Former Detroit Red Wings and NHL forward Petr Klima has died, according to the NHL. He was 58. The Red Wings released a statement saying Klima died in Chomutov, Czechia.
The Czech native played for the Red Wings from 1985 until 1989, and was originally drafted by Detroit in 1983. The team also reportedly helped him defect from the Czech, according to a 1985 story from the Los Angeles Times.
The Times reports that Klima wanted to defect early but had two years of military service remaining and could have been shot as a traitor if he went AWOL, according to former Red Wings Head Coach Nick Polano.
“I had heard that he was a bad kid, that he was always in trouble with the team,” Polano said, according to the Times. “I was happy to hear that because I figured he wasn’t a good Communist. He’s like any typical American or Canadian kid, fun-loving and happy go lucky. But the Communists like all their players to look sad all the time.”
The newspaper reports Polano met with Klima several times in secret and signed him to a secret contract. Eventually, when the Czech team was in West Germany, Polano flew to the country and scheduled the defection, and for five weeks, the LA Times said Klima hid out in hotels throughout West Germany while the immigration was arranged.
Klima went on to play 786 games in the NHL for the Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins.
For the Red Wings, he appeared in 306 games over the course of six seasons with 130 goals and 93 assists.
In a 2010 article from the Edmonton Oilers titled "Where Are They Now? Petr Klima," the team reports that he was the owner, GM and head coach of six independent youth hockey teams in the Detroit area.
