A recurring injury that forced Toronto Marlies defenceman Rinat Valiev to miss over two months did very little to damage his spirits.



“It’s actually the third injury to my knees,” Valiev said with a smile on his face. “All of them were the same.”



So when a decision was made shortly after his last game, on Jan. 11 against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, to go under the knife, Valiev knew how to prepare to have to get back into game shape.



“When you get injured and especially when you are in good shape, you know you are going to go back on the ice and get bag-skated just to get your conditioning going,” Valiev said. “You’re going to get to the point where ‘man, I’m dying.'”



On Friday night, Valiev will make his return to the Marlies lineup when they host the Binghamton Senators. He was already held in high regard by both the Maple Leafs and the Marlies, but his attitude...