States That Have Produced the Most NHL Players: How Does Ohio Rank?

September 18, 2023 02:05pm

Fact Checked by Pat McLoone

With the excitement and start of the NFL and college football seasons, can you believe the NHL kicks off the regular season on Oct. 10? As a little appetizer to prepare for the season on the ice, we decided to look at the home states of NHL players who were born in the United States.

BetOhio.com – your source for Ohio sportsbooks - utilized HockeyReference.com to gather the states that produced the most NHL players ever. Of the 1,381 players born in the United States to play at least a game in the NHL, we found the Top 10 states that have produced the most.

Most NHL Players By State

Here is info you won’t find on the nearly 20 Ohio sports betting apps.

Rank, State	No. of Players	% of U.S. NHL Players
1. Minnesota	300	21.7%
2. Massachusetts	217	15.7%
3. Michigan	190	13.8%
4. New York	138	10.0%
5. Illinois	78	5.6%
6. California	51	3.7%
7. Wisconsin	40	2.9%
8. Pennsylvania	38	2.8%
9. Ohio	34	2.5%
10. Connecticut	33	2.4%

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Ohio Cracks Top 10 in Rankings

The Buckeye State just nuzzled up into the top 10 at No. 9 with a total of 34 (2.5%). Minnesota topped the list with a whopping 300 players (21.7%), followed by Massachusetts (217,15.7%), Michigan (190, 13.8%), New York (138, 10%) and Illinois (78, 5.6%).

Arguably the best player to come out of Ohio is J.T. Miller, a native of East Palestine. Now 30, the 13-year veteran has spent the last four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, posting consecutive seasons of at least 32 goals and 50 assists. Last season, Miller signed a seven-year, $56 million dollar extension with the Canucks. In his career, Miller has tallied 201 goals with 335 assists (536 points) in 718 games played.

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Babcock Resigns Before Coaching a Game

Also in Ohio hockey, Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock resigned as head coach on Sunday amid controversy before even coaching a game. He is replaced by associate coach Pascal Vincent, who signed a two-year deal through the 2024-25 season.

Last season, Columbus finished in last place in the Metropolitan Division with a 25-48-9 record. Not much is expected this year, either, as FanDuel Ohio has Columbus with odds of +10000 to win the Cup. That ranks tied for 26^th among the league’s 32 teams.

The Blue Jackets open training camp next week and will open their 2023-24 regular season campaign at home against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, Oct. 12 For more on hockey and all sports in the Buckeye State, keep close tabs on BetOhio.com, which also provides top Ohio sportsbook promos.

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