Detroit — After the hockey season Joe Veleno had, it’s understandable he’s relishing a little downtime.
Veleno, you’ll recall, was loaned to Malmo in the Swedish Hockey League last autumn while pro leagues in North America were on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and spent the hockey season in Europe.
When the SHL season ended, Veleno hurried back to North America. He was able to make his NHL debut with the Red Wings, then get a few games in with minor league affiliate Grand Rapids.
In all, it was a pretty hectic span of time. So spending most of the summer in his home of Montreal will be a little more special than usual.
“For sure it’s been quite a year, a lot of traveling and a lot of hotels,” Veleno said during his end-of-season Zoom call with the Griffins. “I’m excited to get back home and see my family, friends. I haven’t seen them since the third of October.
“It’ll be nice to spend time with them and see their faces.”
When Veleno has time to sit and reflect on this past season, he’ll do so with a sense of satisfaction.
The Wings’ 2018 first-round pick (along with Filip Zadina that year) reaffirmed the belief in the organization that Veleno could be an important part of the future lineup.
Veleno was able to play five games with the Wings, get his first NHL goal, and showed glimpses of being the productive, responsible two-way center the Wings have envisioned.
“My goal coming back (from Sweden) was to play for the Red wings, suit up for my first NHL game, which I did, and I was fortunate and grateful for that,” Veleno said. “Scoring a goal gave it a little bit of a bonus, but that was also a huge accomplishment and I felt real proud about myself.
“It’s been quite a season. In one year, you don’t see that (playing in different countries, teams, leagues) quite often.”
Veleno felt the time in Sweden was particularly helpful.
The SHL is a respected pro league, emphasizing speed and skill, and it took a while for Veleno to adjust.
As the team struggled, Veleno was switched to wing to trigger more offense and he responded with his best stretch of the season.
Veleno had 11 goals and nine assists in 46 games for Malmo before a mild concussion prematurely ended his season.
“Times weren’t the greatest personally or for our team (Malmo). We struggled a little bit, but it was a good experience,” Veleno said. “I was happy with playing in Malmo and I was real fortunate they were able to bring me in for the season.”
The emphasis on two-way play, making sure the defensive end of the rink is as vital as offense, was further impressed upon Veleno, whose progress in that department was noticed by the Wings.
“Joe had a great year last year in the American Hockey League, and by the end of the season, he was really good at both ends of the rink,” said Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. “He was having a positive impact in the game on the team. He had a really good year as a 19-year-old.
“Then he made the decision to go over and play in Sweden and he did real well. It is a different game, it’s a bigger ice surface. He played a lot, but it further emphasized the point that these guys have to play. Regardless of whether you are in the NHL, the American League, Sweden, Finland, wherever, they are playing and playing a lot and it’s a good thing for them.
“He came back here and played five games with the Red Wings and looked good. I talked to him and he feels really good about it.”
Coach Jeff Blashill also has stressed the importance of being a complete player whom the coaching staff can trust on all 200 feet of the ice.
Veleno’s improvement from a physical strength standpoint — he was noticeably stronger and thicker — and his diligence on the defensive end pleased Blashill.
“These players have to learn to be all-around, 200-foot players if they want to be part of this solution moving forward here to try to build into a team that can win a championship. You can’t win championships without 200-foot players,” Blashill said. “That’s something that we’ve tried to continue to install in our players and it’s going to be critical for Joe.”
In general, Veleno made a good impression in five games.
“He was strong on the puck, strong on his stick, played a 200-foot game, had some opportunities,” Blashill said. “He looked like a guy who’s played two years pro and was ready for the opportunity to skate in the NHL. His strength really showed.”
Given the Wings’ fluid roster situation next season, it would appear Veleno has a good opportunity of beginning the NHL season in October with the Wings.
But Yzerman, as has been his custom, isn’t going to hand over roster spots until the player is ready to thrive in the NHL.
“He has a great attitude and works really hard,” Yzerman said. “Our message to him was you come in next year — it’s the same with all our young guys. If you are ready to play on the team and play a role that helps us win and play significant minutes, you are going to be on the Red Wings.
“If you aren’t beating out the other guys, you’ll be in Grand Rapids playing there. We are very happy with his attitude, his progress and potential going forward. He is a real good young prospect with a great attitude and very driven.”
The experience and progress Veleno earned and showed this season gives him confidence heading into September’s training camp.
“I got to play some pretty good minutes (in Detroit),” Veleno said. “Trusted in all areas of the ice, so it really boosted my confidence. I had a little taste of it and what those NHL games are like and what to bring to the table day in and day out. It was good to have that experience.
“Confidence is going to be huge going into next year.”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan