Best hockey player from each state

Jan 26, 2014; New York City, NY, USA; NHL former player Jeremy Roenick skates with youngsters on a miniature rink before the Stadium Series hockey game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /

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Who is the best hockey player from each of the 50 states?

Hockey isn’t often thought of as an American sport. It’s a sport typically dominated by Canadians. While Canada is the king of the ice, the United States still has a history on the rink to be proud of. Some of the greatest players of all-time have come from America.

That said, the game has grown in certain areas of the country and not in others. Some states can say they’ve produced a lot of NHL players. Meanwhile, other states have produced very few, if any.

For this list, the player in question must be born or raised in the state. Any question of a player’s birthplace will be solved on Quanthockey. For example, someone might have played hockey in Boston, but this doesn’t necessarily qualify them to be from Massachusetts.

Each state has some hockey player to be proud of, but which hockey player is the best from your state?

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Alabama- Nic Dowd

When one thinks of Alabama, football immediately comes to mind. Nobody thinks about a sport played on ice. Despite this, Alabama has had more success than you think. Cam Talbot of the Edmonton Oilers attended the University of Alabama-Huntsville for college. Their first NHL player? Jared Ross, who is currently playing in the ECHL. Ross is also from Alabama.

However, their best player of all-time is Nic Dowd. He plays for the Los Angeles Kings and hopefully his success will be an inspiration to athletes from states not known for ice sports. In his first 19 games, he has seven points. All of them have come during the 2016-17 NHL season. He had 41 points in 75 games during the 2014-15 AHL season to lead the Manchester Monarchs to the Calder Trophy title. Dowd was born in Huntsville, Alabama. So remember, just because you live in a state where football is king, you can still have success in hockey.

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