Petr Klima, a Stanley Cup champion and Czech forward, died at the age of 58. Kilma won the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990. He died on May 4, 2023.
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Klima scored a natural hat-trick in 5:13 for the Oilers in a 7-2 victory over the Minnesota North Stars exactly 32 years ago, on May 4, 1991.
He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Klima, who was born on December 23, 1964, was drafted by the Red Wings in the fifth round (88th overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.
He was a member of the CHZ Litvinov junior hockey team.
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Image Source: Getty Images
Klima fled communist Czechoslovakia in 1985, four years before the Iron Curtain fell.
The right winger scored 313 regular-season goals and added 260 assists in 786 NHL games over 13 seasons.
In 95 playoff games, he scored 28 times and assisted 24 times.
What number did Petr Klima wear?
Klima was the first hockey player to defect to the United States (several had already defected to Canada by this time).
Klima made his NHL debut with the Wings at the start of the 1985-86 season, wearing the number 85, which he wore for the rest of his career.
Why did Petr Klima wear number 85?
Klima wore the number 85 to commemorate his freedom year.
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