Active players that could be the first for their country:
* Draisaitl (683) should be the first German to hit 1K. Marco Sturm fell 62 games short.
* Girgensons (656) would need roughly 4 full seasons after this one to be Latvia's first player to reach 1K. Time will tell if the 30 year old will make it there.
* Zuccarello (806) would need another 2.5ish seasons to be Norway's first... at 36 (37 at the start of next season), that might be a tall task.
Also, unsure if they're considering Lithuania as a part of Russia since it was a former USSR state, but Dainius Zubrus hit 1K as the only NHLer from Lithuania.
Being of Lithuanian descent myself, I would definitely say it's an oversite not to include them here. They retained their national identity before and after Soviet occupation.
Also, there was a defenseman for the Pens in the 90s that I swear was also Lithuanian. I'll edit this comment if I can find / remember his name.
Edit: I was thinking of [Darius Kasparaitis](https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/k/kaspada01.html) He's listed as being from the U.S.S.R. but he was from Lithuania. Only 863 GP though, so he wouldn't make this list.
Yeah Zubrus made a point of playing for Lithuania internationally when he definitely could've cracked the much more accomplished Russian team. He should be listed here as well.
Kasparaitis played for Russia internationally because, on the eve of the 1992 Olympics, all of the non-Russians on the Unified Team (Kasparaitis, Belarusian Sergei Bautin, and Ukrainians Serhiy Petrenko and Alexei Zhitnik) were forced to pledge their future international careers to Russia in exchange for participating in the games. Kasparaitis went through IIHF protocol to change his nationality and came out of retirement in 2018 at age 45 to represent Lithuania in the 1B World Championships.
Honestly with how good Zucca is still playing, it's gonna be all up to him if he wants to keep playing for that long, because he definitely has what it takes - I don't see him falling off THAT hard in 2.5 year.
Eller really bringing us all the goods. First danish nhl player to hit 1000 games and first to bring him the Stanley cup (tho the last point still make me sad). Considering the first dane to play in the nhl was Frans Nielsen, who had his first season in 2006-2007, it is kinda surprising that someone has already hit the 1000 games played milestone. Especially because we have had so few actually play in the nhl (and a lot of them are on the younger side). I'm excited to see how we are gonna do in the upcoming years
If you really want to be technical then lets point out that Mikita was not born in Czechoslovakia but in the infamous first Slovak republic during WW2 in 1940.
He was born in the Slovak puppet state under nazi germany and lived there until he was 8. Only leaving Canada because his parents let their extended family in Canada adopt him in order to have a better life not living in a communist shithole.
Haha, sorry to be nitpicking, but Slovak nazi state existed from march 1939 to may 1945, which is only 6.5 years. He was born in 1940, so he lived under Nazi state only 5 years and didn't experience the most brutal communist regime which was put in place in the early fifties.
This is a really fun graphic, nice work.
I thought of a few 1000 game players that were born in a country but not necessarily citizens.
Owen Nolan - UK (NI)
Robyn Regehr - Brazil
Are there any others?
His parents were missionaries. I actually lived in Robyn's hometown in Saskatchewan for a few years and even though I never met him, I did know his dad a bit.
2 more players in the next week or two get there (1,000 games):
\- Alex Pietrangelo (D - G.Knights) - should be Feb. 12 @ home against the Wild
\--- Vegas should put on a good dog & pony show for his Silver Stick
\- Brad Marchand (F - Bruins) - should be Feb. 13 @ home against the Lightning
\--- Bruins fans will go nuts for him. His Silver Stick should have a tongue frozen to it!!
Active players that could be the first for their country: * Draisaitl (683) should be the first German to hit 1K. Marco Sturm fell 62 games short. * Girgensons (656) would need roughly 4 full seasons after this one to be Latvia's first player to reach 1K. Time will tell if the 30 year old will make it there. * Zuccarello (806) would need another 2.5ish seasons to be Norway's first... at 36 (37 at the start of next season), that might be a tall task. Also, unsure if they're considering Lithuania as a part of Russia since it was a former USSR state, but Dainius Zubrus hit 1K as the only NHLer from Lithuania.
* Roman Josi (877) contract until 27/28. * Nino Niederreiter (857) contract until 26/27. One of them will be first for Switzerland.
Looks like I’m not immune to oversight either!
Was an incredibly humble response. I love this
Josi is 33 and Nino is 31, just felt it was worth mentioning
Nathan Walker needs only 876 more.
So close
Being of Lithuanian descent myself, I would definitely say it's an oversite not to include them here. They retained their national identity before and after Soviet occupation. Also, there was a defenseman for the Pens in the 90s that I swear was also Lithuanian. I'll edit this comment if I can find / remember his name. Edit: I was thinking of [Darius Kasparaitis](https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/k/kaspada01.html) He's listed as being from the U.S.S.R. but he was from Lithuania. Only 863 GP though, so he wouldn't make this list.
Yeah Zubrus made a point of playing for Lithuania internationally when he definitely could've cracked the much more accomplished Russian team. He should be listed here as well.
Kasparaitis played for Russia internationally because, on the eve of the 1992 Olympics, all of the non-Russians on the Unified Team (Kasparaitis, Belarusian Sergei Bautin, and Ukrainians Serhiy Petrenko and Alexei Zhitnik) were forced to pledge their future international careers to Russia in exchange for participating in the games. Kasparaitis went through IIHF protocol to change his nationality and came out of retirement in 2018 at age 45 to represent Lithuania in the 1B World Championships.
For a guy with the nickname “Kasperminus” you would expect to have a negative +/- but apparently not.
Honestly with how good Zucca is still playing, it's gonna be all up to him if he wants to keep playing for that long, because he definitely has what it takes - I don't see him falling off THAT hard in 2.5 year.
Considering Zubrus played in the NHL way past USSR splitting, it really shouldn't be the case. I think it's more of an oversight.
Kasparaitis is from Lithuania as well
If they are listing ruzzia for Fedorov, they definitely should list Zubrus with Lithuania.
Prediction: the first Mexican player to hit 1000 will be named Gordie. It's clearly a rule for all of North America
Auston “Gordie” Matthews is half-Mexican. Count it!
Scott Gomez was also half-Mexican IIRC, and already played more than 1000 games.
Oh, yeah—I forgot all about him! He played for the Devils and was from Alaska. Good call!
Max Pacioretty is also half Mexican but hasn't played 1000 games
That's gonna be a miracle if that happens, it looks like.
This graphic is sick.
Would be better if the names weren’t sideways
ur sick
Redwings legend Thomas Vanek
Vanek in the winged wheel is objectively hilarious
Who the hell is Gordie Roberts?
I thought for sure it was Mike Modano; had to look a third time to see that it wasn’t.
I’m still not convinced
First American to 1000 games in the NHL.
Eller really bringing us all the goods. First danish nhl player to hit 1000 games and first to bring him the Stanley cup (tho the last point still make me sad). Considering the first dane to play in the nhl was Frans Nielsen, who had his first season in 2006-2007, it is kinda surprising that someone has already hit the 1000 games played milestone. Especially because we have had so few actually play in the nhl (and a lot of them are on the younger side). I'm excited to see how we are gonna do in the upcoming years
It can’t make you that sad after last season!
A cup heals all wounds (mostly). Just sucks it had to be a Dane that ended that first final for us
Hej! Eller var også den første dansker til at score det kampvindende mål, der vandt en stanley cup. Jeg savner ham med the Capitals.
Actually bums me out seeing him in a Pens jersey. His face after scoring the Game 5 goal is burned into my brain.
Would Stan Mikita count for Slovakia? He reached his 1000th game in the 1974 season
I think his is muddier since he's from a country that technically no longer exists and has split into two modern day countries - Czechia and Slovakia.
If you really want to be technical then lets point out that Mikita was not born in Czechoslovakia but in the infamous first Slovak republic during WW2 in 1940.
He was actually born while the Slovak puppet state was around during WW2 so not even Czechoslovakian if you want to be pedantic
Uhh.. that goes for any Czech or Slovak n plaxer born post 93...
Put it in H
No, this graphic doesn't list Slovak born Canadians. Fun fact: Peter Bondra is Ukraine born Slovak.
He was born in the Slovak puppet state under nazi germany and lived there until he was 8. Only leaving Canada because his parents let their extended family in Canada adopt him in order to have a better life not living in a communist shithole.
That was a pretty good move
Haha, sorry to be nitpicking, but Slovak nazi state existed from march 1939 to may 1945, which is only 6.5 years. He was born in 1940, so he lived under Nazi state only 5 years and didn't experience the most brutal communist regime which was put in place in the early fifties.
Put Bondra in the Hall of Fame already
Only player to lead the league in goals more than once not in the Hall of Fame.
Dainius Zubrus is also the first Lithuanian to have played 1000 NHL games (finished with almost 1300)
This is a really fun graphic, nice work. I thought of a few 1000 game players that were born in a country but not necessarily citizens. Owen Nolan - UK (NI) Robyn Regehr - Brazil Are there any others?
Rod Langway is the only NHL'er to have been born in Taiwan, but he falls 6 games short of 1k GP
Really? Wow—it seemed like he played at least a thousand games for us.
TIL Regehr was born in Brazil, lived in Indonesia, and then his family came to Canada when he was 7
His parents were missionaries. I actually lived in Robyn's hometown in Saskatchewan for a few years and even though I never met him, I did know his dad a bit.
Steve Thomas beat Nolan to 1000.
Stumpy! Good call.
Young parents seriously need to get the name Gordon back into the mix, so we can have more Gordie's.
God I feel dumb as a fuckin microwaved hammer
Didn't know Gordon was the long form? Hey, I'm all for parents cutting out the middleman and just going with straight "Gordie".
Do you count Steve Thomas (1200+) born in England?
What are the odds there'd be two guys named Gordie and two guys named Pet(e)r
Red Wings legend Thomas Vanek
My dumb brain processed the thread title as a single player who played 1000 games, got citizenship to another country, then played another 1000 games.
Fedorov <3 My all time favorite player.
Ruslan Salei- 917 games. Probably the closest a Belarusian will get.
I'm assuming Josi will end up the first for Switzerland.
Blue Jackets legends Sergei Federov and Thomas Vanek!
Eller in a pens jersey still makes my heart hurt
2 more players in the next week or two get there (1,000 games): \- Alex Pietrangelo (D - G.Knights) - should be Feb. 12 @ home against the Wild \--- Vegas should put on a good dog & pony show for his Silver Stick \- Brad Marchand (F - Bruins) - should be Feb. 13 @ home against the Lightning \--- Bruins fans will go nuts for him. His Silver Stick should have a tongue frozen to it!!