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Ivan Boldirev (born August 16, 1949 in Zrenjanin, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia)) is a retired Serbian-Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the NHL from 1970 until 1985. An elegant center, Boldirev was noted during his career as one of the sport's best stickhandlers.
in Yugoslavia but raised in Canada, Boldirev was the first choice (11th overall) of the Boston Bruins in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft.
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Ivan Boldirev (born August 16, 1949 in Zrenjanin, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia (now Serbia)) is a retired Serbian-Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the NHL from 1970 until 1985. An elegant center, Boldirev was noted during his career as one of the sport's best stickhandlers.
Playing career
Born in Yugoslavia but raised in Canada, Boldirev was the first choice (11th overall) of the Boston Bruins in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. After a stellar junior career with the Oshawa Generals, Boldirev turned pro in 1969 and spent his entire first season with Boston's CHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. Boldirev was called up to Boston as a spare body for the 1970 NHL playoffs, but didn't play a game as Boston romped to their first championship since 1941. However, in a quirk of history he managed to get his name engraved on the Stanley Cup before ever playing in an NHL game, the only forward ever to do so.
Boldirev was back in Oklahoma City for the 197071, although he received his first NHL action with a two-game callup to the Bruins. During this period, Boston was the best, deepest squad in the NHL, and for a young player to crack their roster was a formidable task. Boldirev was in a group of players (Reggie Leach and Rick MacLeish), each of whom would star for Flyers later in the decade were others) who were good enough to play for many NHL squads but were instead stuck in Boston's system, and would need a trade to get the opportunity they needed.
Boldirev started the 197172 as a depth player in Boston, but received his big break partway into the season when he was dealt to the hapless California Golden Seals. On the talent-starved Seals, Boldirev received the chance he needed and blossomed into a solid NHL player, finishing 4th on the team with 16 goals and 41 points. By 197374, he finished 2nd on the Seals with 25 goals and 56 points.
In 1974, Boldirev was dealt to the Chicago Black Hawks, where he would go on to the most productive phase of his career. He immediately established himself as one of the team's top players, posting 24 goals and 67 points in 197475. He posted 60+ points in each of his five seasons in Chicago, and by the late 1970s had replaced Stan Mikita as the team's top offensive player. He led the Black Hawks in goals, assists, and points in 197677 and 197778, and was selected to play in the 1978 NHL All-Star Game.
Boldirev was leading the Black Hawks in scoring again in 197879 when he was dealt to the Atlanta Flames late in the season in a huge 9player trade. He contributed 14 points in 13 games after joining the Flames, but his stay in Atlanta would last less than a year before he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks. Interestingly, Darcy Rota was moved along with Boldirev in both trades, and the two would be teammates (and frequently linemates) for nearly a decade with three different organizations.
After joining the Canucks, Boldirev went on a goalscoring binge to close out the 197980 season with 16 goals in 27 games. In Vancouver, he continued to be a consistent productive performer, and continued to dazzle fans with his elegant, effort displays of stickhandling. He was a standout performer in Vancouver's run to the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals, scoring 8 goals in 17 games after a 73-point regular season.
Boldirev's production dropped off in the 198283 season, as he registered just 5 goals and 25 points in his first 39 games. Thinking Boldirev (now in his mid-thirties) was in decline, the Canucks sent him to the Detroit Red Wings for journeyman forward Mark Kirton. Boldirev proceeded to undergo a resurgence in Detroit, scoring 13 goals and 30 points in just 33 games with the Wings. In 198384, he had the most productive season of his career, matching his career high of 35 goals and setting a career high of 83 points. Boldirev combined with rookie Steve Yzerman to form an excellent one-two punch down the middle, and helped Detroit back to the playoffs for the first time in 1978.
In 198485, Boldirev played in his 1000th NHL game and notched his 500th assist, but his production waned as he failed to notch 50 points for the first time since 1973. He retired at the end of the season with career totals of 361 goals and 505 assists for 866 points in 1052 NHL games. He currently does periodic work on behalf of the Blackhawk Alumni Association.
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season TeamLge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
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1965-66 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhoun NOJHA 0 0 0 0 0
1967-68 Oshawa Generals OHA 50 18 26 44 73
1968-69 Oshawa Generals OHA 54 25 34 59 101
1969-70 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 65 18 49 67 114
1970-71 Boston Bruins NHL 2 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1970-71 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 68 19 52 71 98 5 1 4 5 9
1971-72 Boston Bruins NHL 11 0 2 2 6 -- -- -- -- --
1971-72 California Golden Seals NHL 57 16 23 39 54 -- -- -- -- --
1972-73 California Golden Seals NHL 56 11 23 34 58 -- -- -- -- --
1973-74 California Golden Seals NHL 78 25 31 56 22 -- -- -- -- --
1974-75 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 80 24 43 67 54 8 4 2 6 2
1975-76 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 78 28 34 62 33 4 0 1 1 0
1976-77 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 80 24 38 62 40 2 0 1 1 0
1977-78 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 80 35 45 80 34 4 0 2 2 2
1978-79 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 66 29 35 64 25 -- -- -- -- --
1978-79 Atlanta Flames NHL 13 6 8 14 6 2 0 2 2 2
1979-80 Atlanta Flames NHL 52 16 24 40 20 -- -- -- -- --
1979-80 Vancouver Canucks NHL 27 16 11 27 14 4 0 2 2 0
1980-81 Vancouver Canucks NHL 72 26 33 59 34 1 1 1 2 0
1981-82 Vancouver Canucks NHL 78 33 40 73 45 17 8 3 11 4
1982-83 Vancouver Canucks NHL 39 5 20 25 12 -- -- -- -- --
1982-83 Detroit Red Wings NHL 33 13 17 30 14 -- -- -- -- --
1983-84 Detroit Red Wings NHL 75 35 48 83 20 4 0 5 5 4
1984-85 Detroit Red Wings NHL 75 19 30 49 16 2 0 1 1 0
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NHL Totals 1052 361 505 866 507 48 13 20 33 14
See also
External links
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