Tragic announcement: a player who had a historic impact in the NHL has just passed away suddenly, and it is the former Oilers player Petr Klima

Former Stanley Cup champion with the Edmonton Oilers, Petr Klima, has suddenly passed away at the age of only 58.

Why are we talking about a historic player for the NHL here?

Because in the 80s, the idea of European players joining the United States to play in the National Hockey League was just a distant dream for many.

A few players from that time had made the leap from Europe to join Canadian teams, but no one had joined an American team.

Until Petr Klima worked with the Detroit Red Wings to make the big leap to the United States.

Klima managed to change the way European players even considered their hockey careers, paving the way for significant changes in player transfer options.

Klima eventually made his NHL debut in the 1985-1986 season with the Red Wings, a historic journey for a European.

Throughout his career, Klima played for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Klima played in 786 NHL games, scoring 313 goals and adding 260 assists during his career. An impressive harvest!

Klima was a member of the Stanley Cup-winning team, the Edmonton Oilers, during the 1989/90 season, thus achieving his ultimate goal.

Our thoughts go out to Klima's family and friends during this difficult time.