How many Canadians are part of the Golden Knights? Vegas leads the NHL in the number of Canadian-born players on its roster

Posted On: June 19, 2024

A Canadian team hasn’t lifted a Stanley Cup since Montreal won it all in 1993. That won’t change in 2023.

Three of the seven Canadian NHL teams made the playoffs this season, but none advanced past the second round. This could have the Canadian crowd rooting for a team for the Stanley Cup Final between Vegas and Florida.

Now, Canada fans probably won’t be happy with either of the remaining options. The Golden Knights eliminated the Jets in the first round, then dispatched the Oilers in the second. The Panthers beat the Maple Leafs in the second round.

However, if Canada fans just want to support their fellow Canadians, look no further than the team with the most players in the country, which happens to be the Golden Knights.

MORE: Golden Knights Vs. Panthers Stanley Cup Final Preview for 2023 NHL Playoffs

The Sporting News takes a look at Vegas’ roster and how many Canadians play for the team.

How many Canadians are part of the Golden Knights?

According to NHL.com, there are currently 19 Canadian-born players on the Vegas playoff roster. This is the best result of any team that played in the 2023 playoffs.

Nearly the entire eight-man Vegas blue line is made up of Canadians, with the lone exception of Michigan native Alec Martinez. Three of the team’s five goaltenders — not counting Robin Lehner — are from Canada, with Jonathan Quick (United States) and Jiri Patera (Czech Republic) as non-Canadians.

Rosters are expanded for the playoffs, so not all players currently listed would normally be on the Vegas roster. However, that doesn’t change the Canadian influence in Vegas.

At the start of the season, the Golden Knights were ironically tied with the Canadiens for the most Canadian players on the roster with 17.

There are five Americans on the list. Besides Quick and Martinez, Jack Eichel, Phil Kessel and Paul Cotter are from the United States.

Additionally, there are only four players on the roster who are not from North America: William Karlsson (Sweden), Teddy Blueger (Latvia), Ivan Barbashev (Russia) and Patera.

Golden Knights by province

Among the 19 Canadians on the Vegas list, Ontario is the most represented province.

There are five players from Ontario, all from different places. There are also players from Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.