Alright, let’s talk about these hockey fellas, the Italian ones playing in that NHL thing. You know, the ice game with the sticks and the puck? My grandson, he watches it all the time, yelling at the TV like those fellas can hear him. Bless his heart.
So, I hear tell there ain’t a whole heap of Italians in the NHL, not like them Canadians. Them Canadians, they’re everywhere in hockey, like ants at a picnic. Canada, yeah, that’s the place with all the hockey players. Always has been, from what I gather.
But Italy? Not so much. It’s a bit of a smaller thing over there, this hockey. They call it “hockey su ghiaccio,” which sounds fancy, but it’s the same game, far as I can tell. Mostly played up north, where it’s cold, I reckon. Makes sense, you wouldn’t play hockey in the desert, would ya?
Now, they say the first Italian fella in the NHL was a guy named Nelson Debenedet. Born in Italy, but grew up in Canada. So, he’s kinda like a half-and-half, you know? Like when you mix coffee and milk. He was the first one though, that’s somethin’. Broke the ice, so to speak. Heh, get it? Ice?
- First Italian NHL player: Nelson Debenedet
- Hockey in Italy: Mostly in the North
- Popularity: Not as big as in Canada or USA
After him, there’ve been a few more, but not a ton. Maybe nineteen or twenty, they say. Compared to hundreds of Canadians, that ain’t much. A fella named Bob Manno, they say he’s one of the more well-known ones. And there’s a young fella, Salinitri, trying to get more Italians into the game. Good for him, I say. Gotta start somewhere, right?
They keep track of all sorts of things with these players, you know? Like how many goals they score, how many times they help someone else score. Points, they call ’em. And they got lists of who’s the best at all that stuff. For the Italian fellas, they got their own little lists. Not as long as the Canadian lists, I bet, but they got ’em.
Seems like there used to be more Europeans in the NHL, not just Italians, but all sorts. Then, for a while, there weren’t so many. Now, I hear tell it’s picking up again. More fellas from all over are coming to play. Makes it interesting, I guess. Like a big ol’ melting pot, but with skates and sticks.
NHL, that’s the big league, see? The best of the best. So, if an Italian fella makes it there, he’s gotta be pretty darn good. It ain’t easy, I tell ya. Lots of competition. You gotta be tough, gotta be fast, and gotta know how to handle that puck.
My grandson, he tries to explain all the rules to me, but it’s a bit much for this old brain. Offsides, icing, power plays… It’s like a whole ‘nother language. But I get the gist of it. You gotta get that puck in the net, and you gotta stop the other fellas from getting it in your net. Simple as that, right? Well, maybe not so simple, but you get the idea.
So, these Italian hockey players, they’re a small bunch, but they’re part of that NHL thing. They’re representing their country, even if they weren’t all born there. And that’s something to be proud of, I reckon. Whether you’re from Canada, Italy, or wherever, if you’re good enough to play in the NHL, you’ve done something special.
And that’s all I gotta say about that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go make some dinner. All this talk about hockey has made me hungry.
Tags: Italian Hockey Players, NHL, Ice Hockey, Italy, Canada, European Players, NHL History, Nelson Debenedet, Bob Manno
