Cowan: Canadiens’ Joe Veleno dishes out bangs for the buck
Joe Veleno is hoping to play in his first NHL playoff game this season with the Canadiens.
While the Canadiens have already clinched a playoff spot, there’s no guarantee Veleno will be in the lineup when the post-season starts. The Montreal native started this season as an extra forward and had been a healthy scratch 19 times before the Canadiens faced the Florida Panthers Tuesday at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS).
Veleno was selected by Detroit in the first round (30th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft, and the Red Wings missed the playoffs in each of the five years he played for them before being dealt to Chicago at last year’s NHL trade deadline, with the Blackhawks also missing the playoffs.
“It’s going to be pretty crazy,” Veleno said about playoff games at the Bell Centre. “I’ve always got to watch them on TV because I was always back (home) in time and never got to play in the playoffs. Last year, I was home in Montreal, and I would always meet up with my buddies and watch the Habs games. I think the whole city gets behind them, and at the rink, it’s just a great atmosphere. The city comes alive, and I’m really excited to be in that situation for the first time in Montreal.”
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes signed the 26-year-old Veleno to a one-year, US$900,00 contract last summer as a free agent, and the 6-foot-1, 201-pound forward has provided a lot of bang for the buck. Veleno has good size and speed, can play centre or wing, can kill penalties and before Tuesday’s game ranked third on the Canadiens in hits with 149, trailing Arber Xhekaj (162) and Zachary Bolduc (160).
It’s impressive how every time Veleno gets an opportunity to finish a check, he does — and he does it cleanly, with only 17 penalty minutes.
It’s something he takes pride in and it could also make him a valuable player in the playoffs.
“Every time I have an opportunity to hit someone, I feel like it’s going to pay off,” said Veleno, who has 2-2-4 totals in 58 games while averaging 12:07 of ice time. “I feel our team, in general, we’re kind of lacking that a little bit up front, and I just try to bring that energy and bring that physicality. I’m more than capable of doing it, so I think it’s just an added quality that I can bring. The boys love it. Anyone who finishes hits, the boys are always rallying behind you. Just bringing that energy and physicality has been a big spark for me.”
Being a fourth-line energy player isn’t what Veleno was expecting after becoming the only Quebecer ever granted exceptional-player status to play major-junior hockey at age 15 and being the first overall pick by the Saint John Sea Dogs at the 2015 QMJHL Draft before being selected by the Red Wings. But it’s a role he has learned to embrace this season.
“I figured out that I had a harder time at the NHL level with my skill set,” he said. “Not saying I don’t have any skill, but compared with the elite of the elite, I just thought that maybe I’m not going to come into a game and try to ease my way with my skill and figure I’d be successful.
“With the opportunity that was given to me in the bottom six, I figured OK, I’d start off with being responsible and then adding some little details into my game that would earn the coach’s trust,” Veleno added. “Now, it’s just become being physical and being hard to play against is kind of what I’m aiming for, and being a responsible two-way player and hopefully some offensive contribution can kick in. That’s the kind of player I want to become.”
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis appreciates what Veleno has become this season.
“He’s played with some jam and he’s played with a lot of details defensively,” St. Louis said. “He’s been very noticeable, disruptive, and he’s been really good.
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“I think he’s had a really good year in terms of, I wouldn’t say recreating himself, but probably having a switch in how he sees his game to have an impact and be in the lineup,” the coach added. “Being a high draft pick in Detroit, probably came in as an offensive player and stuff, and I feel like he walked in here and realized those chairs are taken. ‘How can I be valuable to a team?’ And I feel like he’s had an understanding of what kind of identity he needs to grab right now, and he’s done that — and he’s done that with an unbelievable attitude. And that’s why some of these guys extend their careers, have long careers, because they have awareness of what’s going on and how they need to adapt and he’s done that.
“I feel like I know exactly what I’m getting when he comes in. For a coach, that you can trust players like that and they can fill a role, it’s a plus.”
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