As he skates in the NHL preseason, Joe Veleno has goals in mind. In fact, he spent much of his summer working on it.

The Detroit Red Wings, selected 30th overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft, has turned pro. There’s no turning back, no returning to junior for him.

It’s time to make his mark alongside the men.

“Last year, I wasn’t ready to play at the next level,” Veleno explained to Mlive.com. “I knew I was going to go back to juniors and get another year there and try to play world juniors and dominate the QMJHL.

“I met all the expectations and now I’m coming into the season, turning pro, no more juniors anymore. Cleaned up a lot of my game defensively and focused a lot on the little details to play in the NHL. We’ll see how it goes.”

Earning his keep began Wednesday for Veleno, as he suited up for his first game of the NHL preseason against the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored seven goals as Detroit won its own NHL rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich. earlier the month but Veleno knows that beating his peer group was expected.

The real tests begin now.

“The confidence is obviously high,” Veleno said. “I had a pretty good tournament but I’ve got to reset myself here. I know it’s a different level. This is like the real stuff, I guess. It all starts tonight.

“It’s a hard league to play in and you gotta work hard for every little bit of it. For some guys, it’s pretty much their jobs. You’re trying to earn a spot on a team, take someone’s job. I guess that’s what it comes down to now. You’re playing in the NHL. You want to play in the best league in the world, so you gotta work for it. I gotta get better every year.”

One aspect he strived to improve this summer was his goal-scoring ability.

“Obviously to shoot more,” he said of what he’s worked on since last year’s NHL camp. “I think that was one thing I wasn’t doing as much in junior a couple of years ago. And then once I was drafted here, they kept telling me to shoot the puck. I worked on my shot in the summer and got stronger. Before, I just kind of shot and hoped it goes in.

Shooting the puck both quicker and harder was on Veleno’s to-do list.
“Just making it quicker,” Veleno said. “On your stick, off your stick. I guess accuracy obviously and just the strength of it. I’m working on forearm strength and shooting pucks constantly on the ice. It helps translate in the game.”

Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer

Join the Discussion: » 3 Comments » Post New Comment

» Five of Last Six First Rounders To Start Season In AHL

» Zadina, Veleno sent down

» Opening-Night Roster Not Set In Stone

» Back Where Pro Hockey Started

» Abdelkader Looking To Bounce Back