RIP Petr Klima

[Shinzaki]

RIP Peter Klima...

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/former-nhler-czech-star-forward-petr-klima-dies-at-age-just-58/

[holygoat]

I moved this from the Regular Season thread, because I think it deserves it's own, and it's not really relevant to that other thread anyway.

Klima was electric on the ice, but like many Wings of that era was held back by personal issues. Had to be tough leaving everything behind with the expectation that you'd never be able to go back, though.

[buddha]

he was on those wings teams when they started to get decent but seemed very flaky.

[Hongbit]

1 hour ago, buddha said:

he was on those wings teams when they started to get decent but seemed very flaky.

This is code for he drank too much.  

[slothfacekilla]

Seems like he had his demons, really sad to see him go so young.

[Motor City Sonics]

4 hours ago, buddha said:

he was on those wings teams when they started to get decent but seemed very flaky.

What happened was that they smuggled him out of the Czech Republic and all of a sudden he's a star hockey player with a whole lot of money and not a lot of life skills for the USA/Canada.    He learned some bad habits from some teammates and it cost him a lot.   So sad that he died.  He was just two days older than I am. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Motor City Sonics

[Motor City Sonics]

 

[buddha]

3 hours ago, Hongbit said:

This is code for he drank too much.  

i wasnt talking about klima specifically, but the experience of the whole team during that period of time.

[Motor City Sonics]

3 minutes ago, buddha said:

i wasnt talking about klima specifically, but the experience of the whole team during that period of time.

You remember the name of the bar in Edmonton, don't you?   (Without looking it up)

[oblong]

Yes.  Goose Loonies.

[Motor City Sonics]

2 hours ago, oblong said:

Yes.  Goose Loonies.

I'll never forget the name of that place

[lordstanley]

How many players can be remembered for 3 such varied reasons 1) wild defection from Czechoslovakia. 2) apparently the ringleader of the Wings’ infamous Goose Loonies 3) the 3OT winner in the SCF.

As for 2), is Albom melodramatic or what. Yeah, the incident was a bad idea, but no one got killed. 

https://www.mitchalbom.com/wings-lost-much-more-than-a-game/

 

[Motor City Sonics]

On 5/5/2023 at 4:27 PM, lordstanley said:

How many players can be remembered for 3 such varied reasons 1) wild defection from Czechoslovakia. 2) apparently the ringleader of the Wings’ infamous Goose Loonies 3) the 3OT winner in the SCF.

As for 2), is Albom melodramatic or what. Yeah, the incident was a bad idea, but no one got killed. 

https://www.mitchalbom.com/wings-lost-much-more-than-a-game/

 

I always thought it was Probert as the ringleader.   He had an incredible playoff that year too. 

[lordstanley]

1 hour ago, Motor City Sonics said:

I always thought it was Probert as the ringleader.   He had an incredible playoff that year too. 

Accounts I’ve read seem to indicate that Probert was the biggest name he was clearly going through issues and guys like Klima should have known better. Here is Keith Gave reminding us that Jacques Demers came out of it looking as bad as anyone. https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2019/04/10/bob-probert-death-goose-loonies-detroit-red-wings/3413295002/