ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs announced on Wednesday that rookie forward Cameron Clark has signed a PTO contract with the team, joining Roanoke from the FPHL’s Binghamton Black Bears. Additionally, defenseman C.J. Valerian has been activated from the injured reserve, and forward Joe Widmar has taken a call-up with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison.
Clark has enjoyed a red-hot start to his first full professional season with the Black Bears, notching eight goals, seven assists, 16 penalty minutes, and a plus-two rating in 12 games played this year. The Daytona Beach, Florida native initially signed with Binghamton in late February at the conclusion of his senior collegiate season. Clark finished the regular season with the Black Bears and contributed all throughout the team’s run to the FPHL Commissioner’s Cup title – the five-foot-ten forward had four goals, an assist, and four penalty minutes in 10 regular season games, then added two goals and two penalty minutes in four appearances during the postseason. During his time at SUNY-Morrisville (NCAA-DIII), Clark recorded 24 goals, 24 assists, and 46 penalty minutes in 73 career games. The 25-year-old joins a long line of former Mustangs that have made their way to Roanoke, as he will become the ninth former Morrisville State player to sign with the Dawgs, joining the likes of CJ Stubbs, Nick DeVito, Chris Vella, Jordan Carvalho, Matt Beer, Jesse Anderson, Henry Hearon, and Curtis Abbott. Prior to his collegiate career, Clark played four years of junior hockey, suiting up in the GOJHL, NOJHL, and NA3HL. His 2018-19 Hearst Lumberjacks (NOJHL) squad won the league championship that season.
Valerian is in his fourth season with the Dawgs, and had one assist and a plus-one rating in two games played against Pensacola at the start of November before missing Roanoke’s past three games. Valerian missed extended time last season after a long stint on the injured reserve, but appeared in 15 combined regular season and postseason games for Roanoke. In those 15 games played, Valerian tallied one goal, six assists, and a plus-three rating from the blue line. The 29-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. In the 2022-2023 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.
Widmar is in his eighth professional season overall and joined Roanoke last Wednesday, dominating with three goals (two on the power play) and six assists en route to winning co-SPHL Player of the Week with linemate Nick Ford before getting the call from Bloomington. The six-foot-one center started this season in Rapid City, playing in seven games for the Rush before he was placed on waivers. Widmar has extensive experience across several pro leagues, appearing for 10 ECHL teams, a French team, a Polish team, and four teams in the SPHL (Roanoke, Peoria, Quad City, and Pensacola). The Northbrook, Illinois native has 77 points in 164 career ECHL games, while dominating the SPHL with 152 points (42 goals, 110 assists) and a plus-38 rating in 132 career regular season appearances during his stints in this league. In his 49 combined appearances for Pensacola and Peoria last season, Widmar managed to record 16 goals and 39 assists for a whopping 55 points. The right-shot centerman initially turned pro with Peoria before the 2017-18 campaign following his sophomore season at UMass (NCAA-DI), after Widmar totaled four goals and eight assists throughout his 57 career collegiate games.
The Rail Yard Dawgs are on the road on Thursday, November 21 against the Knoxville Ice Bears. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 P.M. EST at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.
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