ROANOKE, Va. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Thursday that the team has activated defenseman C.J. Valerian from the injured reserve.
Valerian is in his third season with the Dawgs, and now returns from a long stint on the injured reserve after appearing in Roanoke’s first five games of the season before he was sidelined. The 28-year-old initially joined the Dawgs in February 2022, starting his pro career by netting his first goal less than three minutes into his debut game against Knoxville. Last season, the six-foot-two defenseman put up one of the stronger campaigns among all SPHL blue-liners, with six goals, 16 assists, a team-best plus-22 plus/minus (fourth among all SPHL defensemen), and 88 penalty minutes. Valerian went on to record one assist and a plus-five plus/minus during the 2023 President’s Cup Playoffs. As a rookie, the Gates Mills, Ohio native notched two goals and three assists in 17 regular season games and appeared in all nine of Roanoke’s games during the 2022 President’s Cup Playoffs. Prior to signing with Roanoke, Valerian played four seasons at New England College (NCAA-DIII) after transferring from Hobart College (NCAA-DIII) after one season.
The Rail Yard Dawgs host the Fayetteville Marksmen on Friday night, March 29 at 7:05 P.M. EST at Berglund Center, and you can watch the game on Flo or listen in on Mixlr. Playoff packages are on sale now, and can be purchased by contacting the Rail Yard Dawgs office. Other season ticket packages, group tickets, and single-game tickets are on sale now by contacting the Rail Yard Dawgs office or visiting the Berglund Center box office.
Photo Credit: Ashlie Brammer
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