Should Canadian born naturalized US citizens play for Team Canada?

[the_only_turek_fan]

Been on my mind a lot lately....I have nothing against Americans, and I would love to be a dual citizen one day if I get the chance.

But a lot of the players on the team and Steve Yzerman himself are no longer Canadian citizens or are dual citizens with the intent of settling in the United States for the rest of their lives.

Should they be allowed to play for Team Canada?

[spuzzum]

Yes, they're Canadian. Even more so if they were born in this great frozen winter wonderland.

[CaptainYooh]

Why not? The opposite is also true. It's a known fact that some athletes change their citizenship in order to be able to participate in the Olympics, when they cannot make the roster for their homeland.

[Lego Man]

Yes, they should be allowed.

I think that if you were born in Canada and stayed until around 16ish... then you've earned the right to play for team CDN.

It gets really tricky if one moves away during the early years and comes back.

What if someone moved from Canada to Sweden at 5yrs old, became a great hockey player over there, and then came back to Canada at 18yrs... I'd say he would be SWE at heart.

[DuffMan]

they should play wherever they want and hold a citizenship. I couldn't imagine playing against a team I'd rather be on, especially playing for national pride.

[troutman]

Nedved played for Canada at the 1994 Olympics, and is playing for Czech Republic in Sochi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petr_Nedv%C4%9Bd

[fastpuck]

I was born in Canada to American father, so I have dual citizenship. I live in Montana, because it's more favourable for work. I am Canadian heart and soul, so given a choice to play for Canada or US, it would be Canada. Just cause I have both doesn't mean that I am not as Canadian as the next person. Yes they should be able to play for their country.

[evman150]

Ted Cruz should be the new leader of the CPC.

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Why not? The opposite is also true. It's a known fact that some athletes change their citizenship in order to be able to participate in the Olympics, when they cannot make the roster for their homeland.

Someone should really tell Switzerland this so they can fast-track the citizenship applications for Thornton, Giroux and MSL.

[Vulcan]

I think that if I was living and paying taxes in the States, I'd want to have some say in the politics there, so taking out American citizenship would be natural. It doesn't mean my loyalty to Canada and Canadian hockey would change.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

Been on my mind a lot lately....I have nothing against Americans, and I would love to be a dual citizen one day if I get the chance.

But a lot of the players on the team and Steve Yzerman himself are no longer Canadian citizens or are dual citizens with the intent of settling in the United States for the rest of their lives.

Should they be allowed to play for Team Canada?

I am sorry this seems like such an archaic thought, IMO.

That being said it is not unheard of in sport that players based outside of their home country don't get picked for the national team(s).

[Hatter]

They should play wherever they identify and hold citizenship with.

[Locke]

A lot of players have respect for where they learned to play and love to live as opposed to where they were born.

Some players are mercenaries.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

Been on my mind a lot lately....I have nothing against Americans, and I would love to be a dual citizen one day if I get the chance.

But a lot of the players on the team and Steve Yzerman himself are no longer Canadian citizens or are dual citizens with the intent of settling in the United States for the rest of their lives.

Should they be allowed to play for Team Canada?

Of course. They are still Canadian, were developed in Canada, and for most played for Canada throughout their junior careers at various international tournaments.

It is not like these players move to the U.S. on their own accord. They are drafted into the NHL and in order to live out their dream of being an NHLer they need to move to the United States.

Just because they move there to play in the NHL and then decide to settle down with the wife they likely met in the U.S. and kids that were likely born in the U.S. does not mean they are any less Canadian.

Seems silly that we would expect all Canadian NHLers who want to play in the Olympics to have to play in Canada or not get a dual citizenship.

Originally Posted by Lego Man

What if someone moved from Canada to Sweden at 5yrs old, became a great hockey player over there, and then came back to Canada at 18yrs... I'd say he would be SWE at heart.

Alex Steen and he is playing for Sweden.

[lazypucker]

On the flip side of the coin, should Team Canada pick an immrgrant/citizen who was born and raised in other countries?

[East Coast Flame]

[Vulcan]

The Yanks get enough of our NHL Canadian offspring playing for them and you want to give them more. Bad idea.

[hwy19man]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

On the flip side of the coin, should Team Canada pick an immrgrant/citizen who was born and raised in other countries?

Good question. Owen Nolan was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland but was mostly raised in Thorold, Ontario and played for Team Canada. Lee Fogolin was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He played for Team USA in the Canada Cup.

[hwy19man]

Originally Posted by Hatter

They should play wherever they identify and hold citizenship with.

Well said. A player who is the bearer of a canadian passport can play for Canada.

[foshizzle11]

ya, people are free to choose, that is why there rules say so.

I have no problem with anyone playing for Canada as long as they follow the rules and call Canada home, whether they were born there or not.