He’s the other Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick at the
World Junior Hockey Championship, yet Russian defenseman Rinat Valiev isn’t
getting much love – or notice – from the Air Canada Centre crowd.
He appears to be fine with all the attention on
William Nylander.
The Maple Leafs 2nd pick last June (3rd
round, 68th overall from Kootenay Ice) is just thrilled to be
playing at this event in a place he hopes will be his NHL home one day.
“It means a lot for me,” said Valiev, following
Russia’s 3-2 loss to Sweden Monday. “I like it here. It’s a huge dream. I’m so
excited to play here.”
Valiev left his Russian home of Nizhnekamsk (1,000 kilometers east of Moscow) when he was
17, to play in the United States Hockey League with the Indiana Ice.
He has spent the last
2 seasons with the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League. He was hampered
by a knee injury last season and has shown he is fully healed now. Before he
joined the Russian team, he led the Ice defensemen in scoring (5 G 20 A in 23
games).
His strong play in
the playoffs last season for Kootenay (1 G, 13 A in 13 games) left an
impression with the Leafs. After he went undrafted in 2013, the Leafs made him
their next choice after Nylander last June.
“He was exceptional (in the playoffs) especially in
the first round when they upset Calgary,” said Leafs scouting director Dave
Morrison at the draft. “We really liked him all along and then we saw that.
This is a guy with a big heart and all the intangibles we look for in a
player.”
“To see Rinat on the ice in the last few seconds of a
game (as he was in the game against Sweden), killing penalties at key times, we
couldn’t be happier,” said Steve Staios, the Leafs Player Development Advisor,
following the game against Sweden.
“He’s a terrific kid,” added Staios a veteran of 1,001
NHL games. “He wants to be a player. There’s a lot of upside. I like the way he
moves on the ice. He’s a good first passer. Fundamentally he’s sound.”
The 6-foot-2, 208 pound Valiev signed an entry level
deal with Toronto in July. While Staios doesn’t like to make comparisons, Valiev’s
play reminds some of another former Leaf blueliner Dmitri Yushkevich.
“He’s in a good
place in Kootenay,” said Staios. “They rely on him heavily. It’s been a steady
progression for him.”
The 19 year-old Valiev is quick to credit Staios for helping
him out prior to the season. Staios spent a few days with Valiev and worked
with him on the ice.
“Steve Staois is helping me a lot,” smiled Valiev. “He
came to Kootenay and he showed me a lot of things; skating movement, shooting
the puck, stuff like that.”
Valiev is excited at the prospects of facing Ice
teammate Sam Reinhart – “hopefully in the final” – at this event. During the game against Sweden, the Air Canada Centre crowd cheered loudly during a highlight montage of William Nylander (Toronto’s 1st round pick last June). Valiev didn’t notice.
“I didn’t really hear that. I was trying to focus on
the game.”
“He’s a good player (Nylander had 2 assists in the
game) and before the game coach told us to play hard against him, I know that.”
Maybe one day, Valiev will get his due in Toronto.
No comments:
Post a Comment