Minnesota Produces the Most NHL Players Born in the U.S. - Minnesota Fun Facts (2024)

FAQs

Why is Minnesota known for hockey? ›

Since the late-19th century, the cold, winter weather enabled the land of 10,000 lakes to be a natural home for ice hockey and the residents of the state have invested more time, effort and energy into the game than most other regions in the world.

Minnesota has had the most players drafted of any state since 2000, with 302 Minnesotans selected by NHL teams. With 302 players drafted, Minnesota has made up 23% of all American-born players who have been drafted since 2000.

The earliest evidence of a game of ice hockey being played in Minneapolis was when two local teams met at an outdoor rink located at 11th Street and 4th Avenue South in a series of games in early January of 1895. These contest were among the very first to have been played in Minnesota and the United States.

Canada was the country with the highest number of active NHL players as of March 2024. Specifically, the country had 1,078 players who were active in the National Hockey League when the study was conducted.

The Minnesota Wild is a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul and play in the Xcel Energy Center. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes is known as “The Land of 10,000 Rinks” in hockey slang, and with more than 220 community arenas – double that of any other state – it's a reputation well-earned. (And once frozen over, many of those lakes become pick-up hockey battlegrounds, too.)

The Wild joined the NHL in 2000 along with fellow expansion team the Columbus Blue Jackets. Minnesota placed last in its division in each of its first two seasons but qualified for the play-offs in its third year, led by right wing Marian Gaborik.

The majority of franchises in all sports have a minority of athletes from the state in which they play. There are only three Minnesotans on the 24-man Wild roster in November 2023. The Rangers have four Minnesotans, and seven other NHL teams have three.

MN Rink Directory and Directions

Look here to see a list of 220 rinks across the state of Minnesota.

How long has Minnesota been the state of hockey? ›

Ice hockey was named the official state sport of Minnesota in 2009. Sen. Gen Olson first introduced a bill to designate hockey as the state sport in 2007 (SF2313). It was suggested by sixth-grade students at Minnetonka Middle School East, who spent months collecting more than 600 signatures in support of the proposal.

An affiliate of USA Hockey, is the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in Minnesota and the premier developer of hockey players in the state.

Ice hockey is immensely popular in Canada, where it is the national winter sport and arguably the country's most popular game. Hockey is also popular in the United States and in European countries such as Russia, Sweden, and Finland.

But not the NHL — it has continued to be a predominantly white league. Currently in the NHL, 90 percent of players and officials are white, and 83 percent out of the whole league is white. Being an Asian hockey fan, it is hard for me to connect with a lot of these players.

Nationalities of NHL players

The number of US-born players in the NHL has reached an all-time high this season, at 29.3 percent of the league. In contrast, the percentage of Canadian players has dropped to 41.2 percent, the lowest of all time.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes may be the most popular nickname for Minnesota, but it's also known as The State of Hockey — and for good reason. It's one of the most popular sports in Minnesota.

Ice hockey was named the official state sport of Minnesota in 2009. Sen. Gen Olson first introduced a bill to designate hockey as the state sport in 2007 (SF2313). It was suggested by sixth-grade students at Minnetonka Middle School East, who spent months collecting more than 600 signatures in support of the proposal.

Every major professional sport is represented in Minnesota, from the Timberwolves and Twins to the Wild and United FC. No matter the season, you can catch a game at some of the top sports venues in America.