Joe Veleno

Joseph Veleno (born January 13, 2000) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for the Malmö Redhawks in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) on loan from the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 30th overall by the Red Wings in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

Joe Veleno
Born	January 13, 2000 Kirkland, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	189 lb (86 kg; 13 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team (P) Cur. team	Detroit Red Wings Malmö Redhawks (SHL)
NHL Draft	30th overall, 2018 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2019–present

Playing career

On June 4, 2015, Veleno became the first player from Quebec to be granted "exceptional status" allowing him to play as a 15-year old in major junior hockey[1] which led to him being selected 1st overall in the 2015 QMJHL draft by the Saint John Sea Dogs on June 7, 2015.[2] He is the fifth player to be granted exceptional status, with the preceding four being John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, and Sean Day.

On December 8, 2017, it was announced that Veleno had been traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for three first-round selections (in 2018, 2019 and 2020) and two second-round selections in the QMJHL draft.[3] and ended the season with 79 points in 64 games.

Veleno was selected in the first round 30th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 NHL entry draft. During the 2018–19 QMJHL season, in just 59 games with Drummondville, he produced 42 goals and 62 assists for a 104 total points, helping the Voltigeurs reach the semi finals of the QMJHL playoffs, when he produced a further 8 goals and 9 assists in 16 games.

On May 1, 2019, Veleno signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Red Wings.[4]

He did not make the Red Wings roster out of training camp, and began the 2019–20 season with the Wings AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

With the 2020–21 NHL season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the possibility of an AHL season in doubt, Veleno was loaned to the Malmö Redhawks for the 2020–21 season. Due to SHL rules, he is ineligible to return to North America until the Redhawks season concludes.[5]

Personal life

Veleno is of Italian descent.[6] He was born in Kirkland, Quebec and still lives there in the offseason.[7] His favourite team as a child was the Washington Capitals and his favourite player was Alexander Ovechkin.[8] In addition to hockey, Veleno also played soccer and lacrosse as a child, and he is fluent in English, French, and Italian.[7]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014–15	Lac St-Louis Lions	QMAAA		41	16	36	52	57		12	2	2	4	12
2015–16	Saint John Sea Dogs	QMJHL		62	13	30	43	21		17	6	1	7	8
2016–17	Saint John Sea Dogs	QMJHL		45	13	27	40	18		18	8	3	11	4
2017–18	Saint John Sea Dogs	QMJHL		31	6	25	31	26		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Drummondville Voltigeurs	QMJHL		33	16	32	48	22		10	5	6	11	10
2018–19	Drummondville Voltigeurs	QMJHL		59	42	62	104	19		16	8	9	17	12
2019–20	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		54	11	12	23	18		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				54	11	12	23	18		—	—	—	—	—

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	2020 Czech Republic
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
	2017 Czech Republic/Slovakia

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015	Canada Black	U17	8th		5	1	3	4	6
2016	Canada	IH18	5th		4	0	4	4	2
2017	Canada	IH18			5	2	5	7	8
2018	Canada	U18	5th		4	0	3	3	0
2019	Canada	WJC	6th		5	0	2	2	0
2020	Canada	WJC			6	1	5	6	8
Junior totals					29	4	22	26	24

References

1. "2015 QMJHL Draft Preview: Veleno declared exceptional status, likely to be taken first". Yahoo Sports. June 5, 2015.
2. "Saint John Sea Dogs take Joseph Veleno 1st overall at QMJHL draft". CBC News. June 7, 2015.
3. "Saint John Sea Dogs trade Joe Veleno to Drummondville". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
4. Kujawa, Kyle (May 1, 2019). "Red Wings sign 2018 first-round pick Joe Veleno". NHL.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
5. "Red Wings' prospect Joe Veleno loaned to Swedish club for 2020-21 season". mlive. October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
6. "Joseph Veleno, un véritable poison". Info07 (in French). Retrieved March 19, 2017.
7. "Joe Veleno". Grand Rapids Griffins. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
8. "Cowan: Kirkland phenom Joe Veleno shows polish on way to Memorial Cup". Montreal Gazette. May 18, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database