Liudmila Belyakova

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Viktorovna and the family name is Belyakov.
Liudmila Belyakova
Людмила Белякова
Belyakova with the Metropolitan Riveters in 2015
Born (1994-08-12) 12 August 1994 (age 30)
Moscow, Russia
Height 168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight 64 kg (141 lb; 10 st 1 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
ZhHL team
Former teams		 HC Tornado
KRS Vanke Rays
New York Riveters
National team  Russia
Playing career 2009–present
Website Official website
Medal record
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Canada
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Canada
Winter Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2015 Granada Ice hockey
Gold medal – first place 2017 Astana-Almaty Ice hockey

Liudmila Viktorovna "Luda" Belyakova (Russian: Людми́ла Ви́кторовна Беляко́ва, romanized: Lyudmíla Víktorovna Belyakóva, also transliterated Lyudmila Belyakova; born 12 August 1994) is a Russian ice hockey forward and member of the Russian national ice hockey team, currently playing in the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) with HC Tornado. She is a 'Master of Sports of Russia of International Class,' as named by the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation in 2013.[1][2]

A member of the New York Riveters during the 2015–16 NWHL season, Belyakova was the first Russian to play in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL).[3]

Playing career

Belyakova started playing ice hockey at age seven and played both forward and defense in her youth.

On 25 July 2015, it was announced that Belyakova had signed a one-year contract with the New York Riveters of the National Women's Hockey League.[4] She joined the roster as one of three Riveters from outside of North America, alongside Janine Weber of the Austrian national team and goaltender Nana Fujimoto of Smile Japan. Belyakova ranked third on the team for scoring with ten points (5 goals+5 assists) in fifteen games played and scored one of the team's four playoff goals.

The Riveters opted not to sign her for the 2016–17 season, and it has been speculated that the language barrier was a major motivator behind the choice.[5] As a free agent, Belyakova returned to Russia to play for her former club, Tornado Dmitrov, in the 2016–17 ZhHL season.[6]

International play

Belyakova was invited to join the Russian national under-18 ice hockey team when she was 12 years old and made her IIHF Women's World U18 Championship debut at the 2010 tournament.[7] Belyakova was named the best player and best scorer of the 2011 IIHF Women's World U18 Championship – Division I.[8][9] She also participated in the 2012 IIHF Women's World U18 Championship and was named a top-3 player on the Russian team by the coaches of the tournament.[10] In total, she played 28 games for the Russian national U18 team, scoring 30 goals and making 11 assists.[11]

Several weeks after turning 15, Belyakova was invited to join the Russian national team and her debut with the Russian senior national team quickly followed in a match against the Slovak women's national team in Trenčín on 4 September 2009.[12] Representing Russia, she has participated at the IIHF Women's World Championship in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017.[13][14][15][16][17] She was included in the list of candidates for the Russian national team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, though she was not selected to the squad.[18] She was the first replacement for the Russian team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[19]

As of 2017, Belyakova had played 131 international and showcase games with the Russian national team and had scored 51 goals and 38 assists.[20]

In the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Belyakova played with the Olympic Athletes from Russia team. She ranked second on the team for points, scoring a goal and two assists. The team placed fourth after a bronze medal game loss to Finland.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014-15 HC Tornado RWHL 24 23 18 41 36 – – – – –
2015-16 New York Riveters NWHL 15 5 5 10 20 2 1 0 1 0
2016-17 HC Tornado ZhHL 35 34 19 53 48 – – – – –
2017-18 HC Tornado ZhHL 17 10 5 15 10 – – – – –
2019-20 HC Tornado ZhHL 14 12 6 18 14 2 2 1 3 4
ZhHL totals 90 79 48 127 108 2 2 1 3 4

Sources:[21][22]

International

Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2010 Russia U18 WW18 8th 5 1 2 3 6
2011 Russia U18 WW18 D1 1st 5 11 5 16 4
2012 Russia U18 WW18 7th 6 6 1 7 6
2012 Russia WW 6th 5 0 0 0 12
2013 Russia WW 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 1 0 1 4
2015 Russia WW 4th 6 1 0 1 4
2015 Russia U25 Uni 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 3 3 6 6
2016 Russia WW 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 0 0 0 4
2017 Russia U25 Uni 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 1 8 9 4
2017 Russia WW 5th 5 1 0 1 2
2018 OAR OG 4th 6 1 2 3 6
Junior totals 16 18 8 26 16
Senior totals 42 8 13 21 42

Sources:[23][24]

Awards and achievements

References

  1. ^ "ФХР :: Белякова Людмила Викторовна". fhr.ru. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  2. ^ "ПРИКАЗ "О ПРИСВОЕНИИ СПОРТИВНОГО ЗВАНИЯ "МАСТЕР СПОРТА РОССИИ МЕЖДУНАРОДНОГО КЛАССА"". Russian Ministry of Sport (in Russian). 11 April 2013. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  3. ^ Clinton, Jared (27 July 2015). "New York Riveters sign Lyudmila Belyakova, NWHL's first Russian player". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Belyakova Signs With Riveters at International Camp". NWHL (Press release). 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  5. ^ Seren Rosso, Alessandro (6 September 2016). "Lyudmila Belyakova Back to Russia". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  6. ^ "NWHL: Ex-NY Riveters Lyudmila Belyakova looks for new contract". Excelle Sports. 23 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  7. ^ "2010 IIHF World Women's U18 Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  8. ^ "World Womens U18 Championship Division 1 – Scoring Leaders" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  9. ^ "2011 IIHF World Women's U18 Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  10. ^ "2012 IIHF World Women's U18 Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Russia Women's U18 National Ice Hockey Team". narod.ru. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  12. ^ "Russia – Slovakia 4:0". Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  13. ^ "2012 IIHF World Women's Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  14. ^ "2013 IIHF World Women's Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  15. ^ "2015 IIHF World Women's Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  16. ^ "2016 IIHF World Women's Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  17. ^ "2017 IIHF World Women's Championships" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  18. ^ "Athletes for Ice Hockey - 2010 Olympics - SI.com". Sports Illustrated. 2010. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Хоккеистка Белякова утверждена запасной в состав сборной РФ на ОИ-2014". Р-Спорт. Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Liudmila Belyakova Professional hockey plauer". Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  21. ^ "National Women's Hockey League 2015–2016 Statistics: New York Riveters". NWHL.zone. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016.
  22. ^ "Людмила Белякова". ZhHL (in Russian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  23. ^ Podnieks, Andrew; Nordmark, Birger, eds. (2019). IIHF Guide & Record Book 2020. Toronto: Moydart. p. 642. ISBN 9780986796470.
  24. ^ "Player Profile: Lyudmila Belyakova". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.