NHL History: Petr Klima scores fastest hat trick in Edmonton Oilers playoff history in 1991

Petr Klima was an enigma in the NHL. He defected from Czechoslovakia to join Detroit in 1985, and went on to have a long 13-year career. Some of his best days in the league came during the five seasons he spent playing in Edmonton.

His best season came with the Oilers amid the 1990-91 season when he scored a career-high 40 goals and 68 points in 70 games.

And when the Oilers hit the playoffs, he threw down for the second best playoff performance of his career. Klima scored seven goals and 13 points in 18 games including a double OT winner against the LA Kings in the second round.

But yesterday in 1991, Klima scored three goals in a 5:13 span against the Minnesota North Stars. It was the fastest hat trick scored by a player in Oilers playoff history, and it helped give Edmonton a 7-2 game two win.

For the Oilers, however, it wouldn’t make too much of a difference. Minnesota knocked out the Oilers in five games as they went on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins, who they would lose to, in the cup finals.

Klima came to Edmonton in a November 1989 trade alongside Adam Graves, Joe Murphy and Jeff Sharples in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Kevin McLelland and a 1991 5th round pick (Brad Layzell).

He left Edmonton when he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in June 1993 for a 1994 3rd round pick (Brad Symes).

Over his 274 games in Edmonton, Klima scored 119 goals and 209 points.

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