Born and raised in B.C., EJ Emery has embraced American roots with NTDP

PLYMOUTH, Michigan – There are roughly 30 banners lining the concourse at USA Hockey Arena, highlighting current NHLers who progressed through the United States National Team Development Program. 

Each banner has the years the player suited up for the NTDP and their hometown, typically the place they were born. 

Jake Sanderson, for example, has Whitefish, Montana listed. Jack Hughes says Orlando, Florida. 

If EJ Emery reaches the NHL, his banner could be one of the first to list a Canadian city. 

Dual-nationals playing for NTDP isn’t a new thing. But players with two passports typically pick the NTDP when they’ve spent part of their upbringing in the United States. Gabe Perreault, for example, was born in Québec but played youth hockey in Chicago after his dad, Yanic Perreault, finished his NH