Helmuts Balderis

Helmuts Balderis
Balderis in 2014
Born (1952-07-31) 31 July 1952 (age 72)
Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
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  Soviet Union and
 Latvia
NHL draft 238th overall, 1989
Minnesota North Stars
Playing career 1973–1985
1989–1996
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Men's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1980 Lake Placid Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1978 Czechoslovakia Ice hockey
Gold medal – first place 1979 Soviet Union Ice hockey
Gold medal – first place 1983 West Germany Ice hockey
Bronze medal – third place 1976 Poland Ice hockey
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Austria Ice hockey

Helmuts Balderis-Sildedzis (born 31 July 1952) is a former Soviet and 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.

  1. ^ "Visi Latvijas olimpieši; Helmūts Balderis-Sildedzis" (in Latvian). Latvian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  2. ^ "Helmut Balderis". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 14 January 2017.