Ivan Boldirev Ivan Boldirev ( born August 16 , 1949 in Zrenjanin , Yugoslavia ( now Serbia ) ) is a retired Serbian - Canadian professional 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 Oklahoma City Blazers . 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 1970 – 71 , 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 1971 – 72 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 1973 – 74 , 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 1974 – 75 . 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 1976 – 77 and 1977 – 78 , and was selected to play in the 1978 NHL All - Star Game . Boldirev was leading the Black Hawks in scoring again in 1978 – 79 when he was dealt to the Atlanta Flames late in the season in a huge 9 – player 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 1979 – 80 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 1982 – 83 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 1983 – 84 , 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 since 1978 . In 1984 – 85 , 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 .