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| 1983 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Petr Klima
Selected in
fifth round
No. 86 overall by Detroit Red Wings
Born
December 23, 1964
 | Position:
Left Wing
Height: 6-0 Weight:
190
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Litvinov (Czechoslovakia)
Birthplace:
Chomutov, Czechoslovakia
Hometown: Chomutov, Czech Republic |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1981-82 |
Litvinov | Czech. |
18 | 7 |
3 | 10 |
8 | | 1982-83 |
Litvinov | Czech. |
44 | 19 |
17 | 36 |
74 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1983 (silver medal)
European Junior
Championships: 1982 (silver medal) |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 10, 1985 (Minnesota at
Detroit)
Numbers: 85 (Detroit); 85
(Edmonton); 85 (T.B.); 85 (L.A.);
85 (Pitt.)
Stanley Cup: 1990.
Playing Status:
Retired for final time in 2003 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1985-1999 |
Detroit, Edmonton,
T.B., L.A., Pittsburgh | 786 |
313 | 260 |
573 | 671 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1987-1997 |
Detroit, Edm., T.B. | 95 |
28 | 24 |
52 | 83 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game: 1986 (Detroit) (injured, did not play)
Detroit Records: Most goals, playoff year (10 in 1988, shares
record)
Detroit Playoffs Goals
Leader: 1988 (10)
Edmonton Points
Leader: 1992-93 (48)
Edmonton Goals
Leader: 1990-91 (40), 1992-93 (32)
Tampa Bay Goals
Leader: 1993-94 (28), 1995 (13, tie)
Miscellaneous: Played on line with Steve Yzerman and Ron Duguay for
Detroit in 1985-86. ... Scored goal in his first NHL game. The goal, at 14:02 of
the second period, beat Minnesota goaltender Don Beaupre to give Red Wings a
4-2 lead in what ended as a 6-6 tie. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with
hip flexor injury, suffered during Detroit's Jan. 18, 1986, game vs.
Calgary. While he was out with the injury, he missed the 1986 NHL All-Star
Game, in which he had been chosen to play. He did not return to action until
Detroit's Jan. 31, 1986, game vs. St. Louis. ... Finished seventh in 1985-86
NHL rookie scoring race with 56 points. ... Scored at least one point in
first 10 games of 1986-87 season. It was the longest point-scoring streak by
any Detroit player in that season. ... Tied for Detroit lead with five
game-winning goals in 1986-87. ... Tied for second in NHL with nine
first-goals during 1987-88 season. ... Scored goal on first playoff penalty
shot in Detroit Red Wings history, beating Allan Bester in Game 3 of
first-round series at Toronto on April 9, 1988. ... Missed remainder of 1988
playoffs with broken right thumb, an injury suffered when he was slashed by
Charlie Huddy during Game 1 of Detroit's Campbell Conference finals series
at Edmonton on May 3, 1988. ... Led Detroit in 1988 playoffs with four
game-winning goals. ... Broke Gordie Howe's Detroit record for goals in one
playoff year with 10 in 1988. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season with
twisted right ankle, an injury suffered when he collided with Ron Hextall during
Detroit's Nov. 12, 1988, game at Philadelphia. He did not return until
Detroit's Nov. 23, 1988, game vs. Los Angeles. ...
Missed part of 1988-89 season with pulled groin, an injury suffered during
Detroit's Dec. 17, 1988, game at Pittsburgh. He did not return to action
until Detroit's Dec. 31, 1988, game vs. Hartford. ... Missed part of 1988-89
season with back injury, suffered during Detroit's Jan. 28, 1989, game at
Pittsburgh. He did not return to action until Detroit's Feb. 9, 1989, game
vs. New Jersey. ... Had two assists in his first game with Edmonton, on Nov.
3, 1989, vs. Calgary. ... Ended longest playoff game in Edmonton Oilers
history (record since broken) by scoring at 15:13 of third overtime to beat
Boston 3-2 in Game 1 of Stanley Cup Finals at Boston on May 15, 1990. ...
Suspended by NHL for four games during 1990-91 season for butt-ending Brad
Jones in Edmonton's Oct. 11, 1990, game vs. Los Angeles. The suspension
was announced on Oct. 25, 1990. Edmonton received a seven-day grace period,
based on appeal, and Klima began serving suspension on Nov. 3, 1990. He
did not return until Edmonton's Nov. 14, 1990, game vs. Vancouver. Klima
publicly criticized NHL executive vice-president Brian O'Neill over the
length of suspension, saying he did not feel O'Neill deserved his job. ... Missed part
of 1990-91 season with pulled groin, an injury suffered during Edmonton's
March 15, 1991, game at Winnipeg. ... Led Edmonton with plus-24 rating and
three hat tricks in 1990-91. ... Began playing right wing, in addition to
left wing, for Edmonton in 1991-92. He would remain both a right wing and
left wing for the remainder of his career. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season
with scratched right cornea, an injury suffered during Edmonton's Nov. 16,
1991, game at Quebec. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season with strained groin,
an injury suffered during Edmonton's Feb. 2, 1992, game vs. Quebec. He did
not return to action until Edmonton's Feb. 19, 1992, game vs. Los Angeles.
... Missed part of 1992-93 season with strained ligaments in left knee, an
injury suffered in Edmonton's Oct. 11, 1992, game vs. Toronto. He did
not return to action until Edmonton's Oct. 31, 1992, game vs. Washington.
... Missed part of 1992-93 season with strained groin, an injury suffered
in Edmonton's Jan. 7, 1993, game at Chicago. He did not return to action
until Edmonton's Jan. 27, 1993, game vs. Detroit. ... Led Edmonton with 13
power-play goals in 1992-93. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with slightly
separated right shoulder, an injury suffered when he was checked by Adam
Bennett during Tampa Bay's Feb. 27, 1994, game at Edmonton. He did not
return to action until Tampa Bay's March 20, 1994, game vs. Washington. ...
Tied for Tampa Bay lead with three game-winning goals in 1995. ... Scored
his 300th career NHL goal for Tampa Bay during Dec. 13, 1995, game at
Hartford, becoming only fourth European player (after Jari Kurri, Peter
Stastny and Tomas Sandstrom) to achieve that feat. ... Missed part of
1995-96 season with separated left shoulder, suffered in Tampa
Bay's Feb. 23, 1996, game at N.Y. Islanders. He did not return to action
until Tampa Bay's March 13, 1996, game at Philadelphia. ... Missed remainder
of 1995-96 regular season and start of 1996 playoffs with bruised knee, an
injury suffered during Tampa Bay's April 8, 1996, game vs. N.Y. Islanders.
He did not return to action until Game 2 of Tampa Bay's first-round playoff
series at Philadelphia on April 18, 1996. ... Traded by Los Angeles to Pittsburgh for a conditional draft pick on Oct. 25, 1996. Klima failed to
meet the conditions required as part of the trade, and draft pick
was later forfeited. ... Contract bought out by Pittsburgh on Feb. 1, 1997, after playing 19 games for team's Cleveland (IHL) farm team. ... Signed with Edmonton as an unrestricted
free agent on Feb. 26, 1997. His special contract, which could be canceled
by Edmonton at any time, kept him with Oilers through end of 1996-97
season. ... Invited to Detroit's 1998 training camp on Aug. 25, 1998, but
was released on Sept. 27, 1998. ... Signed two-way contract with Detroit as a free agent on
Jan. 11, 1999, having not played during first half of 1998-99 season. He had
to clear waivers before contract could take effect.
... Missed part of 1998-99 season with strained ribcage muscle, suffered in Detroit's Feb. 21, 1999, game at Buffalo.
Klima's Disciplinary Woes: Although he was one of Detroit's bigger stars
in the late 1980s, Petr Klima was also a problem for the Red Wings
management. That situation came to a head during training camp on Sept. 23,
1988, when
Detroit suspended Klima indefinitely, along with Bob Probert, for breaking
team rules. At the time of the suspension, the Wings said they would trade
Klima, although this never happened. The team also said it would not take
Klima back until he had his drinking under control. As a result, Klima missed the start of the
1988-89 season before being reinstated on Oct. 13, 1988, and sent to Adirondack (AHL) on Oct. 16, 1988.
He finally made his 1988-89 NHL regular-season debut during Detroit's Nov. 6, 1988,
game vs. Edmonton. He had an assist in that game. At his first practice with
the team, on Nov. 5, 1988, Klima offered a heartfelt apology to his Wings
teammates for his earlier behavior, much of which was alcohol-related.
During his months back, Klima roomed with Probert, who was also attempting
to beat a drinking problem. Klima managed to stay clean, but Probert wasn't
so lucky as his addiction got him in further trouble. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
Jihlava (Czechoslovakia); Adirondack (AHL); Wolfsburg (Germany); Zlin (Czech
Republic); Cleveland (IHL); Krefeld (Germany); Litvinov (Czech Republic)
Canada Cup: 1984
(fifth place)
World Junior Championships: 1984
(bronze medal)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Czechoslovakia
Championship: 1984, 1985 (Jihlava)
Litvinov Captain: 2001-02
and 2002-03
1988-89: Played five regular-season games for Adirondack team that
went on to win AHL playoff title, but was not with team in postseason.
Miscellaneous: Played in Europe
during 1994-95 NHL lockout. ... Retired for first time after 1998-99 season
and worked for two years at a car dealership in Tampa area. ... Came out of
retirement in 2001 to return to Czech Republic and play for Litvinov in
2001-02 and 2002-03.
Klima's Defection: By the time
Klima was 20 years old, officials on his 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 Czechoslovakian authorities to
get Klima out of his native country, but despite all the hype that
surrounded him, Czech hockey authorities made no real effort to clamp down
and prevent Klima from traveling in Europe. As a result, Klima 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 out of Europe in the
past. Detroit's bold move was entirely orchestrated by the Red Wings, who
knew that Klima was eager to play in North America. After his defection was
planned, Klima ditched his Czech
national teammates during a team meal at the Czech training camp in Nussdorf, West Germany,
to join Wings executive vice-president Jim Lites and assistant coach Nick
Polano at an undisclosed location on Aug. 18, 1985.
Several days were then spent in the effort to bring Klima to North America,
after Lites and Polano, who had flown to Germany on Aug. 15, 1985, kept
Klima under wraps in Nussdorf and other cities to avoid pursuit by Czech
police. Polano stayed with Klima 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 deputy attorney general
Lowell Jensen in expediting the political-asylum process. It was later
revealed that plans to get Klima out of Czechoslovakia reached
back as far as the 1984 World Junior Championships, held in Sweden, when
Detroit scout Alex Davidson secretly met with Klima in December 1983. Klima
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, Klima began talking to the Wings about
the possibility of coming the NHL after the 1984-85 season. During that
time, while in Vancouver with the Czech team, he even signed a secret
multiyear contract with the Red Wings. Polano had brought the contract to
Klima without Czech officials realizing it. Klima, who spoke no English when
he finally arrived in Detroit on Sept. 22, 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 Klima requested sweater number 85 and wore it
throughout his NHL career as a reminder of the year in which he gained
freedom. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE:
Detroit traded Klima, Joe Murphy, Adam Graves and Jeff Sharples to Edmonton
in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Kevin McClelland and 1991 fifth-round pick (later traded)
on November 2, 1989. More than nine years later, Detroit got Klima back when
the Red Wings signed him as a free agent on January
11, 1999. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '83 | | Total Selected: |
242 | | Forwards: |
134 | | Defense: |
86 | | Goaltenders: |
22 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
19/5 | | College Players: |
15 | | High School: |
47 |
| Canadian: |
148 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
60 | | U.S.-Born: |
60 |
| European: |
34 |
| Reached NHL: |
113 |
| Stanley Cup: |
21 | | Hall of Fame: |
4 |
| All-Star Game: |
20 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
34 |
| Picks Traded: |
41 |
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