WYTHEVILLE, Va. — The Blue Ridge Bobcats, members of the FPHL, announced the team has signed defenseman Yuri Karatay to a PTO contract for the 2026-2027 season.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Belarusian blueliner brings an impressive junior hockey background to Blue Ridge.
The 21-year-old defenseman spent two seasons in the MHL, the highest level of junior hockey in Russia. There, he posted 15 points (5G, 10A), 20 penalty minutes and a +13 rating in 58 games. Karatay made his foray into North America last season, putting together an impressive 2025-2026 campaign with the NAHL's Amarillo Wranglers, where he recorded 10 points (4G, 6A) and 31 penalty minutes in 32 games.
"We’re very excited to bring Yuri to Blue Ridge," said Head Coach and General Manager of Hockey Operations, Vojtech Zemlicka. "Yuri is the type of defenseman we’ve been searching for — a big, strong, right-handed defenseman with a heavy shot who will add depth to our D-core. He has a lot of upside, and as an organization that is known for working with younger players, he’s another big piece of the puzzle that we’re excited to work with. He’s going to make our back end bigger, deeper, and more difficult to play against."
"After spending last season in North America playing for the Wranglers, Yuri learned to use his size more effectively, both offensively and defensively, which has prepared him to make the jump to the FPHL," Zemlicka continued. "What we like about his game is that he can play with an edge and be difficult to compete against defensively, but he’s also very comfortable with the puck. He can make a good first pass or rush the puck up to help us get out of our zone and go north. He’s mobile and deceptive on the blue line and does a good job finding lanes to deliver the puck, which is an important quality for us."
Season tickets are on sale now to see Karatay and the rest of the Bobcats when they hit the Hitachi Energy Arena ice in just 51 days at blueridgebobcats.com/26-27-season-tickets.