User:Buchanan-Hermit/NHL Player Nationalities (Flags)

NHL player nationalities (flags)
In the case where a player's national allegiance is different from his place of birth, the flag should represent his allegiance rather than his birthplace.

If the player's allegiance is not known, then the birthplace should be used for flags.

National allegiance generally considers these factors:
 * The nation the player represents in international tournaments. (This is the strongest factor as it also represents the other two factors, including allegiance and citizenship.)
 * The player's primary nation of citizenship.
 * The player's personal history (i.e. parents may be Canadians living in Brazil or born in China but holds citizenship AND grew up in Canada). To use "personal history" as a reason, there must be some sort of proof backing it up (for example, the player says he was raised in another nation and would rather play for that nation internationally).

If a player has played for more than one national team, the most recent country should be used.

When adding a player with abnormal national allegiances, something like should be added next to the flag. This prevents the "switching back and forth" of birthplace flags and allegiance flags due to confusion.

Please note that some research may have to be done (via Google or news sources) to confirm national allegiance. If this is the case, it is probably wise to post a mention on the team's discussion page or the player's discusssion page.

Why use allegiance instead?

 * Not all nations have a law granting citizenship via birth (jus soli).
 * Birthplace can be coincidental (ie. player born on a US military base, or born in the city his father was currently playing in).
 * Players may not even be acquainted with their birthplace because of personal history, such as immigration/emigration at a young age. Assuming the player has connections to the birth country in this case can be misleading.

Players with abnormal national allegiances
The following players' national allegiances are different from the nations of their births. Their names should correspond with the flags shown below. (Listed by last name.)

When considering player flags, this list should be consulted as the "final authority."

Active NHL players
* listed by country that existed at time of birth, with the present-day state in brackets .

Non-active NHL players
These players are either retired or do not have a contract with an NHL team.

Debatable/Further verification needed
These players' national allegiances are up for debate and need further verification before the flag can be changed (if a change is deemed appropriate).

Useful Sources

 * USA Hockey
 * Hockey Canada
 * World Cup of Hockey rosters (2004)
 * Rosters for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
 * Rosters for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin

Earlier Discussion About This Topic

 * WikiProject Ice Hockey