TSN explores the dramatic defections of the Stastny brothers

“By defying the Iron Curtain and defecting to North America, the Stastny brothers changed the face of professional hockey forever,” said Dave Naylor of TSN Radio. “To help people appreciate their story, we take viewers back to the brothers’ home city of Bratislava in an Eastern Bloc country with limited freedoms. The circumstances under which the Stastnys escaped, including the torturous choice to leave family behind, mark an important time in both hockey and political history.”

Filmed on location in Vienna, Austria and the brothers’ hometown of Bratislava, Slovakia, Stastny takes a revealing look at the Stastnys’ choice to leave their home of Czechoslovakia, allowing them to become the first star hockey players to defect from Europe’s communist-controlled Eastern Bloc.

Recalling the dramatic escape of the Stastny brothers from the 1980 European Cup finals through Vienna, Austria, with a valuable assist from former Quebec Nordiques president Marcel Aubut, the feature reveals the struggles of athletes living behind the Iron Curtain, and examines the Stastny brothers’ legacy as a trailblazing inspiration to Eastern European players looking to compete in North America.