Former Red Wings and Oilers Forward Petr Klima Passes Away at 58

Czech hockey star Petr Klima passed away at 58 years old, the Edmonton Oilers confirmed on Thursday.

Czech NHL alum Petr Kima passed away at 58 years old, the Edmonton Oilers confirmed on Thursday.

The forward played 13 years in the NHL across five teams, including six years with the Detroit Red Wings and five with the Oilers. In 786 career regular-season games, Klima amassed an impressive 313 goals and 260 assists for 573 points, along with 671 penalty minutes and 36 game-winning goals. 

Klima made history in 1985 by becoming the first Czech-born player to defect to an American NHL team when he joined the Detroit Red Wings, a decision that came five years after fellow Czechs Peter and Miroslav Stastny joined the Quebec Nordiques. 

With a number of memorable moments and accomplishments throughout his lengthy career, Klima is perhaps most known for his iconic game-winning goal in triple overtime of Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup final to help the Oilers beat the Boston Bruins after he returned from missing the previous five periods. That effort would end in glory four games later, as the Oilers ultimately defeated the Bruins to earn Klima the lone Cup of his career and cement his name in hockey history. 

The hockey world at large will miss him greatly.