ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Monday that the team has signed defenseman C.J. Valerian to a player contract, and goaltender Henry Dill has been released.
Valerian was signed to a player tryout contract on February 23, and has played in five games for the Dawgs. The rookie defenseman scored his first pro goal on his first pro shift against Knoxville in a 5-4 loss to the Ice Bears on February 25, and has been a solid contributor to the team since he was added.
Dill was in his third season for the Dawgs, playing in 39 games since the 2018-2019 season. This season, Dill appeared in 15 games, notching a 5-5-0 record with a .885 save clip and a 3.47 goals against average. The six-foot-two goaltender’s career totals in Roanoke included a 13-13-4 record, an .898 save percentage, and a 3.22 goals against average. The Columbus, Ohio native leaves the Star City having appeared in the third-most games among goalies in franchise history, only trailing Austyn Roudebush and Brad Barone.
One additional note – Chris Vella was officially added to the 21-day injured reserve list today after serving a one-game suspension on Sunday.
The Rail Yard Dawgs are on the road Thursday to face the Birmingham Bulls at 8:30 p.m. EST. The Bud Light Watch Party Series will return to 202 Social House for Thursday’s game, and the event will start an hour before puck drop at 7:30 p.m. EST. Wisler Plumbing and Air Family Four Packs, group tickets, 2022-2023 season tickets, and single game tickets for home games are on sale now, and you can listen to the games on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network via Mixlr or watch it on HockeyTV.