The Red Wings selected Klima in the fifth round (86th overall) of the 1983 NHL Draft, and he made his league debut two years later.

In the summer of 1985, Klima, who was 20 years old at the time, defected to the United States using a scheme that the Wings organisation had planned. He was the first player from the Czech Republic to defect to a team headquartered in the United States at the time, as the Czech Republic was a communist nation.

Many years later, Wings scout Ken Holland recalled the escape plan: “He (Klima) was heading across the border.” “When Wings executive Nick Polano visited the Czech Republic, he established some relationships, and in the end, these individuals convinced Klima to defect. Thus, they placed Klima inside a fictitious trunk and crossed the border.”

Klima wore jumper No. 85, the year he defected, to honour his arrival in the United States.

Klima was one of the most well-liked players on the Wings when he was in Detroit, but his tenure with the team was eventually cut short by off-ice problems. His alcoholism resulted in one suspension and other media stories about his antics off the rink.

For six seasons, Klima participated in 306 games for Detroit, where he scored 130 goals and provided 93 assists. Klima scored one goal in a 13-game return with the Wings in 1998–1999 to round off his career.

The Detroit Red Wings organisation released a statement saying, “We are profoundly saddened to learn of Petr Klima’s demise. He passed away in Chomutov, Czechia, at the age of 58.” “Klima played with the Red Wings in his final NHL season in 1998–1999, having spent the previous five seasons (1985–90) with Detroit, where he finished with 223 points in 306 games.

On November 2, 1989, the Wings traded Klima to Edmonton in a blockbuster deal. In exchange for Jimmy Carson, Kevin McClelland, and a fifth-round pick in the 1991 NHL Draft, the Wings dealt Joe Murphy, Adam Graves, and Jeff Sharples.

Throughout the course of 13 years, Klima participated in 786 NHL games with the Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Klima led Edmonton to the 1990 Stanley Cup victory with 313 goals and 260 assists for 573 points.

In 95 NHL playoff games in his career, Klima scored 28 goals, the most of which came during Edmonton’s Stanley Cup run.

While playing the Boston Bruins in that 1990 Stanley Cup Finals series, Klima delivered one of the most talked-about goals in NHL history. In Game 1, the longest game in NHL Stanley Cup Finals history, Klima scored the game-winning goal in triple overtime. Strangely, Klima spent much of the game on the bench but returned to the starting lineup during triple overtime.

The Oilers posted on Twitter, “We are profoundly saddened to hear of the demise of Oilers alum Petr Klima & express our sympathies to his family & all loved ones.” “In Game 1 of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final versus Boston, the forward scored the game-winning quadruple overtime goal—one of the most legendary goals in franchise history.”

After Klima passed away, the NHL also released a statement.

The NHL released a statement saying, “The NHL mourns the demise of Czech icon Petr Klima.” “Klima scored a stunning triple-overtime goal in Game 1 of the Finals to help the Oilers win the Stanley Cup in 1990. We send our condolences to his friends, family, and many admirers.”

Kevin and Kelly, Klima’s two sons, are players in the top Czech league. In the 2018–19 season, both young players were members of Tucson’s American League team.