Helmuts Balderis
Helmuts Balderis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born |
Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union | 31 July 1952||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Right Wing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shot | Left | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Played for |
Dinamo Riga CSKA Moscow Minnesota North Stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team |
NHL Draft | 238th overall, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career |
1973–1985 1989–1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Helmuts Balderis-Sildedzis (born 31 July 1952) is a former Latvian professional ice hockey player.[1][2] He played on the right wing and participated at the 1980 Winter Olympics, where the Soviet team unexpectedly lost to the United States. He played part of a single season in the National Hockey League after being drafted in 1989 by the Minnesota North Stars, becoming the oldest player to be drafted by an NHL team at the age of 36. In 1998, he was inducted into International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.
Playing career
Balderis played in the Soviet Hockey League for
Balderis played for the Soviet national team at multiple tournaments, winning the silver medal at the
In 1985, Balderis retired and became a coach in Japan. He returned in 1989, when Soviet players were allowed to play in the NHL. Balderis was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars, playing 26 games and scoring 3 goals with 6 assists. He became the oldest player drafted by an NHL team (36) and the oldest player to score his first goal (37). He retired again after one season in Minnesota, but came out of retirement for the second time when Latvia regained its independence. Balderis played several games for the newly recreated Latvian national team (in 1992), serving as its captain and scoring 2 goals. He later coached the team and served as its general manager. As of 2017, he serves as a board member of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation.[3]
Awards
- Soviet leagueFirst All-Star Team (1977)
- Izvestia Trophy(Soviet League Top Scorer) (1977, 1983)
- Soviet League Player of the Year (1977)
- World Championships All-Star Team (1977)
- Named Best Forward at the World Championships (1977)
- Leading Scorer of the Latvian League (1993)
- In 1998, he was inducted into International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.[3]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1967–68 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet II | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1968–69 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet III | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1969–70 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet II | — | 12 | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1970–71 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet II | — | 10 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1971–72 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet II | — | 14 | 9 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1972–73 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet II | — | 27 | 15 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1973–74 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 24 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1974–75 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 36 | 34 | 14 | 48 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1975–76 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 36 | 31 | 14 | 45 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1976–77 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 35 | 40 | 23 | 63 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1977–78 | CSKA Moscow | Soviet | 36 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1978–79 | CSKA Moscow | Soviet | 41 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1979–80 | CSKA Moscow | Soviet | 42 | 26 | 35 | 61 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1980–81 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 44 | 26 | 24 | 50 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981–82 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 41 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 48 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 2 | ||
1982–83 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 40 | 32 | 31 | 63 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1983–84 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 39 | 24 | 15 | 39 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1984–85 | Dinamo Riga | Soviet | 39 | 31 | 20 | 51 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1989–90 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL
|
26 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1991–92 | HK Sāga Ķekava Riga | Latvia | 7 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1991–92 | RSHVM-Energo Riga | CIS III | 16 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1991–92 | Vecmeistars Riga | Latvia | 7 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1992–93 | Latvijas zelts Riga | Latvia | 22 | 76 | 66 | 142 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1993–94 | Latvijas zelts Riga | Latvia | 7 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1994–95 | Essamika Ogre | Latvia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1995–96 | Essamika Ogre | Latvia | 30 | 18 | 36 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Soviet totals | 462 | 333 | 247 | 580 | 399 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 2 | ||||
Latvia totals | 53 | 126 | 130 | 256 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
International
Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1971 | Soviet Union
|
EJC | 5 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 4 | |
1976
|
Soviet Union | WC
|
10 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 | |
1976 | Soviet Union | CC | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | |
1977
|
Soviet Union | WC | 9 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 4 | |
1978
|
Soviet Union | WC | 10 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 8 | |
1979
|
Soviet Union | WC | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 9 | |
1980 | Soviet Union | OLY | 7 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 5 | |
1983
|
Soviet Union | WC | 10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 22 | |
Senior totals | 59 | 35 | 33 | 68 | 50 |
References
- ^ "Visi Latvijas olimpieši; Helmūts Balderis-Sildedzis" (in Latvian). Latvian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ "Helmut Balderis". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- ^ a b "Apsveicam Helmutu Balderi 65 gadu dzimšanas dienā". Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (in Latvian). 31 July 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Helmut Balderis at Team CCCP International
- (in Latvian) Helmūts Balderis-Sildedzis at The Latvian Olympic Committee
- (in Russian) Helmuts Balderis at The Russian Ice Hockey Federation