It was August of 1980. Two officals of the Quebec Nordiques, Marcel Aubut and Gilles Leger, were in Austria, ostensibly to scout hockey players in the European Cup Tournament. But during the tourney, a secret meeting was arranged between the two Quebecers and the famous Stastny brothers of Czechoslovakia, three of the best players in the world.
What transpired at the meeting has never been fully disclosed, but it’s certain that the Czech stars were offered huge saleries if they would defect from their homeland and leave immediatly for Canada. Marion Stastny, the oldest brotherdecided agaist the move, but urged his younger brothers to jump to the NHL. The following day, after the final game of the tournament, Peter and Anton Stastny mysteriously disappeared.
Aubut and Leger had arranged for the Stastnys, accompanied by Peter’s pregnant wife, Darina, to be spirited to Vienna. The two hockey stars traveled in fear that the Czech secret police would overtake them and force them to go back to Czechoslovakia, where they would face severe punishment.
From Vienna the Stastnys flew to Amsterdam, then to Montreal, and finally to Quebec City.
When reporters asked Aubut if he landed the Czech stars at a bargain price because of their lack of knowledge of NHL contracts, he laughed and said, “No way. Someone in Montreal had been sending the boys the Hockey News every week. They knew all about the salery structure in the league.”
The investment of the two brothers paid off handsomely for the Nordiques. Peter Stastny scored 109 points in his rookie season and won the Calder Trophy. Anton played well too. The following year, in a dash to freedom almost as dramatic as that of his brothers, Marion joined the Nordiques and became an immediate star.
Taken from the book It Happened in Hockey, by Brian McFarlane.
Here's a story on Peter's induction with a photo.
Here's an interview with Peter from the NHLPA.
Here's a picture of me with Peter Stastny.More Alumni stuff.Back to my Home Page
