The NHL and NHLPA continue to work together to try to find a way to coordinate a tournament that showcases the game and allows all countries to put their best foot forward in an attempt to prove their dominance of the sport. A potential World Cup of Hockey is on the table for 2025 with the ultimate goal being NHL participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The last time the league participated in the Olympics was in 2014 and the 2016 World Cup was the last time hockey fans have been treated to a real best-on-best style tournament among countries. Canada has dominated the international waters when it comes to best-on-best tournaments lately, but no country has taken as big of a leap forward since 2016 as the United States. New York sportsbooks would be setting odds for a potential U.S. team featuring a brand-new roster full of stars such as Auston Matthews, Jason Robertson, Matthew Tkachuk and more, none of whom have played for the USA in best-on-best international competition.
With the rise of USA hockey, EmpireStakes.com – your source for NY betting apps - decided to take a look at which states have produced the most NHL players. We used Hockey-Reference.com to compile a list of the 10 states that have produced the most. With notable players being born in non-traditional hockey states like Arizona and California recently, we were interested to see if New York, a more traditionally hockey-friendly state, still would rank highly.
Most NHL Players By State
New York Ranks in Top 5
To no surprise, the state of Minnesota leads the way with 300 NHL players all-time, followed by Massachusetts. New York checks in at fourth on the list, producing 10% of all US-born NHL players. The storied history of the New York Rangers certainly plays a big role, as does having long-time NHL teams on the Island and in Buffalo. You have to go down to 12th to find a New York team in the odds to win the Stanley Cup at BetMGM NY. The Rangers (+2000) are tied for 10th at +2000, while the Sabres (14th, +4000) and Islanders (tied for 17th, +5000) are considered long shots.
Patrick Kane is the biggest name to come from New York with young stars such as Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy and Trevor Zegras rapidly rising in the ranks. With these players to idolize, New York kids will continue to develop into future NHL players. The only states to rank ahead of New York were Minnesota, Massachusetts and Michigan, all of whom experience similar winter weather.
The long season, as well as the NHL franchises in these states, all play a role in the talent being developed in the area. Cold-weather states always will have an advantage when it comes to hockey, but with states like Arizona and California having professional teams and great players to look up to, stars from all over the country will continue to develop and give the United States a great chance to win all future international tournaments.
