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Joe Veleno

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Joe Veleno
Born (2000-01-13) January 13, 2000 (age 25)
Kirkland, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Montreal Canadiens
Malmö Redhawks
Detroit Red Wings
Chicago Blackhawks
National team  Canada
NHL draft 30th overall, 2018
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 2019–present

Joseph Veleno (born January 13, 2000) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 30th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 NHL entry draft. Veleno has also previously played for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Playing career

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Junior

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In June 2015, Veleno became the first minor midget player from Quebec to be granted exceptional player status allowing him to play major junior as a 15-year-old,[1] which led to him being selected first overall in that year's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft by the Saint John Sea Dogs.[2] With this, he would become the fifth player to be granted exceptional status, following: John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, and Sean Day respectively.[3]

On December 8, 2017, it was announced that Veleno had been traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for three future first-round and two second-round QMJHL draft selections.[4] Collectively, he produced 79 points in 64 games played between Saint John and Drummondville over the course of the 2017–18 QMJHL season.[5]

Veleno was selected with the penultimate pick of the first round (30th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 NHL entry draft.[6] During the ensuing 2018–19 QMJHL season, he registered 42 goals and 62 assists for a total of 104 points, helping the Voltigeurs reach the semi-finals of the QMJHL playoffs adding a further eight goals and nine assists across 16 postseason games.[7]

Professional

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On May 1, 2019, Veleno signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Red Wings.[8] Initially not making the main roster out of training camp, he began the 2019–20 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.[9]

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 Swedish Hockey League (SHL) club, the Malmö Redhawks, for the 2020–21 season. Due to SHL rules, he was ineligible to return to North America until the Redhawks season concluded.[10] In 46 appearances with the foregoing, Veleno contributed with 11 goals and 20 points, before reassignment by Detroit to Grand Rapids on April 10, 2021.[11] Thereafter, Veleno made his NHL debut for the Red Wings in a game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 27.[12] Ten days later, he scored his first career NHL goal on the power play also against the Blue Jackets.[13]

Skating in all but two games with the Red Wings for the 2023–24 season, Veleno proceeded to set career highs in goals (12), assists (16), and points (28). In July 2024, he agreed to a two-year extension with the team.[14]

On March 7, 2025, Veleno was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrázek and Craig Smith. Prior to the transaction, he appeared in 56 games for the Red Wings during the 2024–25 season and recorded five goals and five assists.[15] Veleno increased his offensive output with the Blackhawks and would finish the regular season with three goals and seven points through 18 total games. Despite this, his tenure with the Blackhawks was short lived as he was traded at the conclusion of the season to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for André Burakovsky on June 21, 2025.[16] Veleno was subsequently placed on unconditional waivers by the Kraken who bought out the remaining year of his tenure on June 30.[17]

Entering the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, Veleno agreed to a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens on July 16, 2025.[18]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Finland/Latvia
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Czech Republic
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2017 Czech Republic/Slovakia

Internationally, Veleno first represented Hockey Canada as part of team Canada Black at the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge where his team ultimately finished in last place. Returning again the following year, he would be forced to withdraw from tournament play due to injury.[19][20]

In 2016 and 2017, Veleno was named to the national under-18 team for the annual Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, capturing a gold medal at the latter iteration.[21][22] He then served as an alternate captain for the national under-18 team at the IIHF World U18 Championships in April 2018.[23]

After failing to secure a podium finish with the national junior team at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships,[24] Veleno would play an integral role in his country's gold medal win in 2020.[25][26]

In May 2023, he made his national senior team debut at the IIHF World Championship.[27] During a preliminary round match against Switzerland, Veleno infamously stamped on the calf of opposing forward Nino Niederreiter with his skate blade amidst a puck battle.[28] Although not initially assessed a penalty by game officials, he would be subject to a disciplinary hearing resulting in a five-game suspension.[29]

Personal life

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Born in Kirkland, Quebec,[30] Veleno is of Italian descent.[31] His favourite team growing up was the Washington Capitals whereas his favourite player was Alexander Ovechkin.[32] In addition to hockey, Veleno also played soccer and lacrosse as a child.[33] A multilingual, he is fluent in English, French, and Italian.[34]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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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 — — — — —
2020–21 Malmö Redhawks SHL 46 11 9 20 20 — — — — —
2020–21 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 4 1 2 3 4 — — — — —
2020–21 Detroit Red Wings NHL 5 1 0 1 4 — — — — —
2021–22 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 11 6 4 10 4 — — — — —
2021–22 Detroit Red Wings NHL 66 8 7 15 22 — — — — —
2022–23 Detroit Red Wings NHL 81 9 11 20 30 — — — — —
2023–24 Detroit Red Wings NHL 80 12 16 28 25 — — — — —
2024–25 Detroit Red Wings NHL 56 5 5 10 13 — — — — —
2024–25 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 18 3 4 7 4 — — — — —
SHL totals 46 11 9 20 20 — — — — —
NHL totals 306 38 43 81 98 — — — — —

International

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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 1st place, gold medalist(s) 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 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 1 5 6 8
2023 Canada WC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5 2 3 5 2
Junior totals 29 4 22 26 24
Senior totals 5 2 3 5 2

Awards and honours

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Award Year Ref
QMJHL
President's Cup champion 2017 [35]
First All-Star Team 2019 [36]
CHL
CHL Canada/Russia Series 2017, 2018 [37][38]
CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game 2018 [39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Sanderson, Mike (June 5, 2015). "2015 QMJHL Draft Preview: Veleno declared exceptional status, likely to be taken first". Yahoo! Sports.
  2. ^ "Saint John Sea Dogs take Joseph Veleno 1st overall at QMJHL draft". CBC News. June 7, 2015.
  3. ^ "'Exceptional' player: Sea Dogs centre Veleno is QMJHL's first underager". The Guardian. September 23, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "Saint John Sea Dogs trade Joe Veleno to Drummondville". Sportsnet.ca. December 8, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  5. ^ Sanderson, Michael (April 1, 2018). "QMJHL: Joe Veleno (2018 Draft Eligible)". McKeen's Hockey. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  6. ^ Thompson, Ash (June 25, 2018). "Detroit Red Wings Draft Pick: Joe Veleno". FanSided. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  7. ^ Kennedy, Ryan (July 31, 2019). "Canada's Joe Veleno has seen a lot during his young career". The Hockey News. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  8. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (May 1, 2019). "Red Wings sign 2018 first-round pick Joe Veleno". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via NHL.com.
  9. ^ Khan, Ansar (September 28, 2019). "Red Wings assign Zadina, Veleno, Svechnikov, others to Grand Rapids". MLive. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Khan, Ansar (October 6, 2020). "Red Wings' prospect Joe Veleno loaned to Swedish club for 2020-21 season". MLive. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  11. ^ Bartkowiak Jr., Dave (April 10, 2021). "Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno is returning to Grand Rapids after SHL season ends". WDIV-TV. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  12. ^ St. James, Helene (April 27, 2021). "Detroit Red Wings drop Joe Veleno's debut, 1-0 (SO), to Columbus in goalie duel". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  13. ^ @DetroitRedWings (May 7, 2021). "Not a bad first. #LGRW @jveleno91" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ Roth, Thomas (July 20, 2024). "Red Wings re-sign Joe Veleno to two-year contract". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved July 18, 2025 – via NHL.com.
  15. ^ "RELEASE: Blackhawks Acquire Joe Veleno from Red Wings". Chicago Blackhawks. March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025 – via NHL.com.
  16. ^ "Kraken deal Burakovsky to Blackhawks for Veleno". TSN.ca. June 21, 2025. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  17. ^ "Kraken's Veleno and Lightning's Sheary to be bought out after clearing waivers". Sportsnet.ca. June 30, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  18. ^ "One-year contract for Joe Veleno". Montreal Canadiens. July 16, 2025. Retrieved July 16, 2025 – via NHL.com.
  19. ^ "VELENO TO RETURN TO WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE". Saint John Sea Dogs. October 12, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2025 – via CHL.ca.
  20. ^ "VELENO WITHDRAWS FROM WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE DUE TO INJURY". Saint John Sea Dogs. October 25, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2025 – via CHL.ca.
  21. ^ La Rose, Jason (August 9, 2017). "Back to Bratislava". Hockey Canada. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  22. ^ "Canada cruises past Czechs to win gold at Ivan Hlinka tournament". Sportsnet.ca. August 12, 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  23. ^ "Canada announces captains for 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship". Hockey Canada. April 20, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  24. ^ "Canada looking for redemption against Finland in semifinals of WJC". Sportsnet.ca. January 3, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  25. ^ Masters, Mark (December 20, 2019). "Veleno brings pro mentality to Team Canada". TSN.ca. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  26. ^ Clipperton, Joshua (January 5, 2020). "Canada captures world junior gold after furious rally stuns Russia". CBC Sports. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  27. ^ Streitel, Andrew (May 12, 2023). "Seven Griffins Featured at World Championship". Grand Rapids Griffins. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  28. ^ "Canada's Veleno appears to stomp on Niederreiter at World Championship". TSN.ca. May 20, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  29. ^ "Canada's Joe Veleno Suspended". International Ice Hockey Federation. May 21, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  30. ^ Whitaker, Michael (July 17, 2025). "Former Red Wings Round 1 Pick Joe Veleno Officially Goes Home to Montreal". The Hockey News. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  31. ^ Detroit Red Wings (January 18, 2023). "Joe Veleno Answers Questions Submitted By Fans". Retrieved July 17, 2025 – via YouTube.
  32. ^ Cowan, Stu (May 18, 2017). "Kirkland phenom Joe Veleno shows polish on way to Memorial Cup". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  33. ^ Cleves, Randy (November 29, 2019). "Takin' Care of Business". Grand Rapids Griffins. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  34. ^ Lomon, Chris (October 27, 2023). "Veleno eager for return to familiar surroundings with 2023 Global Series". National Hockey League Players' Association. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  35. ^ Wheeler, Scott (June 23, 2018). "Beyond 'exceptional status': How top 2018 NHL draft prospect Joseph Veleno shed the burden of his moniker". The Athletic. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  36. ^ Brien, David (April 3, 2019). "The 2019 Golden Puck Awards: A night that will never be forgotten!". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Retrieved July 16, 2025 – via CHL.ca.
  37. ^ "Team QMJHL Roster for 2017 CIBC Canada Russia Series". Canadian Hockey League. October 19, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2025 – via CHL.ca.
  38. ^ Brien, David (October 17, 2018). "Team QMJHL Roster for 2018 CIBC Canada Russia Series Unveiled". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Retrieved July 16, 2025 – via CHL.ca.
  39. ^ Brien, David (December 13, 2017). "15 QMJHL players to play at the 2018 Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Retrieved July 16, 2025 – via CHL.ca.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick
2018 		Succeeded by
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