Pavel Valentenko is a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n professional ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 defenceman

Defenceman (ice hockey)

Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...

 currently playing for The Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 (AHL).

Playing career

Valentenko was drafted in the fifth round, 139th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft

2006 NHL Entry Draft

The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....

 by the Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

. He moved to North America in 2007 after growing up in the Nizhnekamsk hockey system to play for the Hamilton Bulldogs

Hamilton Bulldogs

The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...

, the Canadiens' farm team

Farm team

In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...

. He was voted best rookie for the Bulldogs in his first season (2007–08) and was part of the group of players Montreal recalled for the 2008 NHL Playoffs in the case of injuries.

On October 30, 2008, it was reported that Valentenko had defected from the Hamilton Bulldogs and signed a three-year contract with Dynamo Moscow

HC Dynamo Moscow

HC Dynamo Moscow was a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. They were members of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League...

. This news came just days after Valentenko was given permission by the Bulldogs to go home to Russia for an indefinite period of time to deal with family issues.

On June 30, 2009, Valentenko was traded along with Christopher Higgins

Christopher Higgins

Christopher Higgins is an American professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . While playing college hockey, he was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft...

, Doug Janik

Doug Janik

Douglas J. Janik is a professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently a member of the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings organization.-Playing career:...

, and Ryan McDonagh

Ryan McDonagh

Ryan McDonagh is an American ice hockey defenseman with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. He played college hockey at University of Wisconsin–Madison.-Playing career:...

 to the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 for Scott Gomez

Scott Gomez

Scott Carlos Gomez is an American ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

, Tom Pyatt

Tom Pyatt

Thomas Cullum Pyatt is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently with Tampa Bay Lightning . He is the son of former NHL player Nelson Pyatt and brother of Phoenix Coyotes forward Taylor Pyatt.-Playing career:...

, and Michael Busto

Michael Busto

Michael Busto is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL.-Playing career:...

.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...	Team	League		GP	G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...	A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...	Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...	PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005–06	Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk	RSL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk	RSL		50	0	2	2	64		4	0	0	0	2
2007–08	Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...	AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...		57	1	15	16	58		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Hamilton Bulldogs	AHL		4	0	2	2	2		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Dynamo Moscow HC Dynamo Moscow HC Dynamo Moscow was a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. They were members of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League...	KHL Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....		8	0	1	1	8		1	0	0	0	2
2009–10	Dynamo Moscow	KHL		7	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Hartford Wolf Pack/CT Whale	AHL		79	5	12	17	38		6	0	0	0	12
AHL totals				130	6	29	35	98		6	0	0	0	12

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	Place		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2007 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand...	Russia	WJC			6	2	1	3	6

External links