Click on the link below to view Roanoke’s game notes for Game Five of the 2024-2025 season against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at Berglund Center. The puck drops tonight at 7:05 p.m. EST, and you can watch the game via Roanoke’s Flo Hockey stream or listen to the free broadcast on the Haley Toyota Rail Yard Dawgs Hockey Network on Mixlr.
Dawgs Game Notes vs. Ice Flyers
Additionally, the Dawgs announced three transactions on Friday. The team has activated defenseman C.J. Valerian and forward Owen McDade from the injured reserve list, and both are eligible to make their season debuts as soon as tonight. Additionally, the team placed forward Savva Smirnov on waivers.
Valerian is in his fourth season with the Dawgs, and returns after starting this fall in training camp with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. 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.
McDade arrived in Roanoke before the 2023-2024 season after previously playing his first two professional campaigns overseas in Finland. McDade ascended midway through last season with the Rail Yard Dawgs – after notching three goals and five assists in his first 17 appearances, the centerman would go on to record 16 goals and 15 assists in his next 32 regular season games. McDade’s 19 goals were the second-most on the team, his two hat tricks led Roanoke, and the five-foot-eleven forward was named an alternate captain before the end of his initial campaign for the team. While playing in Europe before joining the Dawgs, McDade spent most of his time with Muik in the Finnish Third League (Suomi-sarja). The 27-year-old tallied 30 goals and 34 assists in 59 total games played in Finland. The Combermere, Ontario native also played junior hockey in both the OHL and the CCHL previously and has coaching and scouting experience from the GMHL’s Bancroft Rockhounds.
Smirnov joined the Dawgs from the FPHL’s Blue Ridge Bobcats back on January 31 of last season, and appeared in three games to start this season for Roanoke with one assist, two penalty minutes, and a minus-two rating. In 13 regular season games for the Dawgs, the six-foot-one rookie had three goals, three assists, six penalty minutes, and an even plus/minus rating. Smirnov missed the last nine regular season games, but came back in the postseason and appeared in all six of Roanoke’s games during the President’s Cup Playoffs. Before arriving to the Star City, Smirnov recorded five goals, nine assists, and 24 penalty minutes in 27 games last season for Blue Ridge. Prior to his pro career, the 22-year-old forward played four years of junior hockey – three in the EHL with the Philadelphia Revolution and Philadelphia Little Flyers and one in the top Russian junior league, the MHL, with Kapitan Stupino. In his EHL playing days, Smirnov had 28 goals and 69 assists in 89 games, while registering eight goals and 15 assists during 54 games in the MHL.
The Rail Yard Dawgs will stay home on Saturday, November 2 against the Pensacola Ice Flyers at Berglund Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 P.M. EST in the Star City. Single game tickets for the season are on sale now online and at Berglund Center box office.