Some of the greatest hockey stars in the NHL come from the smallest towns and communities. Their stories prove that no matter where you grow up, success in hockey is possible if you work hard and dream big. This article highlights many NHL players who hail from tiny or remote places, showing that big names often have small-town roots.
Hockey Stars From Tiny Towns
Al MacInnis, famous for his powerful slapshot, grew up in Port Hood, Nova Scotia, a fishing village with fewer than 1,000 people. The legendary Sutter family—six brothers who all played in the NHL—come from Viking, Alberta, a town with less than 1,000 residents. Nicklas Lidstrom, one of the best defensemen ever, is from Krylbo, Sweden, a town of just 2,500 people.
Travis Sanheim was raised in Elkhorn, Manitoba, a village of about 450 people, and Carey Price spent his childhood in Anahim Lake, British Columbia, a town so remote that his dad bought a plane to get him to hockey practices. Phoenix Copley comes from North Pole, Alaska, a town famous for its Christmas-themed street names and just 2,700 residents.
Players From Small Communities Worldwide
Jake Sanderson is from Whitefish, Montana (population around 7,200), while Erik Karlsson, a star defenseman, grew up in Landsbro, Sweden, with fewer than 400 people. Finnish player Mikko Rantanen hails from Nousiainen, Finland, home to just 4,600 residents. James Reimer, a veteran NHL goalie, comes from the tiny Manitoba community of Morweena with only 150 people.
Jonas Hiller was born in Felben-Wellhausen, Switzerland, with just under 3,000 residents, and Jordin Tootoo, the NHL’s first Inuk player, grew up in Churchill, Manitoba, known as the polar bear capital of the world with less than 1,000 people. Garnet Hathaway was raised in Kennebunkport, Maine, a small town famous for the Bush family summer home.
Unusual Small-Town Stories
Hannu Jarvenpaa, with a short but notable NHL career, comes from Ii, Finland, a town with the shortest name in the country. John LeClair, an NHL great, grew up in St. Albans, Vermont, a town without organized hockey, where kids played in a railroad shed. Andrei Kuzmenko comes from Yakutsk, Russia, the coldest major city in the world, where winter temperatures can drop to minus 64 degrees Celsius.
Brothers Morgan and Conor Geekie both grew up in Strathclair, Manitoba, a tiny community where they signed up for every sport to make sure there were enough players to form teams. Ryane Clowe’s hometown is Fermeuse, Newfoundland, with just 300 people, where his NHL career was cut short due to concussions.
More Small-Town NHL Legends
Elias Pettersson grew up in Ange, Sweden, a town of about 3,000, and had to travel over 60 miles for better hockey opportunities. Bryan Trottier, a Hall of Famer and Islanders legend, was raised in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, a village with only 130 residents. Trottier scored more playoff points (182) than there are people in his hometown.
These stories remind us that no matter how small or remote your hometown is, the NHL is within reach if you have talent and determination. From tiny fishing villages to the coldest cities on earth, these players prove that big dreams come from all kinds of places. Their success inspires future generations of young players everywhere to believe that hockey greatness can come from anywhere.
