(DETROIT, MI)-A fan favorite of the Detroit Red Wings has passed away.
A statement released by the National Hockey League says Petr Klima died Thursday morning at his home in Chomutov, Czechoslovakia.
Klima was drafted by the Wings in 1983; he would debut on the pro roster in 1985.
The high-scoring forward wore number 85 throughout his career in recognition of his rookie season.
Besides Detroit, he played for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins & Tampa Bay Lightning in a 13-year career.
He won a championship in 1990 with the Oilers. Klima scored the winning goal in game one of that final, which went three overtime periods and was the longest Stanley Cup game ever played.
While known for having several off-ice issues in Detroit, the left-wing straightened his life out, scoring 313 goals and tallying 260 assists for 573 NHL points.
Klima was the first ever Czech-born athlete to play for an American sports team.
For the Wings to acquire his services, the hockey club worked with United States Attorney General Ed Meese as he helped negotiate with the Czech government. Detroit also gave the communist country money to clear the way for Klima to defect.
Learning from this experience, the Wings used similar methods a few years later to acquire Soviet players Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov, and Igor Larionov—players who would eventually bring the club Stanley Cup success.
Petr Klima opened the door for the “Russian Five.”
At this time, his cause of death is unknown.
Peter Klima was 58.
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