Interactive NHL Player Hometown Map 2026: See the Data
This interactive map shows the hometown of every player in the NHL for the 2025–2026 season. It gives a clear look at where talent comes from across the United States, Canada, and Europe. You can explore each location on the map to see how widespread the league’s development footprint has become. The data highlights the regions producing the most players and helps paint a picture of how broad hockey’s reach has grown. If you want to know where many NHL athletes first develop before reaching the top level, explore the USHL Player Hometown Map.
NHL Player Development Centers
The majority of NHL players come from established development hubs such as Canada, Minnesota, Michigan, and Massachusetts. These regions continue to produce a high volume of top talent thanks to strong youth systems and competitive pathways. At the same time, more NHL athletes are emerging from non-traditional areas like California and Texas, showing how the league’s talent base is expanding beyond its historic strongholds. To see a visual breakdown of where NHL players come from, view the NHL Player Hometown Infographic.
Where the 2025-26 NHL actually comes from
Counted from the map above: 809 players from 488 different hometowns, across 18 countries and 30 American states.
By country
- Canada 329 players
- United States 231 players
- Sweden 82 players
- Russia 55 players
- Finland 38 players
- Czechia 23 players
- Switzerland 12 players
- Germany 7 players
- Slovakia 7 players
- Latvia 6 players
- Denmark 5 players
- Belarus 5 players
- Austria 3 players
- Norway 2 players
- Australia 1 player
- Slovenia 1 player
- South Africa 1 player
- United Kingdom 1 player
United States, by state
The 15 states producing the most NHL players, of 30 represented in total.
- Minnesota 41 players
- Michigan 28 players
- Massachusetts 27 players
- New York 27 players
- Illinois 10 players
- California 10 players
- New Jersey 10 players
- Florida 8 players
- Missouri 8 players
- Ohio 7 players
- Texas 6 players
- Colorado 6 players
- Pennsylvania 6 players
- Arizona 6 players
- Connecticut 5 players
Canada, by province
- Ontario 140 players
- Alberta 48 players
- Quebec 41 players
- British Columbia 40 players
- Manitoba 21 players
- Saskatchewan 19 players
- Nova Scotia 10 players
- Newfoundland and Labrador 3 players
- Prince Edward Island 3 players
- New Brunswick 3 players
- Yukon 1 player
Player Development Resources
Looking to understand how players develop the skills that get them into leagues like the NHL? These resources are a great starting point.​