Are there any NHL players with known Sami descent?

[crowi]

Sami descent ≠ A dude named Sami.

 

[biturbo19]

Sami descent ≠ A dude named Sami.

Exactly. Stupid of people thinking that.

Sami Kapanen

Now Kasperi Kapanen on the other hand, is definitely known to be a descendent of Sami.

 

[crowi]

The people you’re referencing aren’t confused. They’re just really unfunny.

I'm guessing some are, some are just ignorant.

 

[mattihp]

Börje Salming is known as the most manly swede there is, and its well known that he is Sami. Therefor the "Sadly a lot of people aren't even aware of Sami people's existence" is probably wrong.

The next big sami NHLer will come in 18+ years... my son.

If you bring him up in Sweden it is more likely he will play football or curling.

 

[zar]

Jari Kurri was known to be semi decent.

 

[Kahvi]

The only two mentioned in Wikipedia are Salming and Komarov.

Not sure about Komarov. His own wikipedia page says nothing about that, but mentions that his father is part Ingrian, and the sami people wikipedia page doesn't have reference about Komarov.

 

[MMANumminen]

If Norway had the same degree as ice hockey success as Sweden and Finland, I'm willing to bet we'd know a lot Sami places and thus more cultural references during games.

Isn't it way easier to be a Sami in Norway? That's why the larger number. Finnish Sami are very much etnonationalistic, which imo hurt them since no one cares about that tiny amount of people. With more member they could get themselves heard better but it would mean more dividence in land rights so it's a no no

 

[Jukurit]

The only two mentioned in Wikipedia are Salming and Komarov.

I'm pretty sure the part about Komarov is incorrect. Has no source, and that's the only thing I've ever seen of Komarov being Sami descent. Finnish Wikipedia has no mention of Komarov being Sami. His father is Ingrian Finn descent. I think somebody just confused Ingrian Finns and Samis together.

 

[mattihp]

I'm pretty sure the part about Komarov is incorrect. Has no source, and that's the only thing I've ever seen of Komarov being Sami descent. Finnish Wikipedia has no mention of Komarov being Sami. His father is Ingrian Finn descent. I think somebody just confused Ingrian Finns and Samis together.

Probably just googled finland minority or something

 

[Jumptheshark]

Someone just watched the new Grand Tour special. Or we both wiki'd the Sami people randomly on the same day for different reasons.

Yep... the moment I saw this thread was right I watched it

 

[MoeTheHobo]

What counts as Sami descent anyways?

 

[TheRarestDangles]

Sami Hagar

 

[abo9]

Someone just watched the new Grand Tour special. Or we both wiki'd the Sami people randomly on the same day for different reasons.

Hey you guys had me google the Sami people lol

Very small population overall, and as far as I discovered, there's no mention of hockey at all on their page, and the history of hockey doesn't mention them. Unlike Canada's first nations which had stick and balls games played on ice already.

 

[mattihp]

There might be an american or canadian hockey player with sapmi roots, about hundred norwegian sapmi came to Alaska and Northern Canada to teach first nations to herd reindeer.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Not sure about Komarov. His own wikipedia page says nothing about that, but mentions that his father is part Ingrian, and the sami people wikipedia page doesn't have reference about Komarov.

I never claimed that Wikipedia is 100% correct.

As to Komarov being mentioned:

Sports​

See also: Sápmi national football team



Anja Pärson a Sámi skier from Sweden



Börje Salming, a retired ice hockey defenceman

• Ailo Gaup (1980–present), a motorcross sportsman who invented the "underflip".
• John Halvorsen, athletics.
• Leo Komarov (1987–present), Finnish ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Born in Estonia and raised in Finland and is of Russian-Sámi parentage.
• Anja Pärson (1981–present) and Jens Byggmark (1985–present), alpine skiers.[199]
• Morten Gamst Pedersen (1981–present), Soccer player (former player for Blackburn Rovers).[200]
• Jon Rønningen, wrestler. Olympic gold medalist.
• Lars Rønningen, wrestler.
• Börje Salming (1951–present), legendary NHL defenseman, member of Hockey Hall of Fame, voted to the IIHF all-century team.

 

[Kahvi]

I never claimed that Wikipedia is 100% correct.

As to Komarov being mentioned:

Of course it's not 100% and I didn't blame you for any misinformation. Just shows that Komarov most likely isn't of Sami descent because there are no references in Wikipedia. Including the list that you copied from wikipedia.

He might be mentioned on some wikipedia page but if there aren't any links, it's useless and probably false information. Komarov is well-known and unique player when it comes to his background, if there was some sami included there would be some story about it in the news. But there isn't anything in Finnish, so most likely it's a false information

 

[WRC]

I've always hoped indigenous people in Canada would turn things around and then put political pressure on Sweden.

Imagine having your home region marketed as unpopulated by your country and then used by NATO for low flight "tree top cutting" excercises spreading panic among your livestock.

100%. This is absolutely sickening. Amazing that things like this are still accepted.
Most native cultures of North America originated from Asians crossing the Bering land bridge over 15000 years ago. There's also Norse settlements that date back 1000 years after crossing the Atlantic. But many kids in the US are still taught of how Columbus "discovered" the new world in 1492.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Growing up in Luleå, 1000 km north of Stockholm, I remember talks between friends and classmates about whether we could apply for “Sapmi citizenship” or the right to vote for the Sami parliament: I think you needed to have had at least one grandparent who’d spoken a Sami language in their household growing up. It wasn’t completely uncommon, but I imagine it being much more prevalent further inlands from a large-ish hub like Luleå.

On both my parents’ sides of the family, the ancestors had been established in the north for many generations, and I know that at least on my mother’s side we have distant Sami relatives. Less distantly, we have Tornedalians and, unfortunately, Swedish oppressors, to be frank. Race biologists, nazis and people whose job it was to beat the Swedish into Sami children.

I think that if you dive into the lineage of Swedish hockey players from the Northern parts of the country, I’d think it’s quite likely that you’ll find Sami descent. With the shameful history of the Swedish treatment of Sami people and culture, it’s probably not uncommon to find Sami heritage buried in families’ lineages.

Us Luleå fans have carried the Sami connection with pride, but generally as a response to being called the derogatory “Lap”/“Laplander” label by fans of southern teams. You don’t hear it as often nowadays, but as a kid I remember us fans in the standing section singing “The Luleå Joik” in games.

 

[NoMessi]

If you bring him up in Sweden it is more likely he will play football or curling.

This was a strange take and very inaccurate from my experience.

 

[Howie Hodge]

Borje Salming and Leo Komarav are listed as at least part Sami, looking at articles on the Sami.

The entertainment/music world shows Rennee Zellweger, Joni Mitchell, and Jaco Pastorius as at least part Sami also.

Interesting thread, and I learned something.

 

[super6646]

Börje Salming is known as the most manly swede there is, and its well known that he is Sami. Therefor the "Sadly a lot of people aren't even aware of Sami people's existence" is probably wrong.

The next big sami NHLer will come in 18+ years... my son.

When’s the prospect thread being created… when he’s still in the womb?

Sadly a lot of people aren't even aware of Sami people's existence.

Wouldn’t be surprised about this whatsoever. They aren’t really talked about as an indigenous group.

 

[DFWGrapher]

Sorry to go bringing back an absolute dinosaur of a topic, but this is a topic of interest to me as I have a line of my family that was Forest Sami from Sodankylä, Finland.

From what I know Salming is the only one at the NHL level to at least openly have Sami roots. It's possible there are others-- north of Luleå was mentioned, and over in Finland I've been told by one researcher that anyone from north of a line extending from Oulu to Pudasjärvi to Kuusamo likely has Sami roots as well.

However most Swedish and Finnish players tend to come from further south in the country, Norway is far from being a hockey powerhouse, and Russia tried to eradicate its small Sami group as much as it could in the early Soviet days.

Sadly a lot of people aren't even aware of Sami people's existence.

This is certainly true outside of Norway, Sweden, and Finland and their diasporae. I was unaware of what the Sami even were until ten years ago (I had only heard the term Lapp, which I understand is highly derogatory) even though I have roots extending into their territory.

 

[Machinehead]

Sami Salo and his brother Tommy.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

The people you’re referencing aren’t confused. They’re just really unfunny.

Ya, I’ll allow the first one, but it’s “your joke but worse” after that.

 

[CanadienShark]

Sami...
Salo
Kapanen
Sosa

Shall I go on?