Nations in the NHL

American NHL players 1980–81

71 American players played in the NHL in 1980–81. Together they scored 1 402 points, the second most of any country, and USA finished third of 3 in the nations league. Robbie Ftorek scored the most, 73 points.

NHL players

1 402

Points

3rd

Nations league

Goalie wins

1980–81Active season80/82 games

1979–80 1981–82

AMERICAN LEADERS

In the nations league

3rd

of 3 ranked nations

league points

Rate3rdTop trio3rdBlue line2ndGoalies3rdPer million3rd

USA accounts for 11.1% of the NHL's players and 8.3% of its points.

The full nations league

American goalies

Regular season. Most games first.

Goalie	GP	W-L-OTL	SV%	GAA	SO
Jim CraigBOS	23	9-7-0	.861	3.68	0
Steve BakerNYR	21	10-6-0	.880	3.49	2
Pete LoprestiEDM	2	0-1-0	.822	4.61	0

Every American player in the NHL, team by team

71 players across 21 teams.

MNSMinnesota North Stars11 players

Gordie RobertsINACTIVE

D · 77 GP · 8G 42A50P

Steve ChristoffINACTIVE

C · 56 GP · 26G 13A39P

Mike FidlerINACTIVE

LW · 58 GP · 14G 21A35P

Mike EavesINACTIVE

C · 48 GP · 10G 24A34P

Tom YounghansINACTIVE

RW · 74 GP · 4G 6A10P

CLRColorado Rockies8 players

Bobby SheehanINACTIVE

C · 41 GP · 1G 3A4P

Bobby CrawfordINACTIVE

HFDHartford Whalers7 players

Mark HoweINACTIVE

D · 63 GP · 19G 46A65P

Warren MillerINACTIVE

RW · 77 GP · 22G 22A44P

Tom RoweINACTIVE

RW · 74 GP · 13G 28A41P

Dave DebolINACTIVE

C · 44 GP · 14G 12A26P

Jeff BrubakerINACTIVE

NYRNew York Rangers7 players

Dean TalafousINACTIVE

C · 50 GP · 13G 17A30P

Dave SilkINACTIVE

RW · 59 GP · 14G 12A26P

Ed HospodarINACTIVE

D · 61 GP · 5G 14A19P

Nick FotiuINACTIVE

LW · 69 GP · 9G 9A18P

Gary BurnsINACTIVE

LW · 11 GP · 2G 2A4P

Mike McDougallINACTIVE

RW · 2 GP · 0G 0A0P

Steve BakerINACTIVE

G · 21 GP · 10 W · .88010W

STLSt. Louis Blues4 players

Joe MichelettiINACTIVE

D · 63 GP · 4G 27A31P

Craig NorwichINACTIVE

D · 34 GP · 7G 23A30P

Jack BrownschidleINACTIVE

D · 71 GP · 5G 23A28P

Dick LambyINACTIVE

D · 1 GP · 0G 0A0P

BOSBoston Bruins3 players

Mike MilburyINACTIVE

D · 77 GP · 0G 18A18P

Thomas SonginINACTIVE

RW · 9 GP · 1G 1A2P

Jim CraigINACTIVE

G · 23 GP · 9 W · .8619W

BUFBuffalo Sabres3 players

Richie DunnINACTIVE

D · 79 GP · 7G 42A49P

Mike RamseyINACTIVE

D · 72 GP · 3G 14A17P

Rob McClanahanINACTIVE

C · 53 GP · 3G 12A15P

EDMEdmonton Oilers3 players

Lee FogolinINACTIVE

D · 80 GP · 13G 17A30P

Roy SommerINACTIVE

C · 3 GP · 1G 0A1P

Pete LoprestiINACTIVE

G · 2 GP · 0 W · .8220W

Show all 21 teams

PHIPhiladelphia Flyers3 players

Paul HolmgrenINACTIVE

RW · 77 GP · 22G 37A59P

Tom GorenceINACTIVE

RW · 79 GP · 24G 18A42P

Gary MorrisonINACTIVE

RW · 33 GP · 1G 13A14P

VANVancouver Canucks3 players

Curt FraserINACTIVE

LW · 77 GP · 25G 24A49P

Jere GillisINACTIVE

LW · 46 GP · 10G 14A24P

Mike ChristieINACTIVE

D · 10 GP · 1G 1A2P

WINWinnipeg Jets3 players

Dave ChristianINACTIVE

RW · 80 GP · 28G 43A71P

Moe ManthaINACTIVE

D · 58 GP · 2G 23A25P

William WheltonINACTIVE

D · 2 GP · 0G 0A0P

DETDetroit Red Wings2 players

Reed LarsonINACTIVE

D · 78 GP · 27G 31A58P

Jim KornINACTIVE

D · 63 GP · 5G 15A20P

LAKLos Angeles Kings2 players

Steve JensenINACTIVE

LW · 74 GP · 19G 19A38P

Don WaddellINACTIVE

C · 1 GP · 0G 0A0P

MTLMontréal Canadiens2 players

Chris NilanINACTIVE

RW · 57 GP · 7G 8A15P

Bill BakerINACTIVE

D · 24 GP · 0G 3A3P

NYINew York Islanders2 players

Dave LangevinINACTIVE

D · 75 GP · 1G 16A17P

Ken MorrowINACTIVE

D · 80 GP · 2G 11A13P

PITPittsburgh Penguins2 players

Mark JohnsonINACTIVE

C · 73 GP · 10G 23A33P

Russ AndersonINACTIVE

D · 34 GP · 3G 14A17P

QUEQuebec Nordiques2 players

Robbie FtorekINACTIVE

C · 78 GP · 24G 49A73P

Lee NorwoodINACTIVE

D · 11 GP · 1G 1A2P

CGYCalgary Flames1 player

Tony CurtaleINACTIVE

D · 2 GP · 0G 0A0P

CHIChicago Blackhawks1 player

Mike O'connellINACTIVE

D · 82 GP · 15G 38A53P

TORToronto Maple Leafs1 player

William McCrearyINACTIVE

RW · 12 GP · 1G 0A1P

WSHWashington Capitals1 player

Al HangslebenINACTIVE

LW · 76 GP · 5G 19A24P

Season by season

USA had 121 players in the NHL in 1990–91 and 301 in 2025–26. The peak was 2021–22, with 324. Under each bar is the nations league placing, in gold for the 4 seasons USA won.

In the NHL Draft

57 American players were picked in the 2026 NHL Draft, seven of them in the first round. Chase Reid went first, at number 7 to the Seattle Kraken.

Every pick in 2026 →The draft through the years →

American NHL players all time

Regular season, whole careers. The record seasons count completed seasons only.

Most points by American players

Most goalie wins

Best seasons by a American player

USA against Canada

The nations league's five categories plus raw points and player count. The higher value takes the round.

USA

3rd in the league

1–6

Canada

2nd in the league

Canada wins 6–1 against USA.

0.48Points per game0.60

209Best trio418

0.44Defencemen's points per game0.40

.873Goalies' save percentage.877

0.2NHL players per million inhabitants13.0

1 402Total points13 706

71Players in the NHL523

USA against Canada season by season

Pick a rival

Sweden

Canada

Continue reading

Top scorer

Robbie Ftorek

USA's top scorer in 1980–81.

The team

Quebec Nordiques

Where Robbie Ftorek plays.

Nations in the NHL

Every nation in the NHL

How many players each country has in the NHL, with a page for each.

Nations league

NHL battle of the nations 1980–81

The countries compared per player rather than in raw totals.

Against Sweden

Sweden vs USA

Seven rounds, season by season.

The Swedes

Every Swede in the NHL

Team by team, with position and stats.