You can’t watch an NHL game without there being a Canadian on the ice. Or two, or three, or … you get it.
The Canadian influence is everywhere in the league. There’s a reason why there are seven clubs in the NHL that are located in Canada. The country lives and breathes the sport of hockey.
The Oilers are one of those Canadian clubs. Based out of Edmonton, the franchise is one of the most storied in league history, thanks to the dominance of The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, during his time with the blue and orange.
As is the case every year, there is going to be at least one Canadian-born player lifting the Stanley Cup. However, just because the Oilers are based in Canada does not mean every player comes from there.
So, just how many Canadian-born players are on Edmonton? The Sporting News has the answer.
MORE: When was the last time a Canadian NHL team won the Stanley Cup?
How many Canadians are on the Oilers?
Edmonton has a ton of talent from the home country.
In total, there are currently 24 Canadian-born players listed on the Oilers’ roster, according to NHL.com. That includes 15 forwards, six defensemen and three goaltenders.
| Player | Position |
| Xavier Bourgault | F |
| Connor Brown | F |
| Sam Carrick | F |
| Warren Foegele | F |
| Sam Gagner | F |
| Adam Henrique | F |
| Dylan Holloway | F |
| Zach Hyman | F |
| Evander Kane | F |
| Raphael Lavoie | F |
| Connor McDavid | F |
| Ryan McLeod | F |
| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | F |
| Lane Pederson | F |
| Corey Perry | F |
| Evan Bouchard | D |
| Cody Ceci | D |
| Vincent Desharnais | D |
| Brett Kulak | D |
| Darnell Nurse | D |
| Troy Stecher | D |
| Stuart Skinner | G |
| Calvin Pickard | G |
| Olivier Rodrigue | G |
It should be noted that rosters are expanded for the playoffs, allowing teams to call up “Black Aces,” or extras who can be ready if an injury occurs. If you include only players who played at least 10 games for the Oilers this season, five of those Canadians (Xavier Bourgault, Raphael Lavoie, Lane Pederson, Troy Stecher, Olivier Rodrigue) would be excluded.
There are five Americans on the roster but none other than Derek Ryan see playing time. In addition, there are three Swedes and one German.
Oilers by province
Ontario is by far the most prevalent province represented on the Edmonton roster. Out of the 24 Canadians listed, 12 of them hail from Ontario.
In addition to Ontario, there are natives of Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick.
| Province | # of Players |
| Ontario | 12 |
| Quebec | 4 |
| Alberta | 3 |
| British Columbia | 3 |
| Saskatchewan | 1 |
| New Brunswick | 1 |
