tikkanen

Sweden - Lidstrom

[FireCaptain 563]

What country is TooToo from?

I keed, I keed.

[betterREDthandead 58]

Canada - Steve Yzerman

USA - Brian Rafalski

Sweden - Henrik Zetterberg

Finland - Valtteri Filppula

Russia - Pavel Datsyuk

Czech Republic - Dominik Hasek

Slovakia - Marian Hossa

Slovenia - Jan Mursak

gosh, it seems like there's a common thread here

Fact is, rarely do I find a favorite player that isn't on the Wings. My favorite non-Wing is Mats Sundin, but he's not gonna outdo Zetterberg.

[puckloo39 5,686]

Canada - Steve Yzerman

USA - Brian Rafalski

Sweden - Henrik Zetterberg

Finland - Valtteri Filppula

Russia - Pavel Datsyuk

Czech Republic - Dominik Hasek

Slovakia - Marian Hossa

Slovenia - Jan Mursak

gosh, it seems like there's a common thread here

Fact is, rarely do I find a favorite player that isn't on the Wings. My favorite non-Wing is Mats Sundin, but he's not gonna outdo Zetterberg.

I think I will steal most of your list. I echo your thoughts, right down to my fav non-Wing. Love Big Mats... but he's not a Wing.

Here is my list, with "runners up" non-Wings second

Canada - Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic/Mats Sundin

USA - Brian Rafalski/Cheli (tied), Mike Modano

Sweden - Henrik Zetterberg/Nick Lidstrom (tied), Mats Sundin

Finland - Valtteri Filppula, Miikka Kiprusoff (since Teemu is pretty much retired)

Russia - Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Ovechkin

Czech Republic - Dominik Hasek , Jaromir Jagr

Slovakia - Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara

Latvia: Sandis Ozolinsh, Arturs Irbe - no Wings here

Germany - Marco Sturm (no Wings here either, sorry, Uwe...)

[FinRedWing 172]

Cool thread!

Canada - Steve Yzerman,Tim Cheveldae / Simon Gagne

USA - Pat LaFontaine / Brian Rafalski

Sweden - Rolf Ridderwall / Nicklas Lidstrom,Henrik Zetterberg

Finland - Jari Kurri,Esa Tikkanen / Olli Jokinen,Saku Koivu,Kari Lehtonen,Valtteri Filppula

Russia - Igor Larionov / Sergei Fedorov,Pavel Datsyuk

Czech Republic - Jan Caloun / Dominik Hasek,Jiri Hudler

Slovakia - Peter Stastny / Marian Hossa,Zdeno Chara

Latvia - Arturs Irbe

Belarus - Vladimir Kopat (Scored THE goal on Tommy Salo,one of the best goals ever from the Finnish perspective )

Switzerland - Renato Tosio / Mark Streit

[Guest Dump-N-Thump]

US: Dubinsky, Malone, Umberger

Canada: Bertuzzi, Gratton, Carcillo

Finland: Jokinen, Ruutu's,Tikkanen

Sweden: Kronwall, Lilja, Zetteeee

Russia: Ovechkin, Volchenkov, Nazarov

Czech: Fischer, Koci, Elias.

[StaticWithABeat 0]

Canada - Wendel Clark

Russia - Sergei Fedorov

Sweden - Nicklas Lidstrom

USA - Brian Leetch

Slovakia - Ziggy Palffy

[BeeRYCE 2]

Canada - Steve Yzerman all time, Jonathan Toews and Dan Cleary for current

Sweden - Henrik Zetterberg

Czech Republic - I don't really like Czech players, but Martin Havlat, maybe a bit of Hudler, why not?

United States - Mike Modano and Brian Rafalski

Russia - Pavel Bure all time, Pavel Datsyuk current

Finland - Filppula and Saku Koivu

Slovakia - Marian Gaborik

Misc. - Anze Kopitar

[TheUkrainian 49]

Canada - Steve Yzerman

Russia - Konstantinov / Ovechkin / Datsyuk / Tretiak (non-NHL)

USA - Chelios / Rafalski

Sweden - Lids / Kronner / Sundin

Czech - Jagr / Fischer

Slovakia - Chara / Hossa

Ukrainian - Ponikarovsky / Fedotenko / Khristich (If not my country of birth, but by ancestry, Gretzky/Sawchuk had Ukrainian Grandparents)

I completely spaced on his name, but that one guy who was a coach for the Rangers?, then suited up as a goalie because they were a player short and ended up winning...thats ballsy right there.

[soultrain 43]

Borat...i mean Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov-kazakhstan

[Systemfel 33]

Borat...i mean Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov-kazakhstan

Nabokov is Russian.

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

Nabokov is Russian.

Someone please correct me wrong but I was under the impression that Nabby was Born in modern day Kaz before the USSR disbanded. That would explain websites listing either.

As for my list (Man this seemed easier than it is)

USA: Rafalski, Chelios, JR, Modano

Canada: Stevie Y, Lemiuex, Shanahan, Phanuef

Sweden: Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Forsberg (If he wasen't an av but a Wing, face it, we'd be calling him one of the greats. Creepy looking guy but boy could he cylle the puck). LILIJA!!

Russia: Datsyuk, Bure, Fedorov, Ovechkin

Finland: Both Koivus, Selanne, Filppula

Slovenia: Kopitar

Czech: Hudler, Jagr, Havlat

Slovokia, Chara, Hossa, Gaborik, Ziggy Palffy.

Germany: Kolzig, sturm

Edited July 20, 2008 by EZBAKETHAGANGSTA

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Nabokov is Russian.

According to TSN, Nabokov was born in Ust-Kamenogorsk, USSR (now Kazakhstan)

[Guest mindfly]

He was born in Kazakhstan during the soviet period and after soviet union was dissolved he choosed a russian citizenship

Edited July 19, 2008 by mindfly

[skacore 2]

Canada - Brendan Shanahan

Sweden - Daniel Alfredsson

Czech Republic - Jiri Fischer

United States - Derian Hatcher

Russia - Pavel Datsyuk

Finland - Olli Jokinen

Slovakia - Zdeno Chara

[Konnan511 1,736]

USA - Kane

Canada - Adam Oates

Sweden - Jonathan Ericsson

Russia - Bure

Finland - Filppula

Czech - Jakub Kindl

[TheUkrainian 49]

Yeah, a lot of non-russian born players chose Russian as their citizenship. I constantly have to correct people that I'm not from Russia, I'm from Ukraine. Several Ukrainian Born (Zherdev/ Tverdovsky/ Zhitnik) players chose Russian citizenship and played for Russia in the Olympics and International competitions, which kinda makes me mad since your suposed to be playing for your country...

[Yemack 1]

Canada - Yzerman Iginla Sakic Cleary

Sweden - Lidstrom, Z, Alfredsson, Holmstrom, Kronwall

Russia - Datsyuk, Larionov, maybe Fedorov

Cech - Vokoun, Huds

Fin - Selanee, Filp

Slovak - Hossa! Kopecky

USA - Rafalski, Chelios, Modano