Austria's Nhl Players: A Surprising Number Of Talented Athletes

There have been several Austrian players in the National Hockey League (NHL), including Thomas Vanek, Marko Daňo, Simon Wheeldon, Michael Stewart, Reinhard Divis, Thomas Dietmar Pöck, André Lakos, and Michael Grabner.

Thomas Vanek, the most famous Austrian NHL player, played for nine different teams

Vanek played for the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, and one other team. He was drafted by the Sabres fifth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest drafted Austrian in NHL history.

Other famous Austrian hockey players include Michael Raffl, Thomas Raffl, and Marko Daňo. Michael Raffl is the second most famous Austrian hockey player, and he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars in the NHL. Thomas Raffl, Michael's brother, is the third most famous Austrian hockey player, and he has also played professionally. Marko Daňo, the fourth most famous Austrian hockey player, was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013 and made his NHL debut in 2014.

Simon Wheeldon, a former ice hockey player, played for the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets

There are several Austrian ice hockey players who have played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Thomas Vanek, who played for the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Vancouver Canucks, is considered the most famous Austrian hockey player. Other famous Austrian hockey players include Marko Daňo, Michael Raffl, and Thomas Raffl.

Simon Wheeldon, a Canadian-born Austrian former professional ice hockey player, played for the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets. Wheeldon was born on 30 August 1966 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was a big-time scorer as a junior in the Western Hockey League, but he never signed a contract with the team that drafted him, the Edmonton Oilers. Instead, he became a free agent and signed a deal with the New York Rangers after being sought out by then-General Manager Phil Esposito. Wheeldon was an instant success as a professional, scoring 109 points in his first season, which was split between the American and International Hockey Leagues.

During his time with the New York Rangers, Wheeldon starred in the old IHL with a couple of different Rangers affiliates, putting up impressive numbers. He played a total of 11 games with the Rangers over two seasons, picking up an assist in each stint. In the summer of 1990, the Rangers traded Wheeldon to the Winnipeg Jets. He played four more games in the NHL with the Jets but was unable to score any points for his new club. Despite a trade to the Washington Capitals in the off-season, the 1991-92 season was spent entirely in the minors, and Wheeldon felt his career was at a crossroads.

Michael Stewart, a Canadian-Austrian former professional ice hockey defenceman, is now a coach

Stewart is one of several Austrian players to have played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Thomas Vanek, who played fourteen seasons in the NHL, is the most famous Austrian hockey player. He played for the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Vancouver Canucks.

Other Austrian NHL players include Marko Daňo, Michael Raffl, and Thomas Raffl. Daňo was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013 and made his NHL debut in 2014. Michael Raffl has played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Dallas Stars, while Thomas Raffl is the third most famous Austrian hockey player.

Marko Daňo, the fourth most famous Austrian hockey player, was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets

Daňo was born on 30 November 1994 in Eisenstadt, Austria. He is an Austrian-born Slovak professional ice hockey right winger for HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Before playing in the NHL, Daňo played professionally for Slovan Bratislava of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for two seasons. Daňo's father, Jozef Daňo, was also an ice hockey player and played for the Slovak national team at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics. Daňo has also represented Slovakia at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the 2013 and 2015 IIHF World Championship.

On 25 February 2016, Daňo was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Andrew Ladd, Jay Harrison and Matt Fraser. In 21 games for the Jets, he recorded four goals and eight points. In the following season, Daňo had eleven points in 38 games. He also skated six games for the team's AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. On 13 June 2017, the Jets re-signed Daňo to a one-year contract worth $850,000. On 24 July 2018, Daňo re-signed with the Jets, to a one-year contract, worth $800,000. On 25 June 2019, Daňo's tenure with the Jets ended after he was not tendered a qualifying offer, releasing him as a free agent. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Blue Jackets on 8 August. In his return to the Blue Jackets in the 2019–20 season, Daňo spent the majority of his contract in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, recording four goals and 19 points in 46 regular season games.

Michael Raffl, the second most famous Austrian hockey player, played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars

There are several Austrian NHL players, including Thomas Vanek, Simon Wheeldon, Michael Stewart, Marko Daňo, Michael Raffl and Thomas Raffl. Michael Raffl, the second most famous Austrian hockey player, played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Dallas Stars. He is an Austrian professional ice hockey left winger currently with Lausanne HC of the Swiss National League (NL).

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