Now that the draft is all but over and I've profiled all the guys I'm going to, here are the sources:
- The Hockey Archives - this is an excellent site for information on European leagues and international play over basically the entire course of hockey history. It's all in French, and it's framed, so if you want to fact check, click on Archives on the left.
- Chidlovski's 70's Soviet League page - lots of good information here, though there are some inconsistencies, as well. I have gone with the Hockey Archives whenever the two disagree.
Hey Sturm, I'm wondering something that might be completely off base and since you have recently done the research, I'll ask you rather than take the time myself!
Let's say things were different in the 70s and the Soviet players were able to play in the NHL. Does Kharlamov have the durability and straight up toughness to be great in the NHL? I know that's kind of a loaded question, but there's quite a few instances where he seemed to be injured playing against Canadian teams. Obviously '72 was a slash to the ankle that could happen to anybody. But in '76 after the hit by Van Impe he was pretty useless, and he stayed down after what to me appears to be not that hard of a check. Then he got hurt in '79 in the challenge cup if I'm not mistaken. This could all be fluke, because he seems pretty tough to have stayed in the summit series with the broken ankle and maybe he was getting older by Challenge cup. Just wondering if you know if he was injury prone, or more of an appropriate question, had he played in the NHL during the years of the Big Bad Bruins and then Broad Street Bullies would he have been the same player?
- Kharlamov was a shell of his former self in 1979. He was never really the same player after breaking both ankles in a car crash in 1976 and was badly in decline physically by the time 79 rolled around. You don't draft Kharlamov for what he did at that point in his career, and I see no reason to fault him for it in this context.
- Clarke's slash is what it is. Again, clearly not Kharlamov's fault, though it does suggest that icing an enforcer might be a good idea on his team. If Bobby had done that in the NHL (even on as tough a team as Philly), there would have been serious consequences.
- the Van Impe hit in 76 is more troubling, but that was just one game - a single exhibition match between CSKA and the Flyers. I can't put too much stock in a single incident. I think most of the Soviet players from this era would have an adjustment to make if they played NHL hockey, but I don't believe these were soft men by any stretch of the imagination. Kharlamov's generation came up under the draconian training methods of Tasarov and had great passion for the game. Would there be an adjustment to a more physical style on smaller ice? Certainly, but many "pretty boy" forwards like Guy Lafleur were able to succeed in the 70's NHL, and I see no reason why the Soviet forwards would be any different. In the final analysis, I don't see physicality as a legitimate knock against Kharlamov.
1. Where do you get the MVP voting beyond 5th?
2. Where do you get your world championship scoring lists? The reason I ask is, I compared your Mikhailov info to what I had in my bio from ATD12 and they don't perfectly match up. I used the SIHR stats database which, for IIHF tournaments, seems to be perfectly accurate. (there are always full assist and PIM totals, even back when elite league stats were sparse or nonexistent)
From the Chidlovski link posted above. Just go into the individual Soviet League year, and you'll see quite deep lists for the MVP voting. They seem to jive with other sources (as deep as the other sources go), so I see no reason to question their validity, but it would also be nice to see an actual breakdown of the voting, which Chidlovski does not provide anywhere that I know of.
Quote:
2. Where do you get your world championship scoring lists? The reason I ask is, I compared your Mikhailov info to what I had in my bio from ATD12 and they don't perfectly match up. I used the SIHR stats database which, for IIHF tournaments, seems to be perfectly accurate. (there are always full assist and PIM totals, even back when elite league stats were sparse or nonexistent)
From the HockeyArchive link posted above. Actually, they have changed that site a bit. You now need to follow this link:
...to get to the archives page, and then click in the league/tournament you want for a specific year. I would probably trust SIHR over the above as a source if they disagree on small details. If they disagree on gross details...that might require further investigation.
A "natural born leader", the feisty winger who was the top scorer and top forward of the 1961 world championships, six-time captain of the Soviet national team, IIHF HOF inductee, three time 1st team all-star and Soviet team co-leader in points at the 1964 Olympics, tied with linemate Starshinov and with Yakushev with 7 goals and 10 points (and Mayorov was the IIHF-selected Top Forward of that Olympics), the passionate Boris Mayorov,
Quote:
Team captain Mayorov was key to six world championships for the Soviet Union in the 1960s, leading the tournament in scoring in '61 when he was named the tournament's best forward. He won the gold at both the '64 and '68 Olympics.
Soviet League All-Star (1959, 1962, 1966*, 1967, 1968*, 1969*) *-2nd/3rd team
Top-5 in Soviet League Scoring 7 Times (2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 3rd, 5th, 5th)
Quote:
The best line in the history of Moscow Spartak and in the world in the late 1960s. Starshinov's line was famous for their aggressive style. Starshinov and, especially, Boris Mayorov loved to fight.
BREAKING NEWS (I just found out): Mayorov robbed of IIHF Top Forward Award by Soviet Officials
Quote:
Following the Soviet Union’s 3-2 victory over Canada to lock-up the gold medal in the last match at Innsbruck, the International Ice Hockey Federation Directorate chose USSR right wing BORIS MAYOROV for their Best Forward award. The 25-year-old Soviet captain finished the seven-game final round-robin with seven goals and ten points. This left the Spartak Moscow skater tied with four others, including Soviet teammates VYACHESLAV STARSHINOV and VIKTOR YAKUSHEV, for the second-highest point total at Innsbruck.
Soviet hockey officials, meanwhile, took the award and handed it EDUARD IVANOV. This despite the fact that the 25-year-old CSKA Moscow man was, in fact, a defenseman. Ivanov did score four goals in seven round-robin games, which set a new record for Soviet rearguards at the Winter Olympic Games.
Incredible as it may seem today, the IIHF accepted this and, thus, into the record books went Ivanov’s name.
From the Chidlovski link posted above. Just go into the individual Soviet League year, and you'll see quite deep lists for the MVP voting. They seem to jive with other sources (as deep as the other sources go), so I see no reason to question their validity, but it would also be nice to see an actual breakdown of the voting, which Chidlovski does not provide anywhere that I know of.
Wow, how did I not find this link before? That is marvelous info that helps to provide more depth to so many players. FOr example, there may be someone who was only top-5 in MVP voting once but perhaps he was 6th twice and 7th another time.
What are these "34 best players" and "18 best players" things? Do you know how they were determined?
As for the world championship leaderboards, I'll take a closer look one day. At SIHR, for international tournaments you can't click on it as though it was a league, you have to check the team lists individually, so I got Mikhailov's leaderboard placements by counting the players from other countries (and Soviets) who outscored him. Which does introduce potential for error.
Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame Member
8x Soviet League Champion
4x World Championship Gold Medalist
2x Olympic Gold Medalist
20th All-Time among Soviets in goals/game (everyone else in top 25 already selected)
48 goals in 91 career games for Soviet National Team
183 goals in 400 career Soviet League games
Merited Sports Master, 1968
Quote:
Mishakov gained notoriety during the 1972 Summit Series for engaging in a fight, a true rarity in the Russian game. He and Rod Gilbert got in the tournament's only fight, which was something completely new to Soviet hockey.
While fighting was heavily frowned upon in Russia, Mishakov was never reprimanded. In fact Mishakov, who had little choice but to drop the gloves when the usually mild-mannered Rod Gilbert began pummelling him, was recognized for sending a message to Canada by fighting back.
"We always criticize our players for fighting," commented Russian sports writer Lev Lebedev of Pravda. "In this series we didn't do that. If our players didn't stand up to the Canadians, there wouldn't have been enough players to complete the game! After the fight between Mishakov and Gilbert, the professionals began to realize that Russians can fight too."
Mishakov was one Soviet player who played full out. He was an energetic and exuberant forward who showed unbridled spirit, often on the penalty kill.
"The playing fury and fighting spirit of this normally reserved person are really astounding," said Vladislav Tretiak of Mishakov, in the book Kings of the Ice. "In workouts he's possessed and in games he can, if need be, spend five and even 10 shifts on the ice without substitution. And when he is replaced by another player, he'll sit on the bench as if nothing has happened, wink at one guy, nudge another in the ribs as though he has just had a good rest."
Evgeny Mishakov was not famous for his slick skating or 1-on-1 skills. The most impressive parts of his performance were always his fighting spirit, game discipline, team dedication and determination to win the game. Mishakov was equally strong in defense and offense. His best play was associated with his on-ice partnership with xxx in the initial version of the experimental “torpedo” line created by Anatoly Tarasov.
BTW, why doesn't Vladimir Petrov ever get credit for being the all-time top scorer in the Soviet league (711 points)? Is it because those stats are deemed unreliable or what? And yet, some Mikhailov bios credit Boris as the record holder, for example English Wiki with 651 points (Joe Pelletier's Summit Series site has 675 points). I can accept that Mikhailov scored more goals, but I do believe Petrov got more points. What's going on there?
BTW, why doesn't Vladimir Petrov ever get credit for being the all-time top scorer in the Soviet league (711 points)? Is it because those stats are deemed unreliable or what? And yet, some Mikhailov bios credit Boris as the record holder, for example English Wiki with 651 points (Joe Pelletier's Summit Series site has 675 points). I can accept that Mikhailov scored more goals, but I do believe Petrov got more points. What's going on there?
Some fantastic players highlited here. No doubt this generation of Soviet hockey players helped propel the game into a higher skill level. The best hockey I ever watched in my life was the 1987 canada cup best of 3 final. Even to this day, it is hard to argue that hockey games on a whole, were played on the level of those titanic battles between two great teams.
The Philadelphia Firebirds are happy to select a defenseman that brings a unique blend of offensive skill, physicality, and defensive ability, D Eduard Ivanov
3x Soviet 1st-Team All Star (1963, 1964, 1965)
1x Soviet 2nd-Team All Star (1966)
1x Soviet 3rd-Team All Star (1967)
1x Olympic Gold Medalist
3x World Championships Gold Medalist
4x Soviet League Champion
Best forward in 1964 Olympics/World Championships as a Defenseman
Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame Member
16 goals in 79 career National Team games
40 goals in 300 career Soviet League games
Quote:
Edward Ivanov had a North American first name, and he played a North American style of defense. He was a defensive defender who loved to play physically. He would do anything - sacrifice his body, block shots, clear the front of the net - in order for his team to win. He had a great ability to spring transition offense with his deadly accurate passing.
Edward started at the bottom and worked his way to the top. He started as a spare defenseman, but soon he was paired with one of the greatest Russian defensemen of all time - Alexander Ragulin. Ivanov's play quickly improved with the guidance of Ragulin. Soon Ivanov was considered one of the best players in the country, and the Ragulin-Ivanov tandem is still considered to be perhaps the best defensive duo in Russian history, with the possible exception of the Viacheslav Fetisov-Alexei Kasatonov pairing of the 1980s.
xxx wrote the following about Ivanov in his book Road to Olympus:
"Like an experienced warrior, he has many fine qualities, courage, and decisiveness. He is entirely dedicated to hockey, he is in love with the game, he thirsts for battle."
I don't think a hockey player on either side of the Atlantic could get a better quote from his coach.
Although the relationship between the two remained rocky at best, Ivanov enjoyed his best years under xxx. From 1963 through 1967, Ivanov was part of 4 USSR championships, and 3 world championships.
Always one to tinker with the game, xxx was particularly pleased with Ivanov's versatility and complete understanding of the game. This allowed xxx to experiment with what was known as "the System." Instead of two conventional defenders backing up three forwards, xxx created a five man unit with only one true defender, the great Alexander Ragulin. xxx and Anatoli Firsov were the explosive forwards, while xxx and Ivanov served as "semi-defensemen," almost like a mid-fielder in soccer. They would roam both ends of the ice, creating odd man situations in both the offensive and defensive zones. Ivanov's ability in both ends led to this revolutionary though still uncommon strategy.
Ivanov's shining moment came at the 1964 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. Ivanvov was a key player of the 1964 gold medal championship team in his only Olympic games. Under the revolutionary roaming system, Ivanov, still technically listed as a defenseman, scored 6 goals and 7 points in 8 contests and was named as the best forward in the Olympics.
Though his career with the national team was cut short, the 5'10" 185 pound Ivanov continued to play the game he loved until 1970. Though he was devastated by the demotion and the politics played, he never lost his love of hockey.
He and Eduard Ivanov, who formed perhaps the best Soviet defensive pair of the sixties, always appeared on...
Can someone who owns the book The Red Machine: The Soviet Quest to Dominate Canada's Game finish this quote for me? I know someone here owns it. It would be greatly appreciated.
The defensemen, Ragulin and Ivanov, would certainly be welcome on any of our best professional teams.-xxx, Canadian forward and future national team coach.
Can someone provide me a link where I can find the All-Star and MVP voting for the Russian league. Also, should I post my Anatoli Firsov biography in here?
This statistical analysis of Helmuts Balderis is great, places his results in the context of other Soviets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Triffy
I was wondering for a while why Helmuts Balderis hadn't been picked in the ATD. I had a feeling he was criminally underrated. However, I hadn't taken a closer look at his career ever so I decided to see how good he actually was.
This study takes a look at Helmuts Balderis' prime years (1974/75 - 1984/85). His prime is broken down into three parts: His first Riga years, the CSKA years and the second Riga years. Both domestic league and international performances are studied.
1 RIGA DAYS (1973/74 - 1976/77)
1.1 Domestic league
1975
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Vladimir Petrov
CSKA
34
27
26
53
1.56
0.79
0.76
2
Boris Mikhailov
CSKA
35
40
11
51
1.46
1.14
0.31
3
Helmut Balderis
Riga
36
34
14
48
1.33
0.94
0.39
4
Vladimir Vikulov
CSKA
36
17
23
40
1.11
0.47
0.64
5
Aleksandr Bodunov
Krylia
36
31
8
39
1.08
0.86
0.22
5
Valeri Kharlamov
CSKA
31
15
24
39
1.26
0.48
0.77
x
Yuri Lebedev
Krylia
36
19
17
36
1.00
0.53
0.47
x
Aleksandr Maltsev
Dynamo
32
18
16
34
1.06
0.56
0.50
I've added historically significant players who didn't crack the top 5 or 10 (depending on the year) on my Excel spreadsheet. Their rankings are marked 'x'.
As can be seen from the table, Balderis was 3rd in scoring, behind only Petrov and Mikhailov. Kharlamov played fewer games, but he also had a lower PPG-ratio. Balderis was 2nd in goal scoring, behind only Mikhailov, who had two great playmakers in Petrov and Kharlamov helping him. He was the only bright star in his team Dinamo Riga. Eurohockey.net for example does not list any other players for the team’s 1975 roster. It would be interesting to know how much these players played on average during a game. I would assume that because Balderis was by far the best player in his team, his time on ice (TOI) was probably higher than the CSKA players’, but it’s only speculation.
1976
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Viktor Shalimov
Spartak
36
28
25
53
1.47
0.78
0.69
2
Aleksandr Yakushev
Spartak
36
31
20
51
1.42
0.86
0.56
3
Aleksandr Maltsev
Dynamo
29
28
19
47
1.62
0.97
0.66
4
Helmut Balderis
Riga
36
31
14
45
1.25
0.86
0.39
5
Vladimir Petrov
CSKA
34
22
22
44
1.29
0.65
0.65
x
Boris Mikhailov
CSKA
36
31
8
39
1.08
0.86
0.22
x
Sergei Kapustin
Krylia
36
25
13
38
1.06
0.69
0.36
x
Valeri Kharlamov
CSKA
34
18
18
36
1.06
0.53
0.53
x
Vladimir Shadrin
Spartak
35
17
18
35
1.00
0.49
0.51
In 1976, Balderis was 4th in scoring. However, he tied for the lead in goals with Mikhailov and Yakushev (LW), who supposedly played on the same line with Shalimov (RW) and Shadrin (C). It must be noted that Dynamo Moscow’s Maltsev actually has the most impressive GPG-ratio. Spartak actually won the Soviet championship this season. For a second season in a row, Balderis has a higher assist total than Mikhailov who had much better players to play with.
1977
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Helmut Balderis
Riga
35
40
23
63
1.80
1.14
0.66
2
Vladimir Petrov
CSKA
35
26
36
62
1.77
0.74
1.03
3
Aleksandr Maltsev
Dynamo
33
31
27
58
1.76
0.94
0.82
4
Boris Mikhailov
CSKA
34
28
23
51
1.50
0.82
0.68
x
Valeri Kharlamov
CSKA
21
18
8
26
1.24
0.86
0.38
In 1977 Balderis led the league in goals and points with 40 goals and 63 points in 35 games. He was still the only quality player on Dinamo Riga. After this season, he was acquired to CSKA.
1.2 International
1.2.1 1976 World Championships
For whatever reason, Petrov wasn’t a part of the Soviet team. Czechoslovakia won gold and Soviets were 2nd. Martinec was the top scorer with 9 + 11 = 20 points.
Leading Soviet scorers
Rk
Player
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Valeri Kharlamov
10
4
10
14
1.40
0.40
1.00
2
Boris Mikhailov
10
7
6
13
1.30
0.70
0.60
3
Helmut Balderis
10
3
7
10
1.00
0.30
0.70
4
Viktor Zhluktov
9
3
5
8
0.89
0.33
0.56
Now that Balderis got to play with better players, his assists totals increased significantly. It must be noted that in international play, assists had been tracked at least since 1932 Olympics, but in Soviet league, I have seen assists regularly awarded since 1974. It’s possible that for example, secondary assists weren’t awarded in Soviet league, but that’s again only speculation. I’m fairly confident to say that Spartak successful line Yakushev-Shadrin-Shalimov played together. As far as I know, Zhluktov played centre and would be the most likely candidate to have replaced Petrov. If, and it’s likely, Balderis didn’t play with Kharlamov and Mikhailov, he was again the most productive player on his line and he also showed that he wasn’t a one-dimensional goal scorer.
1.2.2 1976 Canada Cup
The whole Kharlamov-Petrov-Mikhailov line was missing and the Soviets couldn’t reach the finals. Balderis scored respectable 5 points in as many games. However, Zhluktov (10 points), Vikulov (7 points) and Maltsev (7 points) were more productive performers for the Soviets.
1.2.3 1977 World Championships
Rk
Player
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Vladimir Petrov
10
7
14
21
2.10
0.70
1.40
2
Boris Mikhailov
10
12
7
19
1.90
1.20
0.70
3
Sergei Kapustin
10
9
7
16
1.60
0.90
0.70
4
Valeri Kharlamov
10
9
7
16
1.60
0.90
0.70
5
Helmut Balderis
9
8
7
15
1.67
0.89
0.78
6
Alexander Yakushev
10
7
4
11
1.10
0.70
0.40
7
Alexander Maltsev
8
1
9
10
1.25
0.13
1.13
Balderis scored again at a comparable rate to the other star players of the team. Only Petrov and Mikhailov scored significantly more. Balderis was named to the tournament's all-star team.
2 CSKA DAYS (1977/78 - 1979/80)
2.1 Domestic league
1978
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Vladimir Petrov
CSKA
31
28
28
56
1.81
0.90
0.90
2
Boris Mikhailov
CSKA
35
32
20
52
1.49
0.91
0.57
3
Yuri Lebedev
Krylia
35
19
27
46
1.31
0.54
0.77
4
Vladimir Golikov
Dynamo
N/A
18
26
44
-
-
-
5
Valeri Kharlamov
CSKA
29
18
24
42
1.45
0.62
0.83
6
Aleksandr Golikov
Dynamo
N/A
19
19
38
-
-
-
7
Viktor Shalimov
Spartak
36
26
11
37
1.03
0.72
0.31
8
Peter Prirodin
Dynamo
N/A
20
16
36
-
-
-
9
Helmut Balderis
CSKA
36
17
17
34
0.94
0.47
0.47
10
Vladimir Vikulov
CSKA
34
12
22
34
1.00
0.35
0.65
During the first year in CSKA, Balderis became the most important secondary scorer on the team, which was to be expected. However, as a consequence of his supposedly decreased TOI, his total production decreased in comparison to rest of the league.
1979
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Vladimir Petrov
CSKA
43
26
37
63
1.47
0.60
0.86
2
Peter Prirodin
Dynamo
44
32
30
62
1.41
0.73
0.68
3
Boris Mikhailov
CSKA
43
30
24
54
1.26
0.70
0.56
4
Aleksandr Golikov
Dynamo
37
31
22
53
1.43
0.84
0.59
5
Aleksandr Volchkov
CSKA
44
28
20
48
1.09
0.64
0.45
5
Helmut Balderis
CSKA
41
24
24
48
1.17
0.59
0.59
5
Valeri Kharlamov
CSKA
41
22
26
48
1.17
0.54
0.63
x
Sergei Makarov
CSKA
44
18
21
39
0.89
0.41
0.48
Aleksandr Volchkov was some kind of a one-year wonder as he would never again reach even 30 points after this. It’s likely that he played with Balderis and either Kapustin or Makarov. Balderis was again CSKA’s most productive offensive player behind the famous Kharlamov-Petrov-Mikhailov line, and he actually scored at exactly similar pace as Kharlamov. Prirodin who had several good years in Soviet league also had his best year in 1979. Same thing with Golikov.
1980
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Sergei Makarov
CSKA
44
29
39
68
1.55
0.66
0.89
2
Helmut Balderis
CSKA
42
26
35
61
1.45
0.62
0.83
3
Viktor Shalimov
Spartak
44
34
19
53
1.20
0.77
0.43
4
Mikhail Varnakov
Gorki
44
30
20
50
1.14
0.68
0.45
5
Boris Mikhailov
CSKA
41
27
23
50
1.22
0.66
0.56
x
Vladimir Krutov
CSKA
40
30
12
42
1.05
0.75
0.30
x
Vladimir Petrov
CSKA
32
21
20
41
1.28
0.66
0.63
x
Vyacheslav Anisin
CSKA
41
12
28
40
1.08
0.31
0.78
x
Aleksandr Maltsev
Dynamo
36
11
28
39
0.90
0.38
0.52
x
Valeri Kharlamov
CSKA
42
16
22
38
0.90
0.38
0.52
This is the beginning of Makarov’s dominance. I find this year’s scoring table very interesting because there are so many possible line combinations. Did Kharlamov-Petrov-Mikhailov play together? Were Makarov and Krutov already playing on a same line? Or did Makarov and Balderis play together, one of them playing left wing? Despite having his best season yet in CSKA, Balderis returned to Dinamo Riga next season because of reasons which I’m unaware of.
2.2 International
2.2.1 1978 World Championships
Rk
Player
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Alexander Maltsev
10
5
8
13
1.30
0.50
0.80
2
Boris Mikhailov
10
9
3
12
1.20
0.90
0.30
3
Helmut Balderis
10
9
2
11
1.10
0.90
0.20
4
Sergei Kapustin
10
6
5
11
1.10
0.60
0.50
5
Vladimir Golikov
10
7
3
10
1.00
0.70
0.30
6
Valeri Kharlamov
10
4
5
9
0.90
0.40
0.50
7
Viktor Zhluktov
9
3
5
8
0.89
0.33
0.56
In this tournament Marcel Dionne was selected the best forward with 9 + 3 = 12 points in 10 games. Again, Balderis scored at similar rate to his team mates, sharing the goal scoring lead in the tournament with Mikhailov and Dionne. Kapustin was selected to the all-star team instead of Balderis. Balderis scored 3 goals against the silver medal team Czechoslovakia in 2 games, including a goal in the 3-1 final win, so it’s not like he would have padded his stats against weaker opponents.
2.2.2 1979 World Championships
Rk
Player
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Vladimir Petrov
8
7
8
15
1.88
0.88
1.00
2
Valeri Kharlamov
8
7
7
14
1.75
0.88
0.88
3
Boris Mikhailov
8
4
8
12
1.50
0.50
1.00
4
Sergei Makarov
8
8
4
12
1.50
1.00
0.50
5
Aleksandr Golikov
8
5
7
12
1.50
0.63
0.88
6
Helmut Balderis
8
4
5
9
1.13
0.50
0.63
7
Vladimir Gulikov
8
1
7
8
1.00
0.13
0.88
Makarov was starting to break through and had already taken Balderis’ place as the gold medal winning Soviet’s most important secondary scorer in 1979. It would be unfair to call it a disappointment as Balderis scored at above 1 PPG rate, but this tournament certainly wasn’t one of Balderis’ greatest legacy builders.
2.2.3 1980 Olympic Games
At least Aleksandr Golikov (13 points), Makarov, Mikhailov, Kharlamov and Krutov (11 points each) scored more points than Balderis (9 points). Again he was a productive player but not on a key role. Only once more (1983 World championships) after this tournament would Balderis play for the Soviets in a competitive tournament.
3 RIGA DAYS (1980/81 - 1984/85)
3.1 Domestic league
1981
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Sergei Makarov
CSKA
49
42
37
79
1.61
0.86
0.76
2
Sergei Kapustin
Spartak
44
36
25
61
1.39
0.82
0.57
3
Nikolai Drozdetsky
CSKA
44
30
28
58
1.32
0.68
0.64
3
Valeri Belousov
Chelyabinsk
N/A
23
35
58
-
-
-
5
Viktor Zhlutkov
CSKA
49
29
26
55
1.12
0.59
0.53
6
Viktor Shalimov
Spartak
47
21
32
53
1.13
0.45
0.68
7
Helmut Balderis
Riga
44
26
24
50
1.14
0.59
0.55
8
Sergei Shepelev
Spartak
N/A
28
20
48
-
-
-
9
Igor Larionov
Voskresensk
43
22
23
45
1.10
0.48
0.63
10
Vladimir Petrov
CSKA
40
19
25
44
1.10
0.48
0.63
I think this can be seen as some kind of an off-year for Balderis. He was again the best player on his team, getting the most ice time. He shouldn’t be expected to match Makarov’s scoring level, but several more players outscored him, as well. His production drop probably explains his absence from the national team this season.
1982
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Sergei Makarov
CSKA
46
32
43
75
1.63
0.70
0.93
2
Aleksandr Kozhevnikov
Spartak
N/A
43
28
71
-
-
-
3
Vladimir Krutov
CSKA
46
37
29
66
1.43
0.80
0.63
4
Viktor Shalimov
Spartak
47
27
32
59
1.26
0.57
0.68
5
Igor Larionov
CSKA
46
31
22
53
1.15
0.67
0.48
6
Sergei Kapustin
Spartak
38
30
22
52
1.37
0.79
0.58
7
Viktor Tyumenev
Spartak
N/A
21
29
50
-
-
-
8
Aleksandr Orlov
Spartak
N/A
11
39
50
-
-
-
9
Nikolai Drozdetsky
CSKA
46
28
16
44
1.05
0.59
0.46
10
Helmut Balderis
Riga
41
24
19
43
1.05
0.59
0.46
Again, a good season from Balderis, but nothing that would increase his legacy.
1983
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Helmut Balderis
Riga
40
32
31
63
1.58
0.80
0.78
2
Aleksandr Kozhevnikov
Spartak
43
35
22
57
1.33
0.81
0.51
3
Vladimir Krutov
CSKA
44
32
21
53
1.20
0.73
0.48
4
Aleksandr Skvortsov
Gorki
44
27
20 47
1.07
0.61
0.45
5
Igor Orlov
Spartak
44
22
23
45
1.02
0.50
0.52
6
Vyacheslav Bykov
CSKA
44
22
22
44
1.00
0.50
0.50
7
Peter Prirodin
Riga
45
22
21
43
0.96
0.49
0.47
8
Aleksei Frolikov
Riga
N/A
30
12
42
-
-
-
9
Sergei Makarov
CSKA
30
25
17
42
1.40
0.83
0.57
Suddenly Balderis jumps back at the top of the pack. For the first time he had decent linemates in Riga and he immediately ran away with the scoring title. I think this is extremely impressive season from Balderis because even Makarov couldn’t match his PPG rate. Note that Balderis had the most assists during this season (Viktor Tyumenev was 2nd with 26). The great season earned Balderis once more a spot in the national team.
1984
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Sergei Makarov
CSKA
44
36
37
73
1.66
0.82
0.84
2
Vladimir Krutov
CSKA
44
37
20
57
1.30
0.84
0.45
3
Nikolai Drozdetsky
CSKA
44
31
20
51
1.16
0.70
0.45
4
Vyacheslav Fetisov
CSKA
44
19
30
49
1.11
0.43
0.68
5
Aleksandr Kozhevnikov
Spartak
33
33
14
47
1.42
1.00
0.42
6
Viktor Shalimov
Spartak
44
24
21
45
1.02
0.55
0.48
7
Valeri Bragin
Voskresensk
N/A
19
26
45
-
-
-
8
Sergei Kapustin
Spartak
41
22
21
43
1.05
0.54
0.51
9
Sergei Shepelev
Spartak
44
21
21
42
0.95
0.48
0.48
10
Igor Larionov
CSKA
43
15
26
41
0.95
0.35
0.60
x
Helmut Balderis
Riga
39
24
15
39
1.00
0.62
0.38
For the first time in this study, the 32-year-old Balderis didn’t crack in to the top 10, although he was close.
1985
Rk
Player
Team
GP
G
A
PTS
PTS/GP
G/GP
A/GP
1
Sergei Makarov
CSKA
40
26
39
65
1.63
0.65
0.98
2
Vladimir Krutov
CSKA
40
23
30
53
1.33
0.58
0.75
3
Helmut Balderis
Riga
39
31
20
51
1.31
0.79
0.51
4
Vladimir Zubrilchev
Dynamo
N/A
23
24
47
-
-
-
5
Igor Larionov
CSKA
40
18
28
46
1.15
0.45
0.70
6
Sergei Abramov
Izhvesk
N/A
16
23
39
-
-
-
7
Viktor Shalimov
Spartak
49
16
22
38
0.78
0.33
0.45
8
Sergei Shepelev
Spartak
N/A
21
16
37
-
-
-
9
Aleksei Kasatonov
CSKA
40
18
18
36
0.90
0.45
0.45
10
Valeri Bragin
Voskresensk
N/A
14
22
36
-
-
-
In his final season, Balderis was the leading goal scorer for the third time in his career. His 51 points was the 3rd highest total during the season.
3.2 International
3.2.1 1983 World Championships
The 1983 tournament all-star team tells the story quite well: Tretiak; Kasatonov-Fetisov; Krutov-Larionov-Makarov. The 5 man unit included the 5 best scorers of Soviet Union. Makarov had 18, Krutov 15, Larionov 12, Kasatonov 11 and Fetisov 10 points. Once again Balderis was the leading secondary scorer of the Soviets with 9 points in 10 games and put up as many points as for example Marcel Dionne.
4 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
4.1 Domestic league
Scoring title x 2 (1977, 1983)
Most goals x 3 (1976, 1977, 1985)
Most assists (1983)
Balderis had very high peak. At his best, he could outscore even Makarov or Petrov. He was an effective player for 10 seasons, starting from 1974/75 and ending in 1985. For the most part of his career, Balderis played with lesser players and was capable of raising their point totals. He was a brilliant goalscorer. In addition to the goal scoring titles, he finished 2nd in 1975 and 1983. He was also capable of using his linemates. He was 2nd in assists in 1980, second only to Makarov.
4.2 International
All-star team (1977)
Leading goal-scorer (1978)
Balderis’ international resume is a bit disappointing for a player with his Soviet league resume. He was never the best player in national team. He was always in a secondary scorer role. However, his career overlapped with both Petrov’s line and Larionov’s line. His most impressive international tournament was probably in 1977. In 1978 he was the leading goal scorer of the tournament along with Mikhailov and Dionne. But even if Balderis wasn’t the leading player on his team, he was almost always the best secondary scorer in the national team.
Overall, I think Balderis should be viewed as a step or two below Kharlamov, Mikhailov and Petrov. Maltsev probably had the better career of the two as well, mainly because his great international resume. However, Balderis has a fantastic skill set: he's known as perhaps the fastest Soviet skater ever, he was a great goal scorer and decent playmaker. He was also capable of elevating his linemates' level. I think this study reveals that Balderis has been undervalued to some extent up to this point in the ATD.
