Forgotten Oilers: Remembering the Petr Klíma Days in Edmonton
When you think about the great goal scorers in Edmonton Oilers history, the conversation usually starts and ends with Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, and, more recently, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But tucked into the edges of that history is a name that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves — Petr Klíma.
Klíma holds an iconic place in Oilers history.
Klíma passed away on May 4, 2023, at the age of 58, and it’s worth pausing for a moment to remember not just the player, but the person and the era he represented in Edmonton hockey history. By the time Klíma arrived in Edmonton in a blockbuster trade from Detroit, he was already one of the more intriguing offensive talents in the league. He had the hands, the speed, and the ability to score in bursts that could change games in an instant.
He also had a reputation — the mullet, the taped sticks, the quirks that made him one of those players fans never quite forgot once they saw him up close. But Edmonton in those days wasn’t just about personalities. It was about winning. And Klíma found himself in a locker room where expectations were immediate and unforgiving.
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Klíma came to the Oilers at a time of transition in their history.
The trade that brought him to the Oilers was part of a larger deal involving Jimmy Carson, Adam Graves, and Joe Murphy. It was a transaction that, in hindsight, helped extend Edmonton’s competitive window during a transitional period. Klíma’s role wasn’t always stable, and like many gifted but mercurial players, he could drift in and out of games.
Still, when it mattered most, he delivered one of the most memorable goals in Stanley Cup history. In Game 1 of the 1990 Final against Boston, deep into triple overtime, Klíma stepped into the spotlight and ended a marathon with a sudden, decisive strike. It was the kind of moment that defined careers, even if inconsistency sometimes defined everything around it.
Klíma’s Best season with the Oilers came the season after their last Stanley Cup.
His best statistical season in Edmonton came in 1990-91, when he finally hit the 40-goal mark. It was a reminder of just how dangerous he could be when everything clicked. That year, he wasn’t just a scorer; he was a presence. Strong on his skates, harder to move than people expected, and for a stretch, one of the more complete versions of himself we ever saw.
I only met him once in Sherwood Park, briefly, and like many fans from that era, I always remembered him as one of those players who felt a little different — not polished, not predictable, but capable of moments that stuck with you.
On an Oilers team filled with heroes and legends, Klíma takes a smaller place.
In a franchise built on legends, Petr Klíma doesn’t always get mentioned in the same breath as the biggest names. But he was part of that extended Oilers story — the bridge between eras, the flashes of brilliance between dynasties.
For those who watched him in Edmonton, he wasn’t forgotten. He was simply one of those players you remember in moments rather than in headlines.