BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Bloomington Bison Head Coach and VP of Hockey Operations Phillip Barski announced today that defenseman Rinat Valiyev has signed a standard player contract for the 2026-27 season.
Valiyev, 31, has played professional hockey since the 2014-15 season, when he skated in two games with the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat after amassing 46 points (9g-37a) in 52 games with the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice.
A third-round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Valiyev skated in 10 games with Toronto during the 2015-16 season and added two more NHL games with the Montreal Canadiens in the 2017-18 campaign.
The Nizhnekamsk, Russia, native has played in 260 career AHL games with Stockton, the Toronto Marlies and Laval Rocket, and totaled 85 points (19g-66a) with a +55 rating.
Valiyev began skating in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League following the 2021-22 season and has since notched two assists in 21 games in the highest league in his native country.
Over the previous three seasons, the 187-pound, 6-foot-1 defender has split time between Russia and Kazakhstan, and has recorded 49 points (10g-39a) in 84 games in Kazakhstan. He added two goals and nine assists in 14 playoff games with HK Almaty.
Valiyev earned a spot on the 2014-15 WHL East Second All-Star Team and won a U20 IIHF World Junior Championship Silver Medal with Russia. He amassed 74 points (14g-60a) in 107 regular season games with Kootenay and also recorded 13 points (6g-7a) in 36 games with the United States Hockey League’s Indiana Ice to begin his North American Junior career.
Join the Bison at Grossinger Motors Arena from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, September 10 for the annual locker room equipment and fire sale. Enjoy discounted merchandise and game-used equipment, the reveal of next season’s jerseys, a brand-new line of merchandise and a live player-signing announcement!
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