Peter Šťastný

Peter Šťastný joined the Czechoslovakian national team in 1976. He starred on a line with his brothers, Marian and Anton. A few months after the 1980 Olympics, Peter and Anton were vacationing in Austria when they contacted representatives of the Quebec Nordiques, with whom they had been in contact for over a year. They were prepared to defect, although Marian wished to stay behind. Once in North America, Peter Šťastný established himself as one of the stars of the NHL. In the 1980s, he became one of the most consistent scorers in the league. He played in the NHL from 1980-95, with the Québec Nordiques, New Jersey Devils, and St. Louis Blues, eventually playing in six NHL All-Star Games. In his NHL career, he recorded 450 goals, and 1,239 points. He was NHL Rookie of the Year in 1980-81, winning the Calder Trophy. After his hockey career ended, he turned to politics and in 2003, was elected as one of there Slovakian Members to the European Parliament.