More Jewish hockey players currently play in the NHL than ever before in NHL history. In recent years, the season has started with somewhere between 13 and 15 Jews playing for NHL teams, including two Norris Trophy recipients, one 54-goal scorer and the player who scored the overtime winner for the United States’ Olympic gold medal in 2026. The history goes back to 1924. Here are the top 10 of all-time, all of those currently playing and the highlights along the way. Just one quick methodology note first: All names included here have publicly come out as Jewish or their heritage has been documented through credible journalism. Nothing on this list was assumed.
The Short Version:
The essentials before the lists.
| Where things stand | |
|---|---|
| Are there Jewish NHL players? | Yes, and more now than at any point in league history |
| Roughly how many today | Around 13 to 15 have started recent seasons on NHL rosters |
| Most decorated all-time | Mathieu Schneider, who played roughly 1,290 games across 10 teams |
| Biggest current star | Zach Hyman of the Edmonton Oilers |
| Norris Trophy winners | Adam Fox in 2021 and Quinn Hughes in 2024 |
| First Jewish NHL player | Sam Rothschild, who debuted with the Montreal Maroons in 1924 |
| First Jewish name on the Stanley Cup | Cecil Hart, as a coach and manager with the Montreal Canadiens |
| First Jewish NHL captain | Jeff Halpern, with the Washington Capitals |
| How this list was built | Only players who have publicly identified as Jewish or whose background is documented by credible outlets |
The 10 Best Jewish NHL Players of All Time:
Ranked by what they achieved in the NHL, which is the only criterion that can be applied consistently. Reasonable people will argue about the order, and the top three in particular are close.
Career achievement, not popularity or era-adjusted guesswork.
| # | Player | Position | Why they are here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathieu Schneider | Defence | Roughly 1,290 games across 10 teams, a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993, and two Olympics for the United States. The longest and most productive NHL career of any Jewish player |
| 2 | Zach Hyman | Left wing | Scored 54 goals in 2023-24, the finest season any Jewish player has produced, and led the playoffs with 16 more. Wears number 18 for chai |
| 3 | Adam Fox | Defence | Won the Norris Trophy in 2021 as the NHL’s best defenceman, the first Jewish player to do so |
| 4 | Quinn Hughes | Defence | Norris Trophy winner in 2024 and a former Vancouver captain, now with Minnesota |
| 5 | Jack Hughes | Centre | First overall pick in 2019 and scorer of the overtime goal that won the United States Olympic gold in 2026 |
| 6 | Mike Cammalleri | Left wing | More than 900 NHL games and a remarkable 2010 playoff run for Montreal, when he led the postseason in goals |
| 7 | Jeff Halpern | Centre | The first Jewish captain in NHL history, with the Washington Capitals, across a long career as a respected two-way forward |
| 8 | Jason Zucker | Left wing | A durable top-six forward with multiple 20-goal seasons, and a prominent figure in NHL community work |
| 9 | Larry Zeidel | Defence | A pioneer who played through open antisemitic abuse in the 1950s and 1960s and refused to be driven out of the game |
| 10 | Sam Rothschild | Forward | The first Jewish player in NHL history, debuting in 1924, and a Stanley Cup winner with the Montreal Maroons in 1926 |
A Word on the Order:
Schneider gets the nod when it comes to career significance. About 1,290 games played during 21 seasons and 10 different teams, winning a Stanley Cup, two Olympic tournaments with the United States team, and enshrined within the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in Israel. None of these other players even come close to this player’s longevity.
Hyman has had the finest individual season, and if he can keep his great play up for the next several years, then he might make an argument for being number one. Fox and Quinn Hughes both have that elusive trophy that Schneider has yet to get, the Norris Trophy. The bottom three guys got in here just for historical significance, not statistics. Rothschild opened the door back in 1924, Zeidel kept the door open despite real hostility, and Halpern was the first one to wear the letter C.
Jewish Players in the NHL Today:
This is where the story has genuinely changed. For most of the league’s history there were a handful at any one time. Now there is enough talent to field a credible team.
Players who have publicly identified as Jewish and have appeared on NHL rosters in recent seasons. Roster status moves, so treat team listings as a guide.
| Player | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Hyman | Edmonton Oilers | The most visible Jewish player in the league and among the most outspoken Jewish athletes in professional sport |
| Adam Fox | New York Rangers | 2021 Norris Trophy winner, from Jericho, New York |
| Quinn Hughes | Minnesota Wild | 2024 Norris winner, eldest of the three Hughes brothers |
| Jack Hughes | New Jersey Devils | 2026 Olympic gold medal winner for the United States |
| Luke Hughes | New Jersey Devils | Youngest of the brothers, signed in New Jersey through 2030 |
| Jason Zucker | Buffalo Sabres | Veteran forward, long involved in paediatric hospital charity work |
| Devon Levi | Buffalo Sabres | Goaltender from Montreal |
| Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | Goaltender and a regular in recent Jewish player roundups |
| Luke Kunin | Recent seasons with San Jose | Forward |
| Jakob Chychrun | Recent seasons in the league | Defenceman from a hockey family |
| Jordan Harris | Recent seasons in the league | Defenceman |
The Hughes brothers must be mentioned separately because they always surprise everyone. Jack, Quinn, and Luke Hughes belong to the Jewish community by their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, who played for the USA Women’s National Hockey Team. It is surprising enough that three brothers, all chosen among the top seven players and playing for the NHL together, have made such a career. But the fact that they are also the most successful Jewish hockey family remains unnoticed.
Zach Hyman and the Number 18:
Hyman is the most outspoken Jewish player in professional hockey and one of the most outspoken Jews in all sports, thus earning himself a separate paragraph. Hyman comes from Toronto, where he went to a Jewish high school and participated in the 2013 Maccabiah Games representing Canada. Hyman plays under number 18, because according to Judaic symbolism this number means life, and that is why he chose it.
He openly participates in lighting a public menorah during Hanukkah in Edmonton, stands up against antisemitism and has called himself the grandson of Holocaust survivors. In the NHL game, his season of 2023-2024, where he scored 54 goals – the third highest total in the whole league – and 16 goals in the playoffs helping Edmonton go to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Historical Milestones:
A century of firsts, from a Montreal Maroons forward in 1924 to an Olympic golden goal in 2026.
| Year | Milestone | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Sam Rothschild debuts | The first Jewish player in NHL history, with the Montreal Maroons |
| 1926 | Rothschild wins the Cup | He becomes the first Jewish player to win the Stanley Cup, with the Maroons |
| 1930s | Cecil Hart | The Canadiens coach and manager becomes the first Jewish name engraved on the Stanley Cup. The Hart Trophy is named for his family |
| 1950s-60s | Larry Zeidel | Plays through sustained antisemitic abuse, including taunts that led to one of the era’s most notorious on-ice incidents |
| 1993 | Mathieu Schneider | Wins the Stanley Cup with Montreal, the last Canadian team to do so |
| 2005-06 | Jeff Halpern | Named captain of the Washington Capitals, the first Jewish captain in NHL history |
| 2021 | Adam Fox | Becomes the first Jewish winner of the Norris Trophy |
| 2024 | Zach Hyman | Scores 54 goals, the most by a Jewish player in a single NHL season |
| 2026 | Jack Hughes | Scores the overtime goal that wins Olympic gold for the United States |
Larry Zeidel and What the Early Years Were Like:
It is important to be clear about what the early players had to endure, because otherwise a laundry list of accomplishments tends to gloss it all over. Larry Zeidel played in the 1950s and 1960s, and he endured relentless, vicious antisemitism from both other players and the fans. In response to this persecution, he refused to leave the ice, fought a notoriously tough game, and put an advertisement in the newspaper to sell himself back to the NHL after teams refused to sign him. Zeidel’s career included a scandalous incident on the ice that followed a campaign of antisemitism.
Zeidel, Rothschild and others like them belong on this list for reasons that are not captured by the numbers. The world in which Hyman, Fox and the Hughes brothers can skate wearing number 18 for chai and lighting a menorah in their teams’ cities did not emerge alone.
How We Decided Who Belongs on This List:
This is important enough to be said explicitly. Each of these players has either publicly declared their Jewish identity or had information on their background published by reliable sources that specifically cover this topic, most notably the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and The Forward, both of which regularly compile and publish detailed lists each year.
We have not relied on surnames, physical appearance, or origin for inferring any player’s religious or ethnic affiliation, nor have we relied on lists compiled by fan votes, which often contain players who have never been identified as Jews. Ascribing someone a religion or ethnicity that they have not ascribed themselves is an invasion of privacy, even if one is proven correct, and is a good way to defame a person alive. Should any player be absent from this list, the main reason behind this is that we failed to verify their status according to this standard.
Final Take:
Schneider has the most decorated career, Hyman wins the season award, and Fox and Hughes hold the trophies. All these are followed by almost a hundred-year history, which starts from the time of Sam Rothschild in 1924. However, it becomes even more intriguing to consider the contemporary situation. The league, which once only saw one or two Jewish players per decade, has been seeing a dozen of them per season, including two Norris Trophy winners, a first overall draft pick, and an Olympic hero. According to the current trends, this list may soon be rewritten.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How many Jewish NHL players are there?
Recent seasons have started with roughly 13 to 15 players on NHL rosters who have publicly identified as Jewish, the highest numbers in league history.
Who is the best Jewish NHL player of all time?
Mathieu Schneider, on weight of career: roughly 1,290 games across 21 seasons and 10 teams, a Stanley Cup in 1993 and two Olympic appearances for the United States. Zach Hyman has the single best season.
Is Zach Hyman Jewish?
Yes, and he is among the most outspoken Jewish athletes in professional sport. He attended a Jewish high school in Toronto, played at the 2013 Maccabiah Games, and wears number 18 because it corresponds to chai, meaning life.
Are the Hughes brothers Jewish?
Yes. Jack, Quinn and Luke Hughes are Jewish through their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, who played for the United States women’s national team.
Who was the first Jewish NHL player?
Sam Rothschild, who debuted with the Montreal Maroons in 1924 and won the Stanley Cup with them in 1926.
Has a Jewish player ever won the Norris Trophy?
Yes, twice. Adam Fox won it in 2021 and Quinn Hughes in 2024.
Who was the first Jewish captain in the NHL?
Jeff Halpern, with the Washington Capitals.
Is Adam Fox Jewish?
Yes. The New York Rangers defenceman, from Jericho, New York, won the Norris Trophy in 2021.
Also read about: Can NHL Players Play in the Olympics? Yes, and They Just Won Gold for the United States
