Brothers Peter and Anton Šťastný were among the first European players to be recruited by a National Hockey League team. The Eastern Bloc countries had some of the best hockey players in the world at this time. However, they were forbidden to play for other countries. Seemingly banal, this snapshot captures an exceptional moment in the history of international sport.

1980 - 1987

From the Eastern Bloc to Québec City: the saga of the Šťastný brothers

In 1980, a hockey tournament was held in Austria, featuring teams from several communist Eastern Bloc countries. At the time, it was forbidden for athletes from these countries to emigrate to the West. Marcel Aubut and Gilles Léger, two executives of the Quebec Nordiques, organized the incredible escape of brothers Peter and Anton Šťastný, two talented hockey players from Czechoslovakia. The following year, the Nordiques also managed to bring a third and older brother, Marián. These pioneering siblings from Eastern Europe were responsible for a major chapter in the international history of Québec City ice hockey, much to the delight of the locals!

A new chapter in history begins

Jacques Deschênes Brothers Peter and Anton Šťastný were among the first European players to be recruited by a National Hockey League team. The Eastern Bloc countries had some of the best hockey players in the world at this time. However, they were forbidden to play for other countries. Seemingly banal, this snapshot captures an exceptional moment in the history of international sport.

Chronoscope What do you know about these two brothers’ careers in Czechoslovakia? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1980

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