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Who is the best hockey player from each of the 50 states?
Hockey isn’t often thought of as an American sport. It’s a sport typically dominated by Canadians. While Canada is the king of the ice, the United States still has a history on the rink to be proud of. Some of the greatest players of all-time have come from America.
That said, the game has grown in certain areas of the country and not in others. Some states can say they’ve produced a lot of NHL players. Meanwhile, other states have produced very few, if any.
For this list, the player in question must be born or raised in the state. Any question of a player’s birthplace will be solved on Quanthockey. For example, someone might have played hockey in Boston, but this doesn’t necessarily qualify them to be from Massachusetts. Each state has some hockey player to be proud of. Here’s the best hockey player from each of the 50 states.
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Alabama- Nic Dowd
When one thinks of Alabama, football immediately comes to mind. Nobody thinks about a sport played on ice. Despite this, Alabama has had more success than you think. Cam Talbot of the Edmonton Oilers attended the University of Alabama-Huntsville for college. Their first NHL player? Jared Ross, who is currently playing in the ECHL. Ross is also from Alabama.
However, their best player of all-time is Nic Dowd. He plays for the Los Angeles Kings and hopefully his success will be an inspiration to athletes from states not known for ice sports. In his first 19 games, he has seven points. All of them have come during the 2016-17 NHL season. He had 41 points in 75 games during the 2014-15 AHL season to lead the Manchester Monarchs to the Calder Trophy title. Dowd was born in Huntsville, Alabama. So remember, just because you live in a state where football is king, you can still have success in hockey.
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Pennsylvania – Mike Richter
Ironically, the state of Pennsylvania is home to a player who gave its two NHL teams, the Penguins and the Flyers, a lot of headaches over his career. Goaltender Mike Richter, a native of Abington, PA, is most famous for helping the New York Rangers win the 1993-94 Stanley Cup.
A veteran of 666 regular season games, Richter ranks 31st all-time among goalies in game played. He placed in the Vezina Trophy voting five times during his 14 year career. Richter spent each of those seasons with the Rangers, a rarity in modern times.
He has a career save percentage of .904 with 301 career wins. Richter could have had more, but most of his years were spent with the tie. The Rangers goalie also ranks 28th in career goaltending point shares.
Richter is also known for his time representing the United States internationally. He led America to a silver medal finish at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Also, Richter was the starting goaltender for the 1996 World Cup team that won the tournament.
Other players from Pennsylvania include Columbus Blue Jackets forward Brandon Saad, Florida Panthers center Vincent Trocheck, goalie John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, forward Ryan Malone, and forward R.J. Umberger.
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Kentucky – Paul McAvoy
Much like Kansas, Kentucky hasn’t produced an NHL player. However, they have Lexington native Paul McAvoy, who is currently playing in the BCHL and will play for Colgate University in 2017-18. It might seem irrelevant, but it’s a huge step forward for a state slowly beginning to embrace the sport of hockey.
McAvoy moved to Ohio as a teenager to support his hockey career. He played for several junior teams, including the Cleveland Barons (U-16 and U-18) and the Queen City Steam of the NA3HL. After a brief stint with the EHL’s Connecticut Oilers, McAvoy joined the Surrey Eagles of the BCHL. He currently plays for them. As of Nov. 24, he has 55 points in 71 games. McAvoy will play for Colgate during the 2017-18 season, making him the first hockey player from Kentucky to play for a major university.
Kentucky is certainly growing to love hockey. The Kentucky Wildcats have a ACHA team that is working to join the NCAA. Several players from Lexington have played at smaller universities, but McAvoy will be the first to play Division I hockey. Participation on the ice is up all over the state, so who knows? We might see an NHL player from Kentucky. And it might just be McAvoy.
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Arizona – Auston Matthews
Technically, Auston Matthews was not born in Arizona. He was born in California, but his family moved to Arizona when he was an infant. So he counts for the state of Arizona. Matthews, the number one pick of the 2016 NHL Draft, is in the fast lane to hockey stardom.
He has already etched his name in history, scoring a record four goals in his NHL debut. Unfortunately, it was in a losing effort. Matthews, born and raised in Arizona, represents a recent movement in the desert state. He is proof that the NHL’s decision to move the old Winnipeg Jets to the southwest was the right decision. Hockey is expanding in Arizona and Matthews is a huge reason for it.
Before joining the Maple Leafs, he set records with the United States Developmental Team. Matthews draws a lot of comparisons to fellow American Patrick Kane because of his precise skill game.
Honorable Mention: Sean Couturier is the first NHL player from Arizona, or at least the first major one. So far, his career has been defined by injuries, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been very good. Couturier has 165 points in 369 career regular season games. He played for Team North America in the World Cup with Matthews.
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Arkansas – Trey Lowry
The state of Arkansas has never produced an NHL player. Nor has it even produced somebody who played professional hockey. However, thanks to the success of the Arkansas Razorbacks, it’s a growing sport. They recently became a Division I team, which is very exciting news. Since joining Division I in 2015-16, the Razorbacks haven’t had a player from Arkansas on the team. However, Trey Lowry has had a lot of success on their Division III team.
Lowry has 29 points in 19 career games for the Razorbacks. He’s a member of their Division III team for the 2016-17 season. Last season, he finished second on the Razorbacks in goals with 18 and third in points with 29. Lowry was born and raised in Bentonville, Arkansas. He and Evan Kerr are a huge reason why hockey is on the rise in such a small state.
Credit must be given to the efforts of the University of Arkansas as well. They have steadily developed a solid program that has been one of the better Division III teams over the past few seasons. Arkansas still has a way to go before having their first NHL player, but it’s certainly a state on the rise. It should catch up to the likes of Alabama within the next decade or so.
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California – Brooks Orpik
While the state of California has become known as “The State of Hockey” because they support three NHL teams, the sport still hasn’t quite caught on. That’s understandable because it’s a state with great weather. However, California has produced several NHL players. Their best one is Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik.
Orpik, known as a physical stay at home defenseman, has just 16 goals in 839 career games. However, he has been a staple for the United States in international competition, leading America in both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. Orpik won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2008-09 season. Ironically, the Penguins beat the Capitals on the way to winning the Cup.
While Orpik isn’t very productive, he is respected as a terrific guy in the locker room. He’s a great leader and young players gravitate towards him. Perhaps most telling of his influence is that young Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov refers to him as “batya”. In Russian, this means “dad”. While it is an informal name, it’s a tremendous sign of respect to be called batya.
Currently, Orpik has seen his playing time cut. He currently plays on the Capitals’ third pairing with Nate Schmidt. However, “batya” is still one of the NHL’s better penalty killers and has inspired a lot of youth in California to fall in love with hockey.
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Colorado – Ben Bishop
The state of Colorado only got an NHL team fairly recently, as the Colorado Avalanche arrived back in 1995. They also won a Stanley Cup the same season. This has helped hockey grow in Colorado, but it has only 13 NHL players on its resume. Its leading scorer is Mike Eaves, but he played in the 1980’s when pretty much everybody scored. So their best hockey player is Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Bishop holds the distinction of being the tallest NHL goalie of all-time at 6’7″. When you look at him, you wonder if he even has a torso because his arms and legs are so long. Bishop loves to use his lanky frame to his advantage, as he’s a very athletic and quick goalie. Ironically, his long limbs might also be the cause of his repeated injuries. But when he’s healthy, Bishop is one of the best goalies in the NHL.
His road to stardom hasn’t been straight. Bishop started off with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to the Ottawa Senators. He never did well with them, so he got traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the Lightning, Bishop has emerged as one of the NHL’s elite goaltenders. He has a career save percentage of .920.
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Connecticut – Max Pacioretty
Connecticut has produced quite a few NHL players. While some have outproduced current Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty, none of them have accomplished what he has nor have been the star he is. Pacioretty is also going down in history as one of the very few Americans to serve as the Canadiens captain.
He has represented the United States several times internationally, including at the World Cup, the Olympics, and the World Juniors. Sure, Craig Jannay averaged more points per game than him. However, the era during which he played must be taken into consideration. Pacioretty averages 0.714 points per game as of Nov. 20, second most in Connecticut history.
Born in New Canaan, he might be the most famous resident of the city of all-time. The best years have yet to come for the Canadiens captain. In his first 500 hockey games, Pacioretty has 178 goals and 179 assists, good for 357 points.
Jannay is another famous hockey player from Connecticut. However, he might be most famous for indirectly forcing Brandon Shanahan out of St. Louis. His wife cheated on him with the future Hall of Famer, so the Blues resolved it by trading him for Chris Pronger. Chris Drury is another notable Connecticut resident with a successful hockey career.
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Delaware – Mark Eaton
Delaware is one of the smallest states. Naturally, it hasn’t produced too many hockey players. However, its most successful player of all-time is Mark Eaton, who had a pretty solid NHL career. Born in Wilmington, he was forced to move to Waterloo, Iowa to pursue his hockey career. Eaton had a unique path to the NHL. He didn’t get drafted, so he went to a variety of teams before starring for Notre Dame for a season. The Philadelphia Flyers liked what they saw, so they signed him.
In 1999, Eaton made his NHL debut and scored his first goal against the Boston Bruins in 2000. Never known for his scoring, he had just 24 career goals in 650 games. In fact, he only had 85 career points. Over his career, Eaton averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per game, his most coming with the Nashville Predators during the 2003-04 season. He helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup during the 2008-09 season, scoring each of his four career playoff goals during that run.
Unfortunately, though he played professionally for over 13 seasons, his NHL career is more known for his injuries than anything else. Only four times in his career did he play in over 65 games and only twice did he appear in over 70.
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Florida – Shayne Gostisbehere
Florida has two professional hockey teams, but the state is still far more known for its football prowess than on the ice. However, that might be changing, especially with a new wave of defensemen hitting the NHL. Native Jakob Chychrun was selected in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Coyotes. Moreover, superstar defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere is from Florida as well.
Gostisbehere, or Ghost Bear as fans call him, has been a sensation for the Philadelphia Flyers. He moved to Connecticut so he could attend South Kent Prep High School. From there, he signed with NCAA hockey powerhouse Union College. At Union, Gostisbehere quickly got attention because of his phenomenal athleticism and natural instincts. The Flyers drafted him in 2012. Unfortunately, his NHL career was a bit delayed because of an ACL injury. Philly initially sent him down to start the 2015-16 hockey season.
However, injuries forced them to call Gostisbehere up. From there, all he did in his rookie season was dazzle. Gostisbehere even set the rookie point streak record for a defenseman. He finished second in the Calder Trophy voting behind Artemi Panarin.
Gostisbehere’s future is extremely bright, just like Florida’s future in hockey is.
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Georgia – Eric Chouinard
The name Eric Chouinard might not sound familiar to NHL fans unless you’re discussing Montreal Canadiens’ draft busts. However, he has made a name for himself overseas, namely in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Chouinard has quietly put together a hockey career many would love to have.
He became the first player from Georgia to be drafted when the Canadiens picked him with the 16th overall pick of the 1998 draft. However, Chouinard only played in 90 NHL games, including just 13 with Montreal. He spent 46 games with the Philadelphia Flyers and 31 with the Minnesota Wild. After playing over 200 games in the AHL, Chouinard went overseas to play for HC Sierre-Anniviers of the NLB, a hockey league in Switzerland. Quickly, he signed with the Straubing Tigers of the DEL after just four games in the NLB.
Also playing for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers, he played in over 300 games in the DEL. He has 264 points in those games. Currently, Chouinard plays in France, where he serves as the captain for Grenoble.
Even though he never stuck in the NHL, he still has one heck of a career and has gotten to travel the world a bit. So who’s the real winner?
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Hawaii – Jessica Koizumi
While Hawaii has not had any men play professional hockey, they can say they’ve had one female professional player. Yes, Hawaai’s only professional hockey player is a woman. And her name is Jessica Koizumi.
Born in Honolulu, her family moved to California where she got noticed by several colleges. Koizumi chose to go to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She ranks seventh on her alma mater’s scoring list and as a senior captain, led her team to a national title with an unforgettable two goal performance.
Immediately after graduating, USA hockey took interest in her after a successful under 22 career. Koizumi began playing for them internationally and helped them win the 2008 IIHF Women’s Championship. Her love for hockey transfers off the ice as she also represented America in roller hockey.
Since 2010, Koizumi has been an assistant coach for Yale’s women’s team. She played several years in the CWHL, accumulating 77 points in 89 games. Koizumi also played for the Connecticut Whales in the NWHL’s debut season in 2015-16. She is well known for scoring the league’s first ever goal. Koizumi continues to serve the game in various ways, including coaching and assisting kids with learning roller hockey.
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Idaho – Kevin Kantee
Idaho is in the middle of nowhere and is perhaps best known for being really good at growing potatoes. There’s no shame in that. Likewise, Idaho shouldn’t be ashamed of its hockey heritage. Kevin Kantee, born in Idaho Falls, has put together an impressive career overseas. His family moved to Finland at an early age. It was there Kantee fell in love with hockey and became a draft prospect.
Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth round of the 2002 NHL Draft, he never spent a game in North America. Kantee is best known for his time with Jokerit of La Liiga. In 303 games, he has 29 points. Never known as a scorer, Kantee is known for being a mobile shutdown defenseman. While he never played in the NHL, he can say what very few can. Kantee got to do what he loved while traveling around the world. He has played in Italy, Austria, and Finland.
Lucas Nukaya-Heady plays for local Boise State University, who has an ACHA Division II team. With no teams around and with a relatively small population, it’s easy to see why hockey has been slow to catch on in Idaho. But things are definitely looking up.
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Indiana – Jack Johnson
Indiana has produced nine NHL players. Only four of them stuck around in the league and one of them is Donald Brashear (known more for getting injured than anything else). While John-Michael Liles has quietly had a good career, the best hockey player from Indiana is Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson.
Liles was a fifth round pick while Johnson got selected with the third overall pick of the 2005 NHL Draft. He put Indiana on the map as a factory for hockey players. Johnson got traded to the Los Angeles Kings before the 2006 season. There, he spent six seasons, amassing 124 points over 343 games. Johnson got sent (sort of) home when the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired him for Jeff Carter.
He has been on several United States World Championship teams and played in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Johnson had one assist in six games in those Olympics. With the Blue Jackets, he ranks third in career points with 122 points in 303 games. Johnson has a chance of topping Fedor Tyutin, who has 185 in 553 games. However, his contract is up after the 2017-18 season, so he’ll have to push hard to get 63 points by then.
Other famous Indiana players include Ken Klee and current Kings defenseman Zach Trotman.
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Iowa – Scott Clemmensen
Because Iowa has only produced one NHL player, this one isn’t much of a choice. The pride and joy of Des Moines, Scott Clemmensen had a successful hockey career. Moreover, he did so despite playing a very tough position – backup goaltender.
Being a backup goalie is quite difficult. You don’t get action every game, so it’s hard to get ready when you do get to play. Also, whenever you see game time, it’s usually either because the starter needs rest or he has done terribly and it’s your job to put out the fire. Backup goalie isn’t a very desirable position, nor is it one that is for all netminders.
Clemmensen is known for backing up perhaps the best goalie ever – Martin Brodeur. The Devils legend is known for starting a lot of games, making his job even more difficult. Clemmensen’s career high in games started? 40, back when Marty got injured.
However, most of his games came with the Florida Panthers, where he at least got some playing time. With the Devils, he played in 68 games over six seasons. Clemmensen appeared in 120 in five seasons with Florida. His career save percentage is .905. Not outstanding, but there’s a reason he stuck around for a while – he was reliable.
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Missouri – Pat Lafontaine
While Missouri has produced just 17 NHL players, they have bragging rights because one of them is Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders legend Pat Lafontaine. His career was quite short, as he played in just 865 games. However, Lafontaine made the most of it with 1,013 career points. By comparison, the next most points scored by a Missouri born player is Paul Ranheim with 360.
Sadly, Lafontaine never won a Stanley Cup. He joined the Islanders just after their dynasty ended and the Edmonton Oilers’ dynasty started. Lafontaine ranks 14th all-time in points per game with 1.171 PPG. Moreover, his 0.541 goals a game rank 17th among all NHL forwards and he is 48th in assists per game.
Lafontaine is known for his goal scoring, as he scored over 40 goals in seven of his 11 full seasons (at least 50 games) and over 30 goals in nine of them. He has been honored by both the Islanders and the Sabres, though only Buffalo has retired his number. Lafontaine has, however, been heavily involved with the Islanders.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 as one of the most prolific scoring forwards in the NHL when he was healthy. Often forgotten about and overlooked, Lafontaine is a player Missouri should be proud of.
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Alaska – Scott Gomez
Alaska has had 12 NHL players. Four of them are active. However, none of Alaska’s players have come close to accomplishing what Scott Gomez did in his hockey career. While he might not be a Hall of Famer, the undersized Alaskan had a far better career than anyone could have imagined. Gomez was born in Anchorage, Alaska and even joined the Alaska Aces (ECHL) during both of the NHL lockouts.
In 1,079 career NHL games, Gomez had 181 goals and 575 assists for 756 points. He spent time with the New Jersey Devils (twice), New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, and Ottawa Senators. Gomez stands at just 5’11” and 200 pounds. However, he used his lack of size as an advantage. In his prime, he was a shifty forward.
Gomez might be remembered more positively had he suck with the Devils. He had five of his six most productive seasons with them. Even when he rejoined them in the 2014-15 season at the age of 35, Gomez had a respectable 37 points in 54 games. He won two Stanley Cups in his hockey career, both with the Devils. Gomez won the Calder Trophy in 1999-00 as the NHL’s top rookie. He announced his retirement in August of 2016.
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Kansas – Jared Brown
Kansas is one of the few states that has never produced an NHL player. This is somewhat understandable, as hockey has been quite slow to catch on in the midwest in some areas. However, just because they have no NHLers doesn’t mean they have no players. Jared Brown has made a name for himself overseas.
Brown was born and raised in Gardner, Kansas. However, he played hockey as a teenager in Texas, New Mexico, and Nebraska. For college, Brown went to Northern Michigan, where he’s a bit of a legend. In four years, the forward had 32 goals and 83 points before joining the Quad City Mallards of the CHL.
With very few opportunities to play in America, Brown went overseas to play in Poland. After putting up 19 points in 13 games with GKS Katowice. This earned him another chance in the CHL and ECHL. After the 2014-15 season, Brown went back overseas to play in France. With Dijon, he put up 12 points in 11 games during the regular season and 12 points in six games during the playoffs.
Following his performance with Dijon, Brown currently finds himself back in Poland, where he plays for Orlik Opole. As of Nov. 24, Jared Brown has 23 points in 19 games. Who knows? Maybe the first NHL player from Kansas is growing up, inspired by him.
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Virginia – Eric Weinrich
The state of Virginia has 5 NHL players, including an active one in Chicago Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling. However, its greatest hockey player of all-time is none other than defenseman Eric Weinrich. He played for the Blackhawks, Devils, Canadiens, Flyers, Whalers, Blues, Bruins, and Canucks during his 1,157 game NHL career.
Over his career, Weinrich had 70 goals and 318 assists for 388 points. He finished his career with 825 penalty minutes and a +56 plus-minus rating. His 65.5 career defensive point shares rank 39th all-time. Weinrich moved to Maine to pursue his hockey career. While there, he attended North Yarmouth Academy, where he had 29 goals and 83 points over two seasons. This earned him a scholarship to the University of Maine and he was also drafted after his senior season by the Devils in 1985.
Though he played for some very good teams, he never won a Stanley Cup. Weinrich narrowly missed winning one with the Devils and the Canadiens. Most of his career was spent with the Blackhawks, as his six seasons there was his longest tenure with any team. Weinrich represented the United States is multiple World Championships. He played for them in the 1988 Olympics and the 2004 World Cup. Weinrich averaged over 20 minutes per game during his career.
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Maine – Brian Dumoulin
Maine has only produced six NHL players. Their best one is Brian Dumoulin, currently of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He already leads all Maine hockey players in NHL games played with 114 as of Nov. 26. Moreover, with 20 career points, he’s roughly halfway to topping the career point total of fellow Maine native Danny Bolduc (41 points).
While the University of Maine has produced quite a few NHL players, those players don’t count since they weren’t born in the state. Dumoulin, a native of Biddeford, was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the 2009 draft before playing for Boston College. He was sent to the Penguins in the Jordan Staal trade, a trade the Penguins have significantly won.
After spending two seasons in the AHL, Dumoulin made his NHL debut during the 2013-14 season, appearing in six games. He spent most of the 2014-15 season back in the AHL, but appeared in eight NHL games. Dumoulin has stuck in the league for good since the beginning of the 2015-16 season. He had eight points in 24 playoff games to help the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2015-16.
Dumoulin should be in the NHL for a very long time. His career is only taking off as he’s just 25 years old.
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Louisiana – Tucker Alspaugh
Very few states have lower participation in hockey than Louisiana. However, things are looking up because there’s a group of young players emerging. One of them is Tucker Alspaugh, a defenseman who plays in the NA3HL.
Born in Lafayette, he moved up north to pursue his junior career. After playing for the Providence Capitals (both their U16 and regular team), Alspaugh has returned home. He currently plays for the Louisiana Drillers of the NA3HL, a premier junior league. Alspaugh hopes to grab the attention of an NCAA team.
Of all of the 50 states, only Mississippi and have Hawaii have fewer registered players than Louisiana. However, there is some optimism for the future. 562 players are registered for the 2015-16 season, which is a significant increase from 433 in 2014-15.
The success of the Drillers is starting to get some interest towards the ice. Now with some Louisiana natives playing for them, maybe that’s what helps the state embrace hockey. LSU has a team, though they play in the ACHA instead of the NCAA. It can take some time for ice sports to grow on southern states. This is understandable because they feature warm weather pretty much all year.
However, the success of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars suggest there’s a lot of hope for hockey in all states.
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Maryland – Jeff Halpern
Very few hockey players can say they’ve played in the NHL for their local team. Jeff Halpern is an exception to this rule, as he starred for the Washington Capitals from 1999 to 2006 and during the 2011-12 season. Maryland has only produced four NHL players and Halpern is by a significant margin the best. A native of Potomac, he played in 976 games. Moreover, he spent time with the Caps, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Arizona Coyotes.
In 976 career hockey games, Halpern has 373 points. During his career, he was known as a face-off specialist, winning 54 percent of his career face-offs. Halpern spent 507 games with the Capitals with 230 points. However, other than his time with the Caps, he was a bit of a journeyman, splitting the rest of his 469 games split between six teams. In fact, the Stars and the Lightning were his only other two tenures of more than 100 games.
Halpern served as the Capitals captain during the 2005-06 season. He has the unique distinction of being on the same forward line as two future Washington captains in Chris Clark and Alex Ovechkin. Always known as being friendly to the media, Halpern constantly provided the DC media with donuts.
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Massachusetts – Jeremy Roenick
Massachusetts is one of the most prolific states at producing hockey players. The state has produced over 175 NHL players, so that’s a large pool of candidates to choose from. However, one player stands out when you look at the pool which includes several Hall of Famers – Jeremy Roenick.
A native of Boston, he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks with the eighth overall pick of the 1988 NHL Draft. Roenick spent his career with five teams, but he is best known for his time with the Blackhawks, Coyotes, and Philadelphia Flyers. His most prolific hockey seasons came with Chicago, as he averaged over a point per game with them with 596 points in 524 games.
Roenick is one of the best hockey players of all-time. With his hard-nosed style and his playmaking abilities combined with his accuracy, he’s one of the most prolific offensive players ever.
Among all American born players, he ranks fourth all-time in scoring. Only Brett Hull (technically born in Canada), Phil Housley, and Mike Modano have more career points than Roenick. It’s worth noting Massachusetts is the home of Keith Tkachuk, the fifth leading scorer among American players. Bill Guerin, a veteran of 1,263 games, is also from there as well.
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Michigan – Mike Modano
Speaking of prolific American scorers, Mike Modano is the greatest hockey player ever from the state of Michigan. Just like Jeff Halpern, Modano got to play for his hometown team (the Detroit Red Wings) briefly towards the end of his career. Other than his 40 game tenure with the Wings, he spent his entire NHL career with the Dallas Stars franchise.
Among players actually born in the United States, Modano leads all players with 1,341 points. He came just short of averaging a point per game during his storied career with 1,374 points in 1,499 career NHL games. While Modano fell just short of 1,500 career games, he still is arguably the most successful forward America has ever produced.
He also ranks favorably in other categories. Modano is second to Hull in goals (561), second to Phil Housley in assists (813), and second in game winning goals. Also, Doug Weight deserves some credit, as he had a very successful hockey career and he was born in Michigan. Currently NHL players Ryan Miller and Ryan Kesler are also from Michigan as well.
The state has been one of the most productive in terms of producing players. So it’s quite telling Modano is the best because he has some pretty strong competition.
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South Dakota – Zeb Knutson
The state of South Dakota has never produced an NHL player. However, due to the recent addition of a USHL team, the Sioux Falls Stampede, hockey is starting to pick up in the state. Its greatest player ever is Zeb Knutson, a forward who also got to star for the Stampede.
Knutson got his start with the Russell Stover Under 16 team in Kansas. He had 34 points in 59 games with them. However, it wasn’t until Knutson joined the Under 18 team. With them, he had 65 points in 43 games. This helped him get attention from the USHL and allowed him to play for the Stampede.
In 117 games in the USHL, Knutson had 99 points (53 goals and 46 assists). After this, he started attending Minnesota State University Makato. Knutson is in his third season. Through his first 56 games, he has 28 points.
There are some impressive young players from South Dakota quickly starting to put the state on the map. One of them is Knutson’s cousin Walker Duehr, who will be joining him at MSU Makato next season. There’s also 15 year old Jack Olson, who has impressed a lot of people and likely isn’t too far away from the USHL. It shouldn’t be too long before South Dakota sees its first NHL player.
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Mississippi – Dan Weiss
No state other than Hawaii has lower participation in hockey than Mississippi. They haven’t produced any NHL players or even any players who have played overseas. However, their most successful player of all-time is Dan Weiss. He spent four years at Niagara University playing Division I hockey, including serving as their captain in his senior season.
Weiss had a very brief career post college, playing the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL and the St. Charles Chill of the CHL before retiring. A defenseman, he was strong defensively for Niagara, finishing three of his four seasons at Niagara with a positive plus-minus rating. Weiss put together 32 points in his 125 games in college, including a career high 12 points in his senior season. Before joining Niagara, he played for the Springfield Jr. Blues, as well as the Lincoln Stars and St. Louis Bandits.
The success of Weiss has done a lot for hockey in Mississippi. Slowly but surely, players from the state are starting to play more often in college. However, as of the 2016-17 season, Weiss remains the only player from Mississippi to play Division I hockey. But perhaps the next Dan Weiss is coming soon. It’s been a long battle, but Mississippi is steadily growing to embrace hockey.
Montana – Jon Booras
The state of Montana has yet to produce an NHL player. However, center Jon Booras has had quite the compelling career as a hockey player. He has seen success in the NCAA, IHL, UHL, ECHL, CHL, and has recently gone overseas. Booras even got to star for his hometown Billings Bulls of the AWHL before taking his talent to the USHL.
He played two seasons in the USHL, splitting his time between the Sioux Falls Stampede and Topeka Scarecrows. After a 40 points season with the Scarecrows, Booras attended Lake Superior State University for college. He served as an alternate captain during his senior year in 2005-06.
Following his NCAA career, Booras split time between the UH, IHL, and ECHL, CHL for the next nine years. After that, he went overseas to serve as the alternate captain for DVTK Jegesmedvék in MOL Liga. With 68 points in 44 games (not including 19 points in eight postseason games), Booras drew a lot of attention. He signed with Orlik Opole in Poland for a season, putting up 16 points in 11 games. Booras then returned to the MOL Liga for the 2016-17 season, playing for Budapest.
Hopefully he has inspired some young players in Montana to never give up on their dream of playing hockey for a living.
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Nebraska – Jed Ortmeyer
Nebraska has only produced two NHL players – Jed Ortmeyer and Johnny Matz. Matz only played in 30 games while Ortmeyer played in 345. Even though the latter technically has more points per game than the former, Ortmeyer is the obvious choice. He had a lot of success in the NCAA, AHL, and NHL.
Ortmeyer, a native of Omaha, got his hockey career started by playing for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. After joining the University of Michigan, he put up some impressive numbers. Ortmeyer put together 118 points in 145 games with the Wolverines. Following his college career, he signed with the New York Rangers. Ortmeyer spent three seasons with them. In 177 games, he had nine goals and 25 assists for 34 points while posting 76 penalty minutes.
Following his Rangers tenure, Ortmeyer spent two seasons with the Nashville Predators organization, splitting time between the AHL and NHL. In 53 games with the Preds, he had four goals and four assists for eight points. Ortmeyer also spent time with the San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild. With the Sharks, he had eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 76 games. Meanwhile, with the Wild, Ortmeyer had 16 points in 39 games. After the 2013-14 season, he announced his retirement. In 263 AHL games, Ortmeyer had 116 points.
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Nevada – Andrew Peterson
Much like Arizona and Florida when they first got NHL teams, hockey hasn’t exactly taken off as a sport in Nevada. However, with the Vegas Golden Knights, perhaps this will see an increase in interest in hockey amongst residents. They have never produced an NHL player, but defenseman Andrew Peterson currently plays overseas.
Born and raised in Sparks, NV, he started his playing career when he played for the Hope Icebreakers in the PIJHL. In 46 games, Peterson put up 15 points. Later, he committed to Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. There, Peterson played Division III NCAA hockey. Over 81 games in four seasons, he put up 18 points with 31 penalty minutes. During his senior season, Peterson served as an alternate captain.
Following his college career, he joined Sollefteå HK of Division I, considered a third tier in Sweden. Through his first 113 games in Sweden, he has eight goals and 43 points with a -70 plus minus rating.
There have been other college players to come from Nevada, but Peterson’s still the only one to play any significant hockey post-college. However, given time, the state should warm up to the sport. It took a while for Arizona to bud, but they are now the proud producers of 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews.
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New Hampshire – Deron Quint
The state of New Hampshire has had 11 of its natives play in the NHL. While Ben Lovejoy, currently of the New Jersey Devils, might wind up passing defenseman Deron Quint in career games, he likely won’t have the unique career Quint has had. Quint has seen success in a multitude of leagues, including the AHL, NHL, KHL, and DEL.
Drafted by the old Winnipeg Jets (now Arizona Coyotes), he spent a majority of his NHL career with the franchise. Quint played one season in Winnipeg before the Jets became the Coyotes. In six seasons with the franchise, he played in 271 games with 83 points. During the 1999-00 season, he got traded to the New Jersey Devils, though he only spent four games with them.
Quint saw the most playing time of his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets. As an expansion team, they didn’t have quality players. Quint stepped up and played over 20 minutes a night for them in his two seasons with Columbus.
Following stints with the Islanders and Blackhawks, he decided to play overseas. Quint has made a name for himself, most recently serving as the captain for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL during the 2015-16 season. For the 2016-17 season, he is playing with EHC München of the DEL. He has 11 points in his first 22 games.
Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
New Jersey – Bobby Ryan
Of New Jersey’s 17 NHL players, 11 of them have been born post-1980, suggesting perhaps it’s becoming an underrated factory for hockey players. There are quite a few solid choices, but the best player from the state is Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan.
Ryan is fourth among all New Jersey players in games played with 627. His career points per game of 0.726 (as of Nov. 28, 2016) ranks second only to Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau. While Gaudreau might well claim the throne from Ryan one day, for now the Senators wing is the best hockey player from New Jersey.
He leads all players from the state in goals (213), assists (242), points (455), and goals per game (0.340). Moreover, Ryan has represented the United States internationally on several occasions, including 2005 World Juniors and the 2010 Winter Olympics. A native of Cherry Hill, he was drafted with the second overall pick of the 2005 NHL Draft. This gave New Jersey a lot more respectability on the ice.
In 2013, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators. With the Ducks, Ryan had 289 points in 378 games, including 147 goals and 142 assists. Meanwhile, with the Senators, as of Nov. 28, 2016, he has 66 goals and 100 assists in 249 games. Ryan is regarded as one of the better power forwards in the NHL. While Gaudreau has a great chance of surpassing him, Ryan has set a pretty impressive bar.
Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
New Mexico – Kenneth Greer
The state of New Mexico has yet to have any natives play in the NHL or even the AHL. In fact, its level of hockey participation is still among the lowest in America. However, forward Kenneth Greer has played hockey overseas, last playing in 2012. He is the first player from New Mexico to do so.
Greer got his playing career started with the Pikes Peak Miners under 18 team. With them, he put up 56 points (13 goals and 43 assists) in 58 games. After those impressive Midget numbers, he went overseas to Finland. There, he first played for the now defunct Varkaus Eagles. With them, Greer put up no points in nine games. From there, he got loaned to Warkis. Greer played for Warkis for three years, averaging over a point per game with them. In 38 games, he had 44 points.
After the 2009-10 season, he joined the Suomi-sarja league in Finland. Greer spent the last two seasons of his professional hockey career with S-Kiekko, putting up 42 points in 59 games. After the 2011-12 season, he announced his retirement.
Recently, there’s been a bit of an uptick of participation in hockey in New Mexico. Perhaps the success of Greer and other young players is inspiring other players to take up the sport.
Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
New York – Patrick Kane
For many years, Joe Mullen has been the standard for hockey players from New York. A Hall of Famer, he has accomplished countless things that many players haven’t. However, recently, Patrick Kane has emerged as the most successful player from New York. When his career is over, he might be remembered as simply the best American forward of all-time.
A native of Buffalo, Kane is one of the most prolific scorers in history already. His 1.007 points per game average (as of Nov. 28 2016) ranks first among all New York forwards. Consider the era that he plays in and it’s even more impressive. Though Mullen was a wonderful player, he only won two awards – both of them Lady Byngs. Meanwhile, not only is Kane a first overall pick (2007), he’s also won a Calder Trophy, a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, and a Pearson Trophy. Not to mention he already has a Conn Smythe and three Stanley Cups on his resume.
At the age of 28, he already ranks 27th all-time among American forwards with 686 career points. By the end of the 2016-17 season, Kane will likely be in the top 25. It’s not likely that he will surpass Brett Hull’s 1,391 points, but he should come darn close. Once you factor in eras, it’s hard to argue an American forward has accomplished more before the age of 30 than Kane.
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North Carolina – Ben Smith
Because North Carolina has only produced two NHL players, there’s not much of a choice. The best hockey player from the state is either Jared Boll or Ben Smith. Neither of the two will be mistaken as a star, but both have been solid role players. However, Smith has more impressive numbers once you consider Boll has played in over 500 games while he has played in a mere 216 (as of Nov. 28 2016).
He has a Stanley Cup on his resume, serving as a fourth liner during the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup run in the 2013 playoffs. Smith put up six points in 19 playoff games during that postseason despite being utilized in a primarily defensive role. In 216 games, he only has four penalty minutes, which shows an elite level of discipline.
Since being traded from Chicago, he has bounced around from the San Jose Sharks to the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Colorado Avalanche to back to Toronto. Smith is a bit better than a journeyman, though. He appears to be a very capable third or fourth line forward. His possession stats have always been ugly, but he’s also good at not allowing goals. At the end of the day, that’s what coaches care about.
Meanwhile, Boll is generally known for being an enforcer. He averages over two penalty minutes per game. It’s funny to think how different Boll and Smith are from each other, yet they are the only NHL players from North Carolina.
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
North Dakota – Paul Gaustad
While the University of North Dakota has sent over 250 of its players to the NHL, most of its players weren’t born in the state. North Dakota has produced 13 players. Of them, Paul Gaustad is the best.
Born in Fargo, Gaustad was drafted in the seventh round of the 2000 draft by the Buffalo Sabres. He spent the first eight years of his career in Buffalo. With the Sabres, he put up 181 points in 479 games. During the 2011-12 season, Buffalo was going through a bid of a rebuild. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators were looking to solve their center problem. So they traded for Gaustad.
With the Predators, Gaustad quickly found his shtick. He became almost exclusively a defensive zone specialist, starting over 70 percent of his faceoffs in the defensive zone. This wound up being a great role for Gaustad because he consistently won faceoffs, winning over 60 percent of them in three of his five seasons in Nashville. Gaustad announced his retirement following the 2015-16 season.
The University of North Dakota has produced so many players, they deserve to be mentioned. Some of their alumni include Jonathan Toews, T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise, and Brock Nelson. Current Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol used to coach for them as well. In fact, when Philly hired him, he was the first coach since 1982 to be hired straight from the NCAA to the NHL.
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Ohio – Bryan Smolinski
The state of Ohio isn’t often thought of as a hockey state, but it has produced 25 NHL players. Its best player of all-time is long-time forward Bryan Smolinski. He is second among all Ohio players with 1,056 games played. Only defenseman Dave Ellett has more. Moreover, Smolinski leads the state in goals (274) and points (651), as well as power play goals (69). He also has the highest plus-minus rating at +46. Smolinski is more known for his defense than his offense, as he received Selke Trophy votes in two of his seasons.
Born in Toledo, he was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 1990 NHL Draft. Smolinski spent four seasons with the Michigan State Spartans for his college career. He played for eight teams during his career. After three years with the Bruins, Smolinski got traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He spent a year with them before being traded to the New York Islanders in November of 1996. Smolinski spent three years with the Islanders. The Los Angeles Kings are the only team he spent more time with. In 295 games with the Kings, he had 191 points, the most he had with any team. Smolinski retired after the 2007-08 season, his only year with the Montreal Canadiens.
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Oklahoma – Tyler Arnason
Oklahoma has more NHL players than you think. They’ve had five natives play in the world’s best league. In fact, they even have an active player in New Jersey Devils defenseman Jon Merrill, who’s from Oklahoma City. However, their best hockey player ever is retired center Tyler Arnason. He spent time in the NHL, AHL, and even the KHL.
Born in Oklahoma City, he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round of the 1998 draft. After three years playing at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, he made his NHL on Feb. 13, 2002. Arnason scored his first goal on Feb. 26th against the Philadelphia Flyers in a loss. With the Blackhawks, Arnason played in 245 games, putting up 57 goals and 82 assists.
In 2006, he got traded to the Ottawa Senators. Arnason had four assists with them in 19 games. He got a taste of the playoffs with the Colorado Avalanche with five points in 10 postseason games during the 2007-08 season. With them, he had 102 points in 223 games. After his stint with the Avalanche, Arnason went overseas. He played in the KHL, among other leagues, before playing one last season in the AHL with the Texas Stars before retiring after seven games.
Over his career, he put up 245 points in 485 NHL games.
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Oregon – Jere Gillis
Oregon is certainly not a state known for hockey, but five people born in Oregon have played in the NHL. The only one of the five to have a substantial NHL career is Jere Gillis. He was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1977 draft following an extremely successful QMJHL career.
With the Sherbrooke Castors, Gillis put up over a point per game in three of his four seasons, including two 100 point seasons. He joined the Canucks to start the 1977-78 season. While Gillis put up an impressive rookie campaign with 41 points, that’s a point total he never reached again in the NHL. His last game at the highest level came with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1986.
Gillis wasn’t quite done with hockey though. He went overseas and played in Italy for a season. With Bruneck, he had 20 goals and 36 points in 24 games. After that, he joined the BHL, where he put up very impressive point totals. In one season, Gillis scored 46 goals with 93 points in just 18 games.
He also served as a head coach for two seasons. Gillis had a very interesting career that spanned over three decades. Hopefully his success inspires some kids in Oregon to take up hockey and help grow the game.
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Rhode Island – Chris Terreri
The state of Rhode Island might be small, but it has 20 NHL players. However, most of them haven’t made a huge impact. Chris Terreri, on the other hand, made his career around being a very steady goalie. He won two Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils in 1995 and 2000. A native of Providence, Terreri also starred at Providence College, helping them advance to the 1985 NCAA Ice Hockey Championship. He was named the MVP of the tournament and the finals despite his team losing 2-1.
Terreri was drafted by the Devils in the fifth round of the 1983 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut during the 1986-87 season. Terreri spent his first eight seasons with the Devils before being traded to the San Jose Sharks during the 1995-96 season. In his lone season with more than 40 starts, he started 50 games in 1995-96 (46 with the Sharks). Another trade saw him go to the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1996-97 season.
After 28 games with Chicago, he made his return to the Devils in 1998. Terreri played two more seasons with them before splitting his final season between the Devils and the New York Islanders. Of his 406 career NHL games, 304 of them came with the Devils. Terreri currently serves as New Jersey’s goaltending coach.
Mandatory Credit: Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images/NHLI
Minnesota – Phil Housley
Minnesota is known as the “State of Hockey”. It lives up to that name, as 248 NHL players as of Nov. 26 have been born in the state. Moreover, Minnesota can also claim the most productive American defenseman ever – Phil Housley. Only two defensemen born in the USA have over 1,000 career points. Brian Leetch is one while Housley is the leader with 1,232 points.
He might sadly be known as the greatest player ever to not win a Stanley Cup. Housley came darn close during the 1997-98 season with the Washington Capitals, but the Caps got swept in the Stanley Cup finals by the Detroit Red Wings. He spent his career split over eight teams, but is best known for his time with the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets.
With the Sabres, Housley averaged nearly a point per game with 558 points in 608 games. However, his most prolific seasons came with the Winnipeg Jets, as he had 259 points in 232 games. Known as a power play specialist, 480 of Housley’s career assists came with a man advantage.
Other great hockey players from Minnesota include Matt Cullen, Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, Dave Christian, and Neal Broten. However, its best player is 2015 Hall of Famer Phil Housley.
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South Carolina – Ryan Hartman
Because South Carolina only has one NHL player, the choice is pretty easy. The best player from the state is Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Hartman. He was drafted by the Blackhawks in the first round of the 2013 draft. A native of Hilton Head Island, he spent his junior career primarily with the US National Development Program.
It wasn’t until his time with the Plymouth Whalers that he officially became a first round talent. In his first season with them, he had 60 points in 56 games. Hartman spent one more season with them after being drafted, notching 53 points in 52 games. After the 2013-14 season, he joined the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, the Rockford Icehogs.
Like most Chicago players, he spent quite a bit of time in the AHL dominating. After putting up 72 points in his first two full AHL seasons, the Andrew Shaw trade opened up a spot for him in the lineup. He scored his first NHL goal during the 2016-17 season opener against the St. Louis Blues.
In Hartman’s first 18 games during the 2016-17 season, he has seven points. Once again, the Blackhawks are looking very smart for being patient with a player. Hartman has a very promising future and should be a much more cost efficient version of Shaw for the next few years.
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Tennessee – Blake Geoffrion
Though he was born in Florida, Blake Geoffrion counts for the state of Tennessee. Geoffrion is the only player from Tennessee to make it to the NHL. One could say hockey is in his blood because his great grandfather is Montreal Canadiens legend Howie Morenz. Blake’s grandfather Bernard Geoffrion played for them as well. His own father did as well. Geoffrion was drafted by the Nashville Predators following a successful career at Culver Military Academy and a breakout performance at the WJC under 18s.
After his senior season at Wisconsin, during which he was the captain, he joined the Predators. Geoffrion made his NHL debut during the 2010-11 season. With Nashville, he had six goals and 11 points in 42 games.
He got to play for the Canadiens just like his male ancestors, as he got traded to them in the Hal Gill trade back in 2011-12. However, a head injury ended his career prematurely. Geoffrion scored two goals in 13 games for Montreal.
After his playing career, he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as a pro scout. Currently he serves as the assistant general manager of the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate. Geoffrion’s career was tragically short, but at least he got to continue his family’s tradition of playing for the Canadiens.
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Texas – Brian Leetch
While Texas has only produced seven NHL players, one of the greatest American hockey players of all-time is from Corpus Christi. Brian Leetch helped put the Lone Star state on the map. He ranks second in career points among American defenseman to only Phil Housley.
Leetch helped lead America to its 1996 World Cup victory as their best defenseman. Moreover, he helped them win a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Leetch was integral to the Rangers winning the 1993-94 Stanley Cup, winning the Conn Smythe in the process. At a young age, his family moved to Connecticut so he could attend Avon Old Farms high school. After being drafted by the Rangers in 1986, he spent one year with Boston College before joining the NHL.
During his career, Leetch won a Calder Trophy and two Norris Trophies as the NHL’s top defenseman. He placed in the top five of Norris Trophy voting four other times in his career. Leetch spent nearly his entire career with the Rangers. Only a very short stint with the Boston Bruins prevented him from that.
Some of the other players form Texas include current NHL players Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tyler Myers of the Winnipeg Jets.
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Illinois – Chris Chelios
The state of Illinois might not seem like a significant state for producing hockey players, but 59 NHLers have come from there. Without a doubt, the most famous is Chicago Blackhawks legend Chris Chelios. During his 26 years in the NHL, he cemented his legacy as America’s greatest defenseman.
Chelios got his start with the Montreal Canadiens. Due to a variety of reasons, a trade to the Blackhawks saw him return to his home state. In 664 games with Chicago, Chelios had 92 goals and 487 points. He won two of his three Norris Trophies while with the Blackhawks, serving as their captain from 1995 to 1999.
At the age of 37, Chelios had no intention to retire, so he signed with the Detroit Red Wings. He wound up playing 10 seasons with them, amassing 158 points in 578 games. Chelios won three Stanley Cups during his career, including one with the Canadiens and two with the Red Wings. He also represented the United States internationally on a regular basis, leading them in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 Olympics. Chelios also tried to play at the age of 48 with the Atlanta Thrashers, but only played in seven games.
Everyone talks about how Jaromir Jagr is still great at his age, which is true. However, Jagr is no Chelios. Dominate until you’re 46 years old and then we can talk.
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Utah – Steve Konowalchuk
Utah has four NHL players. The only one with a substantial career is former Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche forward Steve Konowalchuk. A native of Salt Lake City, he is a veteran of 790 NHL games. Unfortunately, due to an injury, Konowalchuk never got to play in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Capitals made it in 1998, but he was injured.
His junior career got started with the Portland Winter Hawks. In two seasons with them, Konowalchuk put up 196 points and 136 games. He got drafted by the Capitals in 1991 after his first season with the Winter Hawks. Konowalchuk made his NHL debut during the 1991-92 season, appearing in one game. He split the 1992-93 season between the Baltimore Skipjacks and the Capitals.
Konowalchuk appeared in 693 for the Caps, accumulating 146 goals and 196 assists for 392 points. Early in the 2003-04 season, Washington found themselves in a huge rebuild. So they traded him to the Colorado Avalanche. Konowalchuk spent his final two seasons with them. Over 97 games, he put up 54 points (25 goals and 29 assists). He represented the United States several times internationally, including at the 1996 World Cup and the 2004 World Cup. Konowalchuk also played in several World Championships for Team USA. He helped lead them to the 1996 World Cup title.
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Vermont – John Leclair
Players from Vermont have played in a total of 974 NHL games. 967 of them are due to former Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins forward John Leclair. Another veteran of USA’s 1996 World Cup championship team, he also won the Stanley Cup while with the Canadiens.
Born in St. Albans, Leclair got his hockey career started at Bellows Free Academy, where he scored 85 goals with 153 points in two years. Drafted in the second round by Montreal, he went to the University of Vermont where he had 116 points (52 goals) in 92 games. Leclair made his NHL debut during the 1990-91 season with 10 appearances. During the Canadiens’ 1992-93 Stanley Cup run, he put up 10 points in 20 postseason games.
After five years with Montreal, he spent the next 10 seasons with the Flyers. Over 10 years, Leclair played in 649 games. He had 333 goals and 310 assists for 643 points with the Flyers. His best years were with them. Leclair finished his career by playing for the Penguins his last two seasons, putting up 58 points in 94 games.
He represented the United States at two Olympics. Leclair was a part of the 2002 Olympics team that won the silver medal as well as the 1998 team. He also played for America in two World Junior Championships.
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Washington – T.J. Oshie
One of the most popular players in the NHL today is from the state of Washington. Born in Mount Vernon, T.J. Oshie is perhaps best known for his performance in a shootout during the 2014 Winter Olympics. His spot on the team was largely due to his ability to make goalies look silly in shootouts. In international hockey games, players can go more than once. Oshie took advantage of this, leading the USA to a shootout win over Russia. It is perhaps the most memorable performance by an American in international play since the Miracle on Ice.
Oshie is slightly overrated because of his fame. Then again, it’s hard to not be overrated after scoring such a huge goal. But he’s a very solid hockey player. Drafted in the first round of the 2005 NHL Draft by the Blues, Oshie had 110 goals and 310 points with St. Louis in 443 games. He was traded to the Washington Capitals during the 2015 offseason. In his first season in the nation’s capital, Oshie put up a career high 26 goals. He also had 51 points. While Oshie will always be remembered for his shootout heroics, he also deserves to be remembered by fans as being a very good hockey player.
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West Virginia – Bryan Ewing
The state of West Virginia has yet to produce an NHL player. However, Bryan Ewing had a pretty successful career in college and even managed to play in the AHL. He has best known for his time with Boston University, where he spent four seasons.
A native of Wheeling, WV, Ewing is a center who made a name for himself playing college hockey. With Boston University, he put up 48 goals and 60 assists for 108 points over four seasons. Ewing helped lead them to a Hockey East title in the 2005-06 season with 26 points in 40 games. In his junior year, he had 25 points (nine goals and 16 assists). Ewing had his best season during his senior year with 17 goals and 43 points in 39 games. After a brief tryout with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, he got to play for his hometown Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.
Ewing played several more seasons alternating between the AHL and ECHL before officially retiring from hockey following the 2009-10 season. The emergence of the Nailers has gotten participation in hockey in West Virginia to go up. Perhaps the success of Ewing inspired some people as well. It shouldn’t be too long before West Virginia can finally say they have an player in the NHL.
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Wisconsin – Phil Kessel
Wisconsin isn’t just for cheeseheads and Packers fans. 33 NHL players have come from Wisconsin, including a good number of active players. However, its best player of all-time is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel. Kessel got drafted by the Boston Bruins with the fifth overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft after a very successful career with the US developmental team. He spent just one season (his pre-draft year) in college, playing for the University of Minnesota. In his lone year, he had 51 points in 39 games.
Kessel fought back from a cancer diagnosis to become a regular NHL player for the Bruins. However, he would get traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for several first round picks. The Leafs expected him to be a star, which is something he wasn’t prepared to be. His time in Toronto is generally viewed in a negative light, perhaps because of the incredible price paid for him.
It wasn’t until he got traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins that he started to be happy again. With the Pens, he helped them win the 2015-16 Stanley Cup. Kessel is one of the top players in the league and a guy who is a ton of fun to root for.
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Wyoming – Thayne Trumbull
Wyoming has very few professional athletes, let alone any who play hockey. However, a slight youth movement has led to an increase in interest in the midwest state. With only a handful of players who have played even in the ECHL or college, it’s hard to pick the best hockey player from Wyoming. But Thayne Trumbull is certainly the best prospect to come out of there.
A forward from Evansville, he currently attends Daniel Webster College. While Trumbull is on their hockey team, an injury has kept him from playing. When he does play, he should make quite the impression. Trumbull is coming off an impressive WSHL career, during which he spent some time with the Cheyenne Stampede. In 184 games in the WSHL, he put up 92 goals and 194 points. Trumbull served as an alternate captain in two of his three years with the Stampede. While he might not have much of a chance to be in the NHL, his success, along with that of the Stampede, has led to an increase in participation.
Maybe there’s a hockey player being raised right now in Wyoming who will finally give the state the privilege to say they have an NHL player. Heck, it could be Trumbull.
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