gold star for USAHOF

4. Peter Stastny

4. Peter Stastny

Peter Stastny (and his brother, Anton) sent shockwaves in the world of hockey when he defected from Czechoslovakia to play professional hockey with the Quebec Nordiques in 1980.  Stastny had just been named the Czechoslovakian Player of the Year, so it was certainly expected that he would be spectacular, and he would not disappoint.  He would score 109 Points as an NHL rookie and won the Calder.  This year would usher a six-year streak where Stastny would exceed the 100 Point mark, peaking with 139 in 1981-82.  That year he finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting and would later have two seventh place finishes.  Stastny was a bona fide scoring machine and is the answer to the question who has the second most Points behind Wayne Gretzky in the 1980s.

A six-time All-Star, Peter Stastny was very popular in Quebec City as not only was he an offensive dynamo, he also learned French to blend into the culture.  His career with the Nordiques came to an end when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in March of 1990.

Stastny would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Center
  • Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent 8/26/80.
  • Departed: Traded to the New Jersey Devils for Craig Wolanin and Future Considerations (which would be Randy Velischek 3/6/90.
  • Games Played: 737
  • Notable Statistics: 380 Goals
    668 Assists
    1,048 Points
    687 PIM
    1.42 PPG
    -14 Plus/Minus
    84.6 Point Shares

    64 Playoff Games
    24 Goals
    57 Assists
    81 Points
    96 PIM
    1.27 PPG
    +3 Plus/Minus
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Calder Trophy (1981)
    All-Star (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 & 1988)

Comments powered by CComment