In the spring of 1990, I was an old goalie who somehow had his name on a rental goalie list who would get calls from teams needing a sub or to play for free during an ice rental. I ended playing for a team in a local rec league in a Mpls. western suburb. I saw a guy skating around wearing the Stars breezers of the time: all black with 3 green/gold stars down each side. I thought to myself: 'who is this wannabe?' The moment he got the puck just off the left faceoff circle, he snapped a shot that went top shelf so fast I didn't have time to react. All the players on the bench said "Great shot Helmet!!!" (sic). It was then I realized I had been scored on by an ex CCCP sniper. I shook his hand in line at the end of the game and he had no emotion whatsoever . Either he was injured, or was a healthy scratch for most of the Stars season and just wanted to play. I was coming to the end of the line in my Goalguard career, but getting sniped by Helmut was a definite highlight.
:) Great memorry. My father user to say that Helmut was the best player in the notorious CSKA or red armys team, and best player of russian league at a point.
Balderis was one of the top best soviet hockey players, along with Kharlamov, Yakushev, Maltsev and etc. His technique and vision for a game were outstanding. It was a huge pleasure watching him playing in his heyday. Lots of thanx to this movie and its main personnage, Helmut. Sure, he deserves more attetion.
Nice vid.! H. Balderis is a legend in Latvia! Such a shame he didn't joined te NHL when he was younger! I would watch if someone made a documentary about him! Tnx! More vids about latvian ice hockey players!
I saw him play with the Moscow Selects vs. the Edmonton Oil Kings (actually the Oil Kings and a bunch of Western Canada Hockey League all-stars) at the Edmonton Coliseum on Dec. 10, 1974, just a month after the building opened. I think he had 2 goals that night, and the Selects won 5-4. When I heard the name with Minnesota, I thought he must have had a son playing; I was shocked when it was the player I saw all those years earlier.
He would've been be great in the NHL. He was a really good skater he started figure skating before hockey because you could only start playing hockey in the USSR after turning 10.
@@ehrgeiz5649 there is a movie about him (in Latvian) and he told that he wasn't allowed to play hockey until he was 10. Maybe that age limit was enforced in Riga at the time.
saw him play in the 70's for Riga one game when they beat the untouchable CSKA. Everybody thought who is this guy. He wore spectacles back then too. No doubt one of the all time greats. And of course the coach in Riga back then was the legendary Tikhonov. They were both soon on the national team.
Не правда! Балдерис сам признал, что вторим бил Анисин. А я бил в восторге что в 1981 году на встрече с хокейстами, пожал ему руку и смог задать пару вопросов о личном.
1:01. He was actually taking the puck down the ice. How do I know that? I took the picture. The bottom half with the puck has been edited out. 3:17. That's Bob Gainey who later went on to coach and become the general manager of the North Stars after Balderis left.
My girlfriend's Grandfather said that he saw match where he scored for goals against Soviet champions when he played at Dinamo Riga. Thanks for video greetings from Latvia.
I agree, someone should make a movie about him. That'd be something to watch, instead of all these reboots, remakes and sequels nobody is asking for that Hollywood keeps making.
he would have. he was an amazing player for a very long time. him, makarov, and kharlamov were the most western-style of Soviet players. they were more individual talents that could go coast-to-coast at will against anybody
For the roughly two years he was in the Minneapolis area he skated up to three times a week at Minnetonka ice arena. He was so quick and on a break away popped the puck up bounced 3 times in the air then smacked it into the net on a very good goaltender. Everyone looked at each other in disbelief at what we had just seen. He smiled and went to the bench. A great guy and very personable with everyone at the rink.
Some NHL scouts offered him to secretly hide from soviet union team when the soviets played against NHL teams in late 70s and become a NHL player but he refused the offer as he was afraid that KGB will throw his family in prison or will do something similar.
at least he played on the biggest Stage in Hockey. Doesn't matter how man goals, assists or points he could brin up. He made his personal dream come true
Imagine to put Ovechkin or Crosby today in our (Latvain) league today. Results would be the same. Balderis is a legend in Latvian hockey. And still haven’t seen anybody to perfect the wrist shot to that level he got. Too fast to notice the shot moment. Truly fenomenom.
A pity Balderis didn't get the chance to play in the NHL during his best days. On the other hand, when being at CSKA he did in actuality play in the best club team of the world. CSKA have a staggering super series record against NHL teams from the years of 1976-1991 of 24 victories, 2 ties and only 8 losses.
He is Quite Good ! We need more European - to TALK HOCKEY ! Europe needs someone who knows the details / of European HOCKEY ! Noone in Canada knows of Euro Hockey ?
Another great video about some very interesting hockey history. He would have definitely been a great NHL player if allowed to play in the leauge sooner.
Balderis would probably have been a very good NHL'er if he'd come over earlier. I remember seeing him with the Soviet national team, one of the best on the team. In that photo, he's being checked by Bob Gainey, one of the best defensive forwards ever,so it's obvious the NHL team coach took him seriously.
A friend of mine had a plan to invent "THE Helmet Balderis", a specialized helmet equipped with a headset so the coach could give real time directions to the players on the ice. Shame it never caught on...
Please do a video on Viktors Hatuļevs. The first soviet player to be drafted in NHL in 1975. He also was Latvian and played alongside Balderis for a while. Amazing and tragic story. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktors_Hatu%C4%BCevs
By the way, the first Soviet-born and trained player ever drafted by an NHL team also was latvian. At age of 20, Viktors Hatuļevs becameThe Philadelphia Flyers historic selection at the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft in the ninth round, 160th overall, even though there was no chance of getting him out of the USSR. Hatuļevs was also selected by the Cleveland Crusaders in the ninth round, 116th overall, of the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft.
Ah yes, the real Stars. I remember when he played with them. I think if he would have been 7 or 8 years earlier he could have been special for the Stars and the NHL
Ha. No way, I met him while he was working in Nw Ontario over 20 years ago. I recently heard that he’s STILL working ! He’d come in for dinner at the restaurant I worked at 3 or 4 nights a week. We’d talk and he told me that he’s in the movie Slapshot, he’s the guy who gives the ref the finger as he yells ‘ hey ref, F&@& you!’ Not sure if it’s true but I don’t see why he’d randomly say that
Howabout Anze KOPITAR Story ? He is from a Nation - Most People has No Idea - Where it is ! - but There is One Another Person - from the same Country ! Howcome a KOPITAR Standart Player - Is from a Place - Nobody knows of !
He didn't get a chance only because of USSR goverment which didnt want anyone to leave the country so sad that a mans carier is stoped because of some old comunists
The Soviet league in his prime was extremely good so he would absolutely be a star in the NHL. To come out of retirement at 37 after 5 years off to play in a league with a different size ice surface and completely different style and still be a serviceable player is amazing!
A LOT OF LATVIAN PEOPLE ARE GONNA COMMENT ON THIS VIDEO!!! BE AWARE OF THEM, THEY'RE REALLY PROUD OF THEIR OWN PLAYERS, so with all of this being said, don't argue with them, as a representative of the Latvian RU-vid Hockey Comment Section Community I like this video, Helmuts Balderis was a great player, BUT there have been better players then Helmuts Balderis! Imma add a message in Latvian for those who don't speak English but are Latvian: Šis komentārs ir joks! Bet lūdzu lai cik lieli patrioti jūs būtu, nevajag visu saspamot ar to cik viņš labs bija, un ka TU es Latvietis! Liels Paldies par saprašanu, ja kāds vēlas apspriest to kurš no Latviešu Hokejisitem ir labāks šobrīd vai pagātnē, ar prieku, ar jums apspriedīšu šo "debati".
Rayniss Balderis is the best Latvian ever. Ozolinch was also great. Irbe is highly overrated. Had 1 great and 1 good season in USSR and 1 good season in the NHL.
