Ivan Boldirev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ivan Boldirev |
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Boldirev with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1974
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| Born | August 15, 1949 Zrenjanin, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins California Golden Seals Chicago Black Hawks Atlanta Flames Vancouver Canucks Detroit Red Wings |
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| NHL Draft | 11th overall, 1969 Boston Bruins |
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| Playing career | 1969–1985 | ||
Ivan Boldirev was born on August 15, 1949. He is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was born in Yugoslavia.
Ivan Boldirev played for 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played over 1,000 games from 1970 to 1985. He reached the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals with the Vancouver Canucks. People knew Boldirev for his amazing stickhandling skills. He was one of the best at it!
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Growing Up: Ivan Boldirev's Early Hockey Days
Ivan Boldirev was born in Zrenjanin, which is now in Serbia. His family moved to Canada when he was just two years old. He grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Ivan was a shy child. He once said that his shyness came from not speaking English. When he first came to Canada, he didn't know the language. His first-grade teacher even sent a note home. The note told his parents to speak English, but they couldn't read it!
Starting Junior Hockey
Ivan began playing junior hockey as a kid. First, he joined his hometown team, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. They were part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. Later, in 1967-68, he moved to the Oshawa Generals. This team was in the Ontario Hockey Association.
Ivan played so well for the Generals. Because of his great performance, the Boston Bruins chose him in the 1969 NHL amateur draft. He was the 11th player picked overall.
Ivan Boldirev's Professional Hockey Career
Ivan Boldirev became a professional hockey player in 1969. He spent his first season with the Boston Bruins' minor league team. This team was called the Oklahoma City Blazers.
In 1970, Ivan was called up to the Bruins for the NHL playoffs. He didn't play in any games, but the Bruins won the Stanley Cup that year. What's cool is that his name was still put on the Stanley Cup! He was the only forward or defenseman to have his name on the Cup before playing an NHL game. After that season, the NHL changed its rules. Now, players must play in a playoff game to get their name on the Cup.
Finding His Place in the NHL
The Boston Bruins were a very strong team back then. It was hard for young players to join their main roster. Ivan played a couple of games for the Bruins in 1970-71. But he mostly stayed with the Oklahoma City Blazers.
Ivan got his big chance in the 1971-72 season. He was traded to the California Golden Seals. This team needed talented players. With the Seals, Ivan got to play a lot and became a strong NHL player. He scored 16 goals and had 41 points that season. By 1973-74, he was second on the team with 25 goals and 56 points.
Success with the Chicago Black Hawks
In 1974, Ivan Boldirev was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks. This is where he had the best part of his career. He quickly became one of their top players. In 1974-75, he scored 24 goals and had 67 points.
He scored over 60 points in each of his five seasons in Chicago. By the late 1970s, he was the Black Hawks' best offensive player. He led the team in goals, assists, and points in 1976-77 and 1977-78. He was also chosen to play in the 1978 NHL All-Star Game.
Moving to Other Teams
In 1978-79, Ivan was leading the Black Hawks in scoring again. But he was traded to the Atlanta Flames in a big trade involving nine players. He played well for the Flames, getting 14 points in 13 games.
However, he didn't stay in Atlanta for long. Less than a year later, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Darcy Rota was traded with him both times. They became teammates and often played on the same line for almost ten years!
After joining the Canucks, Ivan started scoring a lot of goals. He scored 16 goals in 27 games to finish the 1979-80 season. In Vancouver, he continued to play consistently well. Fans loved watching his elegant stickhandling. He was a key player when Vancouver made it to the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals. He scored eight goals in 17 playoff games that year.
Later Career and Retirement
In the 1982-83 season, Ivan's scoring slowed down. The Canucks thought he was getting too old (he was in his mid-thirties). So, they traded him to the Detroit Red Wings.
But Ivan had a great comeback in Detroit! He scored 13 goals and 30 points in just 33 games. In 1983-84, he had his best season ever. He scored 35 goals and had a career-high 83 points. He played alongside a young star named Steve Yzerman. Together, they helped Detroit get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1978.
In 1984-85, Ivan played his 1,000th NHL game. He also got his 500th assist. His scoring went down a bit that year. He retired at the end of the season. In his career, he scored 361 goals and had 505 assists. That's a total of 866 points in 1,052 NHL games!
Today, Ivan Boldirev sometimes works for the Blackhawk Alumni Association.
Awards and Accomplishments
- Played in the NHL All-Star game in 1978
- Named to the OHL Second All-Star Team in 1969
See also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
