Peter Šťastný started leaving his mark on the history of the Nordiques as soon as he arrived in 1980. Rookie of the Year in his first season, he was largely credited with the team’s rapid progress. The NHL’s second-highest scorer in the 1980s behind Wayne Gretzky, he made many decisive playoff goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

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!

Peter Šťastný, ace of the Quebec Nordiques

André Pichette Peter Šťastný started leaving his mark on the history of the Nordiques as soon as he arrived in 1980. Rookie of the Year in his first season, he was largely credited with the team’s rapid progress. The NHL’s second-highest scorer in the 1980s behind Wayne Gretzky, he made many decisive playoff goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

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Depicted period: 1987

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