With their 68th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, the Maple Leafs have drafted Rinat Valiev of the Kootenay Ice in the Western Hockey League.
Valiev is a 6’1, 190-pound left-shot defenceman who was passed over in last year’s draft. He turned 19 in May. He’s described as a two-way defenceman with good hockey smarts.
The Maple Leafs hadn’t drafted from this area of the world since Mikhail Stefanovich back in 2008, sticking to North Americans and Scandanavians in the 35 picks since. Stefanovich was Belorussian, however, and to find the last Russian drafted by the Leafs we have to go back to 2006 to Nikolai Kulemin.
Video
Valiev fights sixth overall pick Jake Virtanen in March:
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