Slap Shot! Did You Know These NHL Players Are Jewish?
There are Jewish athletes in every professional league, but did you know even some of USA's newly-crowned gold medalists are Jewish?
Despite what people may think, hockey is a great sport for Jewish fans looking for fellow Jews to support. With several Jewish prospects in the works, there are quite a few Jewish players who have already made the National Hockey League (NHL) and are prospects sitting in the American Hockey League (AHL).
If you want to meet some of the current Jewish NHL players, let's keep going!
Jeremy Swayman
Team: Boston Bruins
Swayman is the first Team USA men's alum from the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics that you'll see on this list. This Alaska native grew up with Jewish heritage and celebrated his bar mitzvah with the same tallis his grandmother made for his father. Swayman was drafted in 2017 and has spent his entire career (so far) in Boston. He's regarded as one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.
Zach Hyman
Team: Edmonton Oilers
Hyman is especially vocal about his Jewish heritage and identity, specifically about being the grandson of Holocaust survivors. The Maccabiah Games alum wears #18 because it's symbolic in Judaism. Hyman has said that the number is "chai" which means "life" in Hebrew. He has also been a vocal advocate for the Jewish community in Edmonton, and has spoken out against antisemitism.
Adam Fox
Team: New York Rangers
Fox has spent his entire NHL career with the Rangers, and even won the Norris Trophy in 2021. He grew up in a conservative Jewish family and even had a hockey-themed bar mitzvah. Fox has said he's proud to represent such a large Jewish community, and even partnered with a local chain, Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company.
Zeev Buium
Team: Vancouver Canucks
Buium played at the University of Denver where he became an NCAA champion in 2024. He who was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the same year and went on to become an up and coming defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks. Both he and his brother Shai and are hockey-playing Americans born to Israeli immigrants. Oddly enough, Shai won the NCAA championship with University of Denver in 2022.
Jacob Chychrun
Team: Washington Capitals
This 26-year old defenseman was drafted in 2016 by the now defunct Arizona Coyotes, but he has continued to thrive in the NHL. Chychrun was born to a Jewish family and raised in Boca Raton, Florida. His father, Jeff, is an NHL alum.
Jordan Harris
Team: Boston Bruins
After starting his career in Montreal, this American defenseman signed a 1-year contract with Boston in 2025. Oh, did we mention he's half Jewish? Harris was born to an African-American Jewish father, who was even adopted from a Jewish orphanage. Being the only Black Jewish player in the NHL, Harris has made it his mission to inspire future players who may relate to him.
Luke Hughes
Team: New Jersey Devils
The youngest of the three Hughes brothers playing in the NHL, Luke Hughes grew up in a hockey-focused Jewish family in Orlando, Florida. In 2021, the defenseman was drafted by the New Jersey Devils after making a big splash at the University of Michigan. Luke's career is still just getting started, but he's definitely one to keep watching.
Jake Walman
Team: Edmonton Oilers
Though Walman was born in Canada, he holds dual Canadian-American citizenship thanks to his Rhode Island-native mother. Walman was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2014 and after spending some time in both Detroit and San Jose, the defenseman was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers.
Jason Zucker
Team: Buffalo Sabres
Growing up in a Jewish family from Newport Beach, California, Zucker moved on to the University of Denver where he was the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Rookie of the Year for the 2010-2011 season. He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2010. After spending time in Pittsburgh Arizona, and Nashville, Zucker now calls Buffalo home. Zucker doesn't shy away from his Jewish heritage and even has a tattoo in Hebrew that translates to "in pursuit of perfection."
Quinn Hughes
Team: Minnesota Wild
After starting his career in Vancouver, Quinn Hughes found himself in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics as one of two Hughes brothers on Team USA - shortly after being traded to Minnesota. Like his brothers, Luke and Jack, Quinn grew up in a Jewish family in Orlando, Florida. In the 2023-2024 season, the defenseman became the 15th captain in Vancouver Canucks history and was the only Jewish team captain in the NHL.
Jack Hughes
Team: New Jersey Devils
That's right, the hero of Team USA in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is the third Hughes brother from Orlando, Florida. Jack joins his brothers, Luke and Quinn, in the NHL and is one of the few Jewish players in the league.
Overtime!
Aerin Frankel of the PWHL's Boston Fleet grew up in a New York-based Jewish family. If you think Frankel sounds familiar, you probably had the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on when you watched her and the women's USA hockey team win gold. As a goaltender, she set an Olympic record by recording shutouts against three teams total - Canada, Czechia, and Sweden. In fact, she handed Team Canada their first ever Olympic shutout in a 5-0 Team USA win.
About the Creator
Jenika Enoch
I love movies, music, food, and art. I'm a certified graphic designer and create my own art sometimes. Things that fuel me include equality, respect, culture, and anything weird.
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