Kaliyev Breaks Belleville Single-Season Goals Record With 33rd Tally

Arthur Kaliyev etched his name into Belleville Senators history by scoring his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season, surpassing Josh Norris for the most goals in a single season by any player in franchise history. The Belleville organization celebrated the milestone on social media, posting on both Facebook and Instagram: "Arthur Kaliyev NOW holds the record for the most goals in a single season by ANY Belleville Senator!"

The record arrival was hardly a surprise for anyone tracking the AHL this season. As of January 16, Kaliyev led the entire league in both goals and points, with 24 goals and 42 points, and had been named an AHL All-Star that same week. His scoring pace after that point only accelerated, carrying him past Norris and into the franchise record book.

Belleville general manager Matt Turek had been sounding the alarm about Kaliyev's form for months. "His attitude has been great," Turek said in January, praising the 24-year-old's contributions to a Belleville squad that had otherwise struggled to a 15-18-6 record at that point in the season.

What makes the record particularly striking is how close Kaliyev came to not playing at all this season. The 2024-25 campaign was defined by injury: he broke his clavicle on the second day of training camp with the Los Angeles Kings in September 2024, missed two months of action, and then re-broke the same clavicle just 14 games into his tenure with the New York Rangers in March, ending his season entirely. He managed only three goals and four points with New York before that second injury. The Rangers did not tender him a qualifying offer, and he entered the summer as an unrestricted free agent.

His decision to sign a one-year, two-way contract with Ottawa on July 2 was driven in part by a relationship that predates his NHL career. Kaliyev played for the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs when Steve Staios served as the organization's general manager, and the two won an OHL championship together in 2018. Speaking to The Hockey News in September, Kaliyev cited that history as a key factor.

"[Staios] knows how I can play," Kaliyev said. "He knows I try to play and work hard in every single game. [Staios] is going to help me to get back to the top of my game. I know they have a great staff here, too. I think they are one of the best, so they know what they are doing. To come here, this was my best option."

Kaliyev, who was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and grew up in Staten Island before moving to Michigan at age 13, has now scored 33 AHL goals this season while also appearing in two games with the Ottawa Senators, notching one assist at the NHL level. His career NHL totals across 204 games with the Kings, Rangers and Senators stand at 38 goals and 76 points, numbers that figure to grow if his current form in Belleville continues to attract attention from Ottawa's coaching staff.