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The Canadian influence is shrinking

Canada has always been the primary source of NHL players, but that is changing every year. For all teams, including the New York Rangers, the number has been dropping every year with the influx of European skaters and the explosion of American hockey players.

Consider that of the 29 players on the New York Rangers team that lost the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals, 27 were from Canada. Even though Ab Demarco Jr. was born in Cleveland and Walt Tkaczuk was born in Germany, both players grew up in Canada.

The next year the team made the Finals was 1979.