Peter Stastny

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Peter Šťastný's NHL journey began not with a draft pick, but with a midnight escape from Czechoslovakia in 1980. Smuggled out with his brother Anton and his pregnant wife, they were hidden in a car and driven across the border into Austria, aided by Quebec Nordiques president Marcel Aubut and chief scout Gilles Leger. The following year, his brother Marián joined them after Peter and Anton raised the US$30,000 needed to bribe Czechoslovak officials—a sum that bought a brother's freedom. The three brothers played together for the Nordiques from the 1981–82 season through the 1984–85 season, marking at least the third time in NHL history that three brothers had played simultaneously for the same team, following the Bentley brothers (Chicago Black Hawks, 1943) and the Plager brothers (St. Louis Blues, 1968–69 to 1971–72). Šťastný finished his career with the St. Louis Blues, where his son Paul later skated in the same rinks. His jersey number 26 was retired by the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise, a permanent tribute to the man who proved that European talent could thrive in the NHL.

In Their Own Story

In 1980, Peter Šťastný, his brother Anton, and Peter's pregnant wife were smuggled out of Czechoslovakia into Austria—a desperate gamble that began with a hidden car and ended with a new life in Quebec. The operation was orchestrated with the help of Nordiques president Marcel Aubut and chief scout Gilles Leger, who saw not just players, but pioneers. A year later, the third Šťastný brother, Marián, was able to join them after Peter and Anton raised the US$30,000 required to bribe Czechoslovak government officials—a sum that bought a brother's freedom. All three brothers then played for the Nordiques from 1981 to 1985, a feat only accomplished twice before in NHL history by the Bentley brothers and the Plager brothers. Peter Šťastný went on to become the first European-trained player to reach 1,000 points in the NHL, a milestone that cracked the ice for generations of European stars. He finished his playing career with the St. Louis Blues. Decades later, his son Paul would play for the Blues as well, and the father-son duo ranks fourth all-time in combined NHL scoring—a testament to a family that escaped oppression to dominate the game.

Reader's Guide

Peter Šťastný's legacy is built on his historic arrival and his family's impact on the game. The subsequent arrival of brother Marián, funded by a $30,000 bribe raised by Peter and Anton, completed the trio. They played together for the Nordiques from 1981 to 1985, a rare brother act in NHL history that only the Bentley and Plager families had matched. Šťastný's individual achievement of being the first European-trained player to reach 1,000 NHL points set a standard, proving that talent could cross any border. His son Paul later added to the family legend, and their combined scoring ranks fourth all-time among father-son duos—a reminder that the Šťastný name is etched into the NHL's DNA.

Did You Know?

• Peter Šťastný was the first European-trained player to reach 1,000 points in the NHL, shattering the myth that only North Americans could dominate the scoring charts.
• He was smuggled out of Czechoslovakia into Austria in 1980 with his brother Anton and his pregnant wife—a Cold War escape that became hockey legend.
• His brother Marián joined them a year later after Peter and Anton raised US$30,000 to bribe Czechoslovak officials, a sum that bought a brother's freedom.
• All three Šťastný brothers played together for the Quebec Nordiques from the 1981–82 season through the 1984–85 season, at least the third set of three brothers to play for the same NHL team—joining the Bentley and Plage