Sports
Václav Nedomanský
born 1944 · ice hockey forward
The first Czechoslovak hockey star to defect and play professionally in North America, who spent five NHL seasons with the Red Wings in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- Born
Hodonín, Czechoslovakia
age 82- Also known as
- Big Ned
- Detroit years
- 1977–1982
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Nedomanský was already a national hero in Czechoslovakia, a seven-time 30-goal scorer for Slovan Bratislava, when he defected to the West in 1974 to join the Toronto Toros of the rival World Hockey Association, becoming the first Czechoslovak player to reach top-level pro hockey in North America. After the WHA's Birmingham Bulls looked to cut costs, they traded him early in the 1977–78 season to the Detroit Red Wings, and Nedomanský moved into the NHL for good. He played five seasons in Detroit, recording back-to-back 30-goal seasons from 1978 to 1980 and becoming a reliable scoring forward for a team then struggling to rebuild. He finished his career with the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues, and was later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019, only the second Czech player so honored, recognized as a pioneer who opened the door for the wave of Czech and Slovak players who followed him into the NHL.
Highlights
- First Czechoslovak hockey player to defect for professional hockey in North America, 1974
- Played for the Red Wings from 1977 to 1982
- Back-to-back 30-goal NHL seasons with Detroit, 1978–1980
- Career total of over 250 goals combined in the WHA and NHL
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1977–1979
Olympia Stadium
Demolished · 1927–1979
The Red Wings' home rink when he first joined the team; demolished in 1987.
Played here · 1979–1982
Joe Louis Arena
Demolished · 1979–2017
The Red Wings' new arena for the second half of his Detroit tenure; demolished in 2019.