How Many Russians Are in the NHL?

As of the 2019-2020 season, there are 23 Russians playing in the NHL. This is down from the record 34 Russians that were in the league during the 2015-2016 season.

NHL’s Russian History

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently composed of 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

The first Russians in the NHL

The first Russian players in the NHL were Viacheslav Fetisov and Igor Larionov, who both joined the Detroit Red Wings in the late 1980s. Since then, many other Russians have followed in their footsteps and carved out successful careers in the NHL.

As of the 2019-2020 season, there are currently 24 Russian players in the NHL. This includes established stars such as Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, as well as up-and-coming youngsters like Andrei Svechnikov and Kirill Kaprizov.

While the number of Russian players in the NHL has fluctuated over the years, they have always been a Force to be reckoned with on the ice. With so many skilled players to choose from, it’s no wonder that Russia has been one of the most successful hockey nations in recent years.

The Soviet Union and the NHL

The Soviet Union and the NHL have a long and complicated history. The first Russian player didn’t appear in the NHL until the 1960s, but by the 1980s Russians were some of the most sought-after players in the league. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolve of the Soviet Union led to an influx of Russian players in the 1990s, and today there are more than 100 Russians playing in the NHL.

The Soviet Union was a powerhouse in international hockey for decades, winning multiple Olympic gold medals and world championships. But despite their success, Soviet players were not allowed to play in the NHL until 1968. The league had a strict amateurism policy at the time, and pros were not allowed to compete against amateurs.

But by 1989, that all changed. The Berlin Wall fell and communism began to crumble across Eastern Europe. In June of that year, Soviet forward Vladimir Konstantinov became one of the first Russians to be drafted into the NHL. He would go on to play 11 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, winning three Stanley Cups.

Since then, hundreds of Russian players have made their way to the NHL. Some have had great success, like Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, while others have struggled to adjust to the North American game. But one thing is certain – Russian players have made a big impact on the NHL over the past 30 years.

The New Wave of Russians in the NHL

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been a steady influx of Russians entering the NHL. In the 1992-1993 season, there were only nine Russians playing in the NHL. However, by the 2017-2018 season, that number had jumped to 101. This trend looks to continue as more and more Russians are drafted into the NHL each year.

The Russian Five

The Russian Five was a group of five Russian hockey players who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the 1990s. They were considered to be some of the best players in the world and helped the Red Wings to win two Stanley Cups.

Since then, there have been many other successful Russian players in the NHL, including Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Pavel Datsyuk. As of 2019, there are approximately 60 Russians playing in the NHL.

The KHL and the NHL

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian hockey players have been making their way over to North America to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). In recent years, however, many of them have been returning to their homeland to play in the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

The KHL was founded in 2008 and is made up of 28 teams from seven different countries. While the majority of its players are Russian, the league does attract top players from all over the world. According to ESPN, more than 70 NHL players have signed with the KHL since its inception.

The lure of playing at home in front of friends and family is strong for many Russian players, but there are also financial incentives to return home. The KHL offers a higher salary cap than the NHL, meaning teams can spend more money on player salaries. And since taxes in Russia are lower than they are in North America, players can keep more of their earnings.

The KHL has also been able to attract some big-name NHL stars like Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov. In 2012, Kovalchuk shocked the hockey world by walking away from a $100 million contract with the New Jersey Devils to sign a four-year deal with SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL. Radulov did something similar when he left the Nashville Predators in 2016 to sign a five-year contract with CSKA Moscow.

While the NHL does offer some Russian players the chance to make more money and play closer to home, it’s still considered the best hockey league in the world. And for many Russian players, that’s still where they want to be.

The Future of Russians in the NHL

In the past decade, the number of Russians in the NHL has exploded. In the 2010-2011 season, there were 46 Russians playing in the NHL. Just six years later, that number has more than tripled to 150 Russians playing in the NHL. The future of Russians in the NHL looks very bright.

The NHL and the KHL

Since the 2013/14 season, the NHL has suspend its relationship with the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). A major reason for this was to avoid having to payTransfer Fees when a players jumps leagues. The IIHF upholds a ruling that if a player under contract jumps leagues, the new team must pay a fee to the team he left.

The NHL does not want to get into a bidding war with the deep-pocketed KHL teams, so they have been scouting and signing players from Russia before they have a chance to enter into the KHL draft. So far this has been working out well for the NHL, as they have been able to sign some of Russia’s top prospects, including Andrei Svechnikov (2nd overall in 2018), Kirill Kaprizov (135th overall in 2015) and Vasili Podkolzin (10th overall in 2019).

It is unknown what the future holds for Russians in the NHL, but it is safe to say that there will always be a place for them as long as they are willing to leave their home country and compete at the highest level.

The Russian Olympic team

As we all know, the Russian Olympic team lost to the eventual gold medal winning Canadian team in Sochi. It was a hard fought game, but the Canadians came out on top. One of the most talked about aspects of the game was the fact that there were no Russians on the Canadian team. In fact, there were only 2 Russians in the entire NHL at that time. So what does this say about the future of Russians in the NHL?

The answer is, not much. The NHL is a business, and they are always looking for the best players from anywhere in the world. While it is true that there are not as many Russian players in the NHL as there used to be, that does not mean that there is no place for them in the league. In fact, some of the best players in the world are Russian. Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Pavel Datsyuk are just a few examples.

The bottom line is that if you are good enough, you will find a place in the NHL regardless of where you come from.