Top 5 NHL father-son duos (and trios) of all time

NHL father-son duos: Peter, Yan and Paul Stastny

While the Stastny’s could be included in a “hockey dynasties” list, the contribution made to the game by Peter and his two sons is too monumental to ignore.

Peter Stastny made sports history when he — along with his brother Anton — defected from the Soviet Union in 1980 to join the Quebec Nordiques of the NHL. For years the USSR had banned its athletes from going abroad and joining other professional leagues, but Peter put his career and life on the line to pursue his calling at the highest level.

Aside from becoming a watershed moment socially, Peter’s play also made a huge impact on the NHL. Recording 1,059 points in just 749 points during the 80s, Stastny became one of the highest scorers of the decade — second only to Wayne Gretzky.

Stastny retired in 1995, but not before getting a chance to play for his homeland of Slovakia in 1993, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Stastny was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.

His sons, Yan and Paul have continued to carry on his legacy.

Yan enjoyed a brief NHL career before moving back to play professionally in Europe, while Paul currently holds down the second-line center role of the Vegas Golden Knights. Paul is just six games shy of breaking the 1,000 game barrier like his father, and has recorded over 700 points during his 15-year career.

Not only is Peter’s story (along with his brothers and sons) one of personal triumph and liberation, it also highlights that the United States and Canada are nations born from immigrants, and that our strength comes from diversity of culture, beliefs and backgrounds.