Olaf Kolzig was born on April 6, 1970 in South Africa to German parents but spent most of his youth growing up in Canada. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals with the 19th pick in the 1989 NHL Draft.
Kolzig was the first African-born hockey player. Even though he was born in South Africa and grew up in Canada, his parent’s German descent allowed him to represent Team Germany in international play.
It took a bit of time and some stints in the minors but soon enough in 1995-96, Kolzig got his shot getting called up as a backup recall to starting netminder Jim Carey.