In their first games with the Nordiques, brothers Anton and Peter Šťastný dazzled spectators. Both even scored a hat-trick in the same game—a first! Peter scored 109 goals in 1980–1981, a record for a player in his first season, and was named NHL Rookie of the Year.

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!

New star players with the Quebec Nordiques

Jean-Marie Villeneuve In their first games with the Nordiques, brothers Anton and Peter Šťastný dazzled spectators. Both even scored a hat-trick in the same game—a first! Peter scored 109 goals in 1980–1981, a record for a player in his first season, and was named NHL Rookie of the Year.

Chronoscope Do you have any memories of that time? (unilingual French for a limited time)

Depicted period: 1980

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