The National Hockey League draft is a yearly conference wherein every team that participates in the NHL selects the rights to available ice hockey players in an order. To qualify for the draft eligibility requirements, North American players should be 18-20 years old, and European or international players 18-21 years old. All others enter the league as unrestricted free agents. The NHL entry draft event is held once every year, which usually takes place within two to three months after the end of the previous regular season. During the draft, teams select amateur players in their respective turns from junior or collegiate leagues and professional players from European leagues.
Who is the oldest NHL Draft pick?
Helmuts Balderis-Sildedzis is the oldest NHL draft pick by the Minnesota North Stars in 1989.
Helmuts Balderis, born on 31 July 1952, is a former Latvian professional ice hockey player, who played on the right wing and participated at the 1980 Winter Olympics, where the Soviet team lost to the United States. After being drafted in 1989 by the Minnesota North Stars, he participated in part of a single season in the National Hockey League and became the oldest player to be drafted by an NHL team at the age of 36. He was admitted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.
Balderis initially played in the Soviet Hockey League for Dinamo Riga and CSKA Moscow, later transferred to the latter as a precondition for being accepted into the Soviet national team, In the 1977 and 1984 seasons, he recorded the highest score and received Player of the Year award in 1977.
FAQs
A. The draft eligibility requirements are, North American players 18–20 years old and European/international players 18–21 years old; all others enter the league as unrestricted free agents.
A. Helmuts Balderis-Sildedzis was born on 31 July 1952.
A. He returned in 1989 when Soviet players were allowed to play in the NHL.
A. As of 2017, he serves as a board member of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation.
A. In 1985, Balderis retired and became a coach in Japan. He returned in 1989 when Soviet players were allowed to play in the NHL. Balderis was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars. He retired again after one season in Minnesota but came out of retirement for the second time when Latvia regained its independence.
