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Peter Šťastný

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Peter Šťastný
Born (1956-09-18) September 18, 1956 (age 70)
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Other names"Peter the Great", "Stosh"
Occupation(s)Ice hockey player, politician
Years active1980–1995 (ice hockey), 2004–2014 (politics)
Known forNHL player, Member of the European Parliament for Slovakia

Peter Šťastný (born September 18, 1956), often referred to as "Peter the Great" and "Stosh," is a former professional ice hockey player and politician holding Slovak and Canadian citizenship. His National Hockey League (NHL) career spanned from 1980 until 1995, during which he became the second-leading scorer of the 1980s, trailing only Wayne Gretzky. While playing for the Quebec Nordiques, Šťastný acquired Canadian citizenship. Between 2004 and 2014, he represented Slovakia as a Member of the European Parliament. Throughout his NHL tenure, he played for the Quebec Nordiques, New Jersey Devils, and St. Louis Blues.

Šťastný was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 and ranks 34th in NHL all-time points, holding the second position among Slovak-born players. In addition to his Hockey Hall of Fame honor, he was enshrined in the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000 and was named among the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017. He is also the father of former NHL forward Paul Stastny.

NHL career

Peter Šťastný launched his NHL journey with the Quebec Nordiques in 1980. After a decade with Quebec, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 1990 and concluded his professional playing career with the St. Louis Blues in 1995. He embraced Quebec's French-speaking environment by learning French followed by English, which helped him build a strong rapport with supporters.

His defection from Czechoslovakia alongside his brother Anton in 1980 was a landmark event, making them among the earliest Eastern bloc athletes to join the NHL. The subsequent year, their brother Marián joined them, forming only the third instance of three brothers playing together on a professional team. Peter and Anton jointly hold the rookie record for most points scored in a single game (8), accomplished against the Washington Capitals in February 1981.

Šťastný’s transition to North American hockey paved the way for numerous Eastern European players to enter the NHL. He has expressed that this move granted his family liberties unattainable behind the Iron Curtain and treasured playing alongside his siblings.

On the ice, Šťastný accumulated 450 goals and 789 assists, totaling 1,239 points during regular seasons. After retiring from playing professionally, he captained Slovakia’s national team in international competitions and remains highly esteemed within Slovak hockey circles.

His induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame came alongside former teammate Michel Goulet; both were honored primarily for their significant contributions to the Nordiques franchise.

NHL milestones and records

  • First NHL player to surpass 100 points during a rookie season (109 points). Note: Wayne Gretzky recorded 137 points in his first NHL season (1979–80) but was not classified as a rookie due to previous WHA experience.
  • Shares the NHL rookie assist record (70 assists) with Joé Juneau (Gretzky had 86 assists in his debut season).
  • Holds NHL rookie record for points in a single game with eight (4 goals and 4 assists on February 22, 1981, versus Washington Capitals).
  • Holds NHL record for most points scored in an away game with eight (same match).
  • Holds NHL record for combined points across two consecutive games with fourteen (3 goals and 3 assists on February 20, 1981 versus Vancouver Canucks; followed by 4 goals and 4 assists on February 22, 1981 against Washington Capitals).
  • Holds franchise record for most hat tricks with sixteen for the Nordiques/Avalanche organization.

Personal life

Born in Bratislava as the fourth son of Stanislav and Frantiska Šťastný, Peter grew up alongside his brothers Vladimir and Bohumil—who were born before the family relocated from the village of Pružina—and younger siblings Marián, Anton, and sister Eva born after settling in Bratislava. Stanislav was employed managing inventory at a state-operated hydroelectric company until retiring in 1980; Frantiska devoted herself to raising their children. Vladimir served as assistant coach of the Slovak national ice hockey team and uniquely earned medals across all three Slovak ice hockey competitions.

Peter is father to Yan and Paul Stastny. Paul began his NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche, formerly known as the Quebec Nordiques, during the 2006–07 NHL season. His career later included time with the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, and Carolina Hurricanes before retiring in 2023. Yan made his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers during 2005–06 and last played professionally in 2018. Both brothers were raised in St. Louis after being born in Quebec City; internationally, Yan represented Team USA as did Paul, who also competed at both the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2014 Winter Olympics. The Šťastný family is distinguished by representing four nations internationally: Czechoslovakia, Canada, Slovakia, and the United States. Paul set an NHL rookie scoring streak record and was a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist during his rookie season (2006–07), an award Peter himself won during his rookie year (1980–81).

Political career

Šťastný, recognized for his opposition to the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, aligned himself with the SDKÚ-DS, a party headed by former Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda, to advance his ambitions within the European Parliament. Proficient in both English and French, he was the lead candidate on SDKU's list during the 2004 European Parliament elections.

During the June 2009 European Parliament elections, he secured re-election as the party's second Member of the European Parliament, running on the platform "With Courage and Determination for a Strong Slovakia" (Slovak: S odvahou a nasadením pre silné Slovensko). His tenure as MEP extended until 2014.

Additionally, Šťastný is among the endorsers of the Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism.

Controversy involving Široký

Šťastný publicly demanded the resignation of Juraj Široký from his position as President of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation, citing inadequate leadership, conflicts of interest, and ethical issues. He condemned Široký for his past service as a ŠtB officer and unresolved associations with Viktor Kožený and fraudulent schemes related to the Harvard Funds.

In March 2008, Šťastný communicated these concerns in a letter addressed to René Fasel, labeling Široký as a danger to both democratic principles and the integrity of hockey. Following Široký’s refusal to relinquish his roles at both HC Slovan Bratislava—where Šťastný once played before defecting—and the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation, Šťastný resigned from the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame and requested that all mentions of him be removed from Samsung Arena, which was Slovan’s home venue at that time.

International representation

Šťastný holds the distinction of being the first ice hockey player to compete internationally for three different nations in three separate tournaments.

Honors and awards

  • Calder Memorial Trophy – awarded in 1981
  • Chosen for six NHL All-Star Games (1981–1984, 1986, 1988)
  • Recipient of World Championships Best Forward Award – 1995
  • Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame – 1998
  • Ranked #56 on The Hockey News' list of 100 Greatest Hockey Players, highest among Slovak/Czechoslovak-trained athletes – 1998
  • Inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame – 2000
  • Entered Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame – 2002 (later resigned in protest)
  • Inducted into Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame – 2010

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1974–75 Slovan ChZJD Bratislava TCH Jr — — — — — — — — — —
1975–76 Slovan ChZJD Bratislava TCH 32 19 9 28 — — — — — —
1976–77 Slovan ChZJD Bratislava TCH 44 25 27 52 — — — — — —
1977–78 Slovan ChZJD Bratislava TCH 42 29 24 53 28 — — — — —
1978–79 Slovan ChZJD Bratislava TCH 39 32 23 55 21 — — — — —
1979–80 Slovan ChZJD Bratislava TCH 41 26 26 52 58 — — — — —
1980–81 Quebec Nordiques NHL 77 39 70 109 37 5 2 8 10 7
1981–82 Quebec Nordiques NHL 80 46 93 139 91 12 7 11 18 10
1982–83 Quebec Nordiques NHL 75 47 77 124 78 4 3 2 5 10
1983–84 Quebec Nordiques NHL 80 46 73 119 73 9 2 7 9 31
1984–85 Quebec Nordiques NHL 75 32 68 100 95 18 4 19 23 24
1985–86 Quebec Nordiques NHL 76 41 81 122 60 3 0 1 1 2
1986–87 Quebec Nordiques NHL 64 24 53 77 43 13 6 9 15 12
1987–88 Quebec Nordiques NHL 76 46 65 111 69
1988–89 Quebec Nordiques NHL 72 35 50 85 117
1989–90 Quebec Nordiques NHL 62 24 38 62 24
1989–90 New Jersey Devils NHL 5 |6 |11 |16
1990–91 New Jersey Devils NHL 18 |42 |60 |53
1991–92 New Jersey Devils NHL 24 |38 |62 |42 3 |7 |10 |19
1992–93 New Jersey Devils NHL 17 |23 |40 |22 0 |2 |2 |2
1993–94 St. Louis Blues NHL 5 |11 |16 |4 0 |0 |0 |2
1993–94 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK 0 |4 |4 |0
1994–95 St. Louis Blues NHL 1 |1 |2 |0
TCH totals 198 131 109 240 107 — — — — —
NHL totals 977 450 789 1,239 824 93 33 72 105 125


International

Year Nation Competition GP G A Pts PIM

- 1975 Czechoslovakia WJC 5 3 2 5 — - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1975 Czechoslovakia EJC 5 3 1 4 4 - 1976 Czechoslovakia WJC 4 1 1 2 0 - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1976 Czechoslovakia WC 9 8 4 12 0 - 1976 Czechoslovakia CC 7 0 4 4 2 - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1977 Czechoslovakia WC 10 3 5 8 0 - 1978 Czechoslovakia WC 10 5 6 11 7 - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1979 Czechoslovakia WC 8  2  3  5  6 - 1980 Czechoslovakia OLY 6  7  7  14  6 - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1984 Canada CC 8  1  2  3  — - 1994 Slovakia OLY 8  5  4  9  9 - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1995 Slovakia WC B 6  8  8  16  — - bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

Junior career totals 14 7 4 11 —

- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

Senior career totals 66 31 35 66 30


External links

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