Melting Pot

NHL teams

There were 375 Canadians (52.3 percent) on opening-night rosters compared to 380 (53.2 percent) a year ago. This is the fourth consecutive year of decline, according to the NHL.

There are 101 American-born players this year compared to 107 (15 percent) one year ago. Not since 1984, when 13.2 percent of players were Americans, has the U.S. percentage been so low.

More and more players come across the Atlantic as there are 241 Europeans (33.6 percent) compared to 227 (31.8 percent) a year ago. The number of Europeans is up for the 12th consecutive year.

The league has come a long way from twenty years ago, when the NHL was 81.8 percent Canadian, 10 percent American and 8.2 percent European.

The Montreal Canadiens have the most Canadian-born players (18). Minnesota has 17 and Calgary, Edmonton and St. Louis are next with 15 each. Atlanta and Pittsburgh, with seven each, have the fewest Canadians.