Petr KlÃÂma (23 December 1964 â 4 May 2023) was a Czech professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1985 and 1999. Internationally KlÃÂma played for the Czechoslovak national team at the 1983, winning silver, and 1984 World Junior Championships, winning bronze, and the 1984 Canada Cup. With the Oilers, KlÃÂma won the Stanley Cup in 1990; arguably his most famous goal as a player came in Game 1 when he scored the game-winning goal in triple-overtime (55:13) of what remains the longest Stanley Cup Final game in history.
KlÃÂma was drafted in the fifth round (86th overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.
By the time KlÃÂma was 20 years old, officials on his HC Dukla Jihlava team knew that the Detroit Red Wings were eager to bring the young star to the NHL. Rumors were rampant that the Wings were trying to pay off Czechoslovak authorities to get KlÃÂma out of his native country, but despite all the hype that surrounded him, Czechoslovak hockey authorities made no real effort to clamp down and prevent KlÃÂma from traveling in Europe. As a result, KlÃÂma managed to defect to North America during the summer of 1985, making him the first Czech player to defect directly to a U.S.-based team rather than one of the NHL's Canadian teams which had smuggled several Czechs and Slovaks out of Europe in the past.
Klima's bold move was entirely orchestrated by the Red Wings, who knew that KlÃÂma was eager to play in North America. After his defection was planned, KlÃÂma ditched his Czechoslovak national teammates during a team meal at the Czechoslovak training camp in NuÃÂdorf am Inn, West Germany, to join Wings executive vice-president Jim Lites and assistant coach Nick Polano at an undisclosed location on 18 August 1985. Several days were then spent in the effort to bring KlÃÂma to North America, after Lites and Polano, who had flown to Germany on 15 August 1985, kept KlÃÂma under wraps in Nussdorf and other cities to avoid pursuit by Czechoslovak police. Polano stayed with KlÃÂma as Lites and other Wings officials arranged for him to gain refugee status to enter the United States. The Wings were assisted by U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese and U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lowell Jensen in expediting the political asylum process.
It was later revealed that plans to get KlÃÂma out of Czechoslovakia reached back as far as the 1984 World Junior Championships, held in Sweden, when Detroit scout Alex Davidson secretly met with KlÃÂma in December 1983. KlÃÂma told Davidson he would not consider defecting until he had completed his military duty (so as not to be labeled a deserter) in 1985. Less than a year later, at the 1984 Canada Cup, KlÃÂma began talking to the Wings about the possibility of coming to the NHL after the 1984âÂÂ85 season. During that time, while in Vancouver with the Czechoslovak team, he even signed a secret multiyear contract with the Red Wings. KlÃÂma, who spoke no English when he finally arrived in Detroit on 22 September 1985, was fortunate that the Red Wings also managed to bring his girlfriend to the U.S. In honor of his successful defection, a grateful and overjoyed KlÃÂma requested sweater number 85 and wore it throughout his NHL career as a reminder of the year in which he gained freedom.
KlÃÂma played four full seasons with the Wings (from 1985 until 1989) before being traded during the 1989âÂÂ90 season to the Oilers (along with Joe Murphy, Adam Graves, and Jeff Sharples) for Jimmy Carson, Kevin McClelland, and a fifth round draft pick in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Klima scored the game-winning goal in the longest Stanley Cup Finals game in history, in the third overtime of Game 1 of the 1990 Finals against Andy Moog of the Boston Bruins despite having not played at all in the third period, nor the first two OT periods. He played for the Oilers until 1993, winning the Stanley Cup in 1990. In 1993 Klima was acquired by the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for future considerations; KlÃÂma remained with the Lightning for three seasons, until 1996. He split the 1996âÂÂ97 season between the Lumberjacks, Kings, Penguins, and Oilers, and was released in 1997. He played in the DEL in 1997âÂÂ98, then attempted a comeback with the Red Wings in 1998. He retired from the NHL in 1999, and then played two seasons in years 2001âÂÂ2003 in the Czech league before retiring for good. He played for Litvinov and captained those 2 years. Asked which jersey number he wanted to wear, KlÃÂma chose the number 85 in recognition of the year of his defection and his first year in the NHL.
Although he was one of Detroit's bigger stars in the late 1980s, KlÃÂma was also a problem for the Red Wings management. That situation came to a head during training camp on 23 September 1988, when Detroit suspended KlÃÂma indefinitely, along with Bob Probert, for breaking team rules. At the time of the suspension, the Wings said they would trade KlÃÂma, although this never happened. The team also said it would not take KlÃÂma back until he had his drinking under control. As a result, KlÃÂma missed the start of the 1988âÂÂ89 season before being reinstated on 13 October, and sent to Adirondack (AHL) on 16 October. He finally made his 1988âÂÂ89 NHL regular season debut during Detroit's 6 November, game versus the Edmonton where he posted an assist. At his first practice with the team, on 5 November, KlÃÂma offered a heartfelt apology to his Wings teammates for his earlier behavior, much of which was alcohol-related. During his months back, KlÃÂma roomed with Probert, who was also trying to cope with his drinking and drug habits. KlÃÂma managed to stay clean, but Probert's substance abuse and subsequent issues would continue for several years.
KlÃÂma's father Joseph was also a hockey player, who played internationally for Czechoslovakia. KlÃÂma was married, and with his wife Irina had a daughter, Jessi and twin sons, Kelly and Kevin. Both Kelly and Kevin are hockey players, and signed one-year contracts with the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League in 2018. At the time of Petr's death, Kelly was playing in the Czech Republic.
Klima operated as owner, GM, and head coach of a handful of youth hockey teams in the suburban Detroit region that worked with children that had been imported from the Czech Republic, with Kilma's mission being to help them accumulate to life on and off the ice in North America, stating âÂÂInstead of bringing the kids over here when theyâÂÂre 16 and 17, we want to bring them early so they can learn the language, learn the culture and learn the hockey style. I have seen so many players go back home [to Europe] because they get homesick, they donâÂÂt know the language and theyâÂÂre not confident.âÂÂ
KlÃÂma died on 4 May 2023, at his home in Chomutov, at the age of 58.
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