Petr Klima, who electrified Detroit Red Wings fans in the 1980s with his dazzling style, has died.
Reports out of his native Czechia said Klima was found in his home in Chomutov, with no further details. He was 58.
Klima was part of the Wings’ 1983 draft, selected at No. 86. He played four full seasons with the Wings, from 1985-89, before being part of a blockbuster trade during the 1989-90 season to the Edmonton Oilers. He eventually returned to the Red Wings for the 1998-99 season, playing in 13 games in his final season before retiring.
The Wings spirited Klima out of communist Czechoslovakia in 1985, four years before the collapse of the Iron Curtain. He posted three straight 30-goal seasons from 1985-88.
He was part of the group that helped bury the “Dead Wings,” along with fellow ’83 draft class selections Steve Yzerman and Bob Probert. But Klima’s off-ice troubles eventually led to the Wings sending Klima, Joe Murphy, Adam Graves and Jeff Sharples to the Oilers for Jimmy Carson, Kevin McClelland and a fifth-round pick in the ’91 draft.
In 786 games across 13 seasons in the NHL, the right winger scored 313 regular season goals and added 260 assists.
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.