NHL players who have scored the most goals by country
In honor of Alex Ovechkin becoming the leading scorer among Russian-born NHLers with 484 goals, we take a look at which other players currently lead their country in goals scored.
Note: Only countries that produced a player who scored at least one NHL goal are included in the list. The list is compiled based on the country where a player was born, regardless of whether he grew up there. In the case of countries that were part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, one reference point was used to determine whether a player would be included there or with an individual country for the sake of continuity, even if their birth country is listed differently elsewhere.
*denotes a player still active in the NHL/not officially retired from hockey.
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Austria, Thomas Vanek, 305 goals*.
Drafted fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2003, Vanek became the Austrian player taken highest in NHL history.
Belarus, Andrei Kostitsyn, 103 goals.
Playing almost his entire seven-year NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens, Kostitsyn left the league in 2012 to play in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Brazil, Robyn Regehr, 36 goals.
Raised in Canada, Regehr was, at 19, the youngest-ever nominee for the Bill Masterson Trophy for perseverance after making his NHL debut four months after breaking both legs in a car accident.
Brunei Darussalam, Craig Adams, 55 goals.
Brought up in Calgary, Adams is a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Carolina Hurricanes (2006) and Pittsburgh Penguins (2009),
Canada, Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals.
Considered the most prolific NHL player of all time, Gretzky is a four-time Stanley Cup champion (with the Edmonton Oilers) and still holds 60 NHL records 15 years after retiring from the sport.
Czech Republic, Jaromir Jagr, 729 goals*.
Over the course of his 26-year career, Jagr has skated for eight NHL clubs, captained two, and won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading point scorer five times, the most of any non-Canadian player.
Czechoslovakia, Peter Stastny, 450 goals.
Stastny, who defected with his brother, Anton, to join the Quebec Nordiques, became the first player in NHL history to collect more than 100 points as a rookie (he had 109).
Denmark, Frans Nielsen, 107 goals*.
Making his NHL debut with the New York Islanders in 2007, Nielsen became the first Danish citizen to play in the league.
Estonia, Leo Komarov, 18 goals*.
Drafted in 2006 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Komarov didn't enter the NHL until 2012-13 and left a season later to return to the Kontinental Hockey League, before re-joining the NHL after the Sochi Olympics.
Finland, Teemu Selanne, 684 goals.
Nicknamed "The Finnish Flash," Selanne played 23 seasons in the NHL, was the inaugural recipient of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's leading scorer, won the Bill Masterson Trophy and hoisted a Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks.
France, Paul MacLean, 324 goals.
After playing 11 seasons in the NHL, MacLean went on to be a Jack Adams Award-winning head coach for the Ottawa Senators.
Germany, Dany Heatley, 372 goals*.
A Calder Trophy winner in 2002, the Canadian-raised Heatley set single-season franchise records with the Ottawa Senators between 2005 and 2007.
Haiti, Claude Vilgrain, 21 goals.
Vilgrain appeared in 89 NHL contests over the course of his career and suited up for Canada at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
Indonesia, Richie Regehr, 1 goal.
The brother of fellow NHLer Robyn, Richie played in only 20 NHL games before continuing his career in Europe.
Ireland, Jim McFadden, 100 goals.
During his eight-year NHL career, McFadden was a Calder Trophy winner (1948) and Stanley Cup champion (1950) with the Detroit Red Wings.
Italy, Luca Sbisa, 13 goals*.
Although born in Italy, Sbisa, a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008, was raised in Switzerland and competes for them internationally.
Jamaica, Graeme Townshend, 3 goals.
Townshend spent five seasons in the NHL, suiting up in 45 games for the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators.
Japan, Ryan O'Marra, 1 goal.
A first-round choice of the New York Islanders in 2005, O'Marra appeared in only 33 NHL games and finished his career in Europe before retiring from the sport in 2015.
Kazakhstan, Evgeni Nabokov, 1 goal.
Goaltender Nabokov leads his fellow countryman (and goalie) Anton Khudobin in scoring thanks to his tally from March 10, 2002, against the Vancouver Canucks.
Latvia, Zemgus Girgensons, 24 goals*.
Drafted in the first round by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012, Girgensons was the runaway leader in fan voting for the 2015 All-Star Game in large part because of voter efforts in Latvia.
Lebanon, Ed Hatoum, 3 goals.
Hatoum appeared in 47 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks before finishing his career in the WHA.
Lithuania, Dainius Zubrus, 225 goals.
Over the course of his nearly 20-year NHL career, Zubrus became the first Lithuanian player to appear in more than 1,000 games.
Netherlands, Ed Kea, 30 goals.
Kea, the uncle of former NHLer Joe Nieuwendyk, suited up for the Atlanta Flames and St. Louis Blues for 583 NHL contests.
Nigeria, Akim Aliu and Rumun Ndur, 2 goals.
The only two Nigerian-born players to ever appear in the league are also tied as the country's leading scorers.
Norway, Mats Zuccarello, 54 goals*.
After going undrafted, Zuccarello signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers in 2010, and became just the second Norwegian to play in an NHL postseason game.
Paraguay, Willi Plett, 222 goals.
Drafted 80th overall in 1975, Plett won the Calder Trophy in 1977 after notching 33 goals and 23 assists for the Atlanta Flames.
Poland, Mariusz Czerkawski, 215 goals.
Czerkawski skated in the NHL for more than a decade, the first player born and trained in Poland to appear in the league.
Republic of Korea, Richard Park, 102 goals.
Suiting up for six different teams over the course of his career, Park now serves as player development coach for the Minnesota Wild.
Slovakia, Marian Hossa, 489 goals*.
A first-round choice of the Ottawa Senators in 1997, Hossa bounced between five clubs before landing with the Chicago Blackhawks and winning three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015.
Slovenia, Anze Kopitar, 223 goals*.
Now in his 10th NHL season, all with the Los Angeles Kings, Kopitar has tallied 20 or more scores in seven of those campaigns.
Sweden, Mats Sundin, 564 goals.
A first overall pick by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989 and a 2012 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Sundin is best remembered for the 13 prolific seasons he spent with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Switzerland, Mark Streit, 87 goals*.
After bouncing around teams in Europe, Streit made his NHL debut in 2004, going on to captain the New York Islanders and earn a reputation as one of the few swingmen in the league who can play both defense and forward.
Taiwan, Rod Langway, 51 goals.
Born to an American serviceman in Taiwan, Langway was a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy for best NHL defenseman and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.
Ukraine, Ruslan Fedotenko, 173 goals.
Entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Fedotenko went on to win two Stanley Cups, with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Peter Bondra, 503 goals.
Playing the majority of his career with the Washington Capitals, Bondra recorded a 52-goal season for the Caps twice, in 1995-96 and 1997-98.
United Kingdom, Owen Nolan, 422 goals.
The first overall pick in the 1990 draft (for the Nordiques), the Canada-raised Nolan appeared with six different teams over the course of his career, tallying at least 30 goals in six seasons.
United Republic of Tanzania, Chris Nielsen, 6 goals.
An American Hockey League product for much of his professional career, Nielsen skated in 52 NHL games for the Columbus Blue Jackets between 2000 and 2002.
United States of America, Mike Modano, 561 goals.
Often heralded as the most dominant American center to ever play, Modano suited up for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise in 20 of his 21 NHL seasons and is credited with helping popularize hockey in Texas.
Venezuela, Rick Chartraw, 28 goals.
Taken 10th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1974, Chartraw won four Stanley Cups with the club from 1976-79.
Yugoslavia, Ivan Boldirev, 361 goals.
Remembered as one of the most prolific stickhandlers in the league during his 15-year career, Boldirev retired after playing in 1,052 contests.