I thought this as well for a long time. A few years ago I brought up this trade in a thread and someone linked me to a site where it said the Future Considerations turned into a 3rd round pick, which was used to select some guy that never made the NHL.Klima had so many "off ice issues" that after he scored 32-goals and 48-points in 62 games with the Oilers in 1992-93; which made him the teams leading goal scorer and leading point getter... they traded him to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
For nothing.
Imagine a 32-goal scorer, who doesn't have an atrocious, albatross contract, being traded for future considerations.
Imagine a team trading way their leading scorer, for nothing.
Honestly didn't know that.The whole backstory to that goal was Petr Klima getting benched in the 2nd period, and not allowed back in the game until 3OT. Meaning he spent an entire game of playing time just sitting there watching like a backup goalie. Including two OT periods, in the Finals, in Boston Garden. It must have been excruciating and humiliating.
By 1:30am, everyone else was dead on their skates. Klima was the only fresh player left.
That's something I was always intrigued by myself. When productive players get traded away for seemingly nothing Sather did the same thing with Geoff Courtnall- trade him after a 36 goal campaign for Greg Adams.
Besides the goal, the other two things I always remember about Klima are that goofy helmet and he, Probert, and Chiasson partying all night before Game 5 in 88
Holy cow...this just took me back 30 years and right back to my collecting days. I know I still have this card somewhere.He was a few years before my time as a hockey fan, so I never saw him play, but I remember having his hockey card when I was little.
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Too young. Rest in peace.
I'm sure he gained instant respect, defecting at such a young age. That couldn't have been easy. I always liked the fact that he wore 85 for that reasonI read Probert's book and he considered Petr Klima one of his closest friends. Seems like he was a popular teammate and well-liked despite being a bit of a wild card on and off the ice. His sons are currently playing in the Czech league. RIP
Peter and Anton Stastny defected in 1980. Klima was the first Czech to play for an American NHL team.First Czech to defect to NA to play in NHL
Was an enigma in a way, Sorta a Kovalev before Kovalev
Flashed so much talent but was inconsistent.
He was one of the better players on TB teams near end of his career and helped them reach first postseason in franchise history
A very enjoyable player to watch
Same here. All I could gather is that it was unexpected and some people speculate that his history of cadiac issues may have something to do with it.58 is not old. I'm curious what caused his death.
I grew up watching Klima as a member of the Dead Wings. So much fun to watch and loved the Euro mullet hanging out of the JOFA bucket.
RIP Petr