'Sky's the limit' for Sea Dogs star Joseph Veleno

Joseph Veleno grew up in his Montreal neighbourhood surrounded by family. Right next door were his older cousins – Michael and Anthony Buonincontri – who he’d watch play hockey when he was a kid. And, when Veleno was old enough, he and his older brother Michael-Anthony would join them in various games: soccer, mini-sticks, street hockey, and all the other Canadian childhood staples.

It was always Veleno, the youngest, paired with his cousin Michael, the second oldest. Even within the tight knit family, the two always shared a special sporting bond. The competition was always intense and Veleno wasn’t always the most gracious in defeat.

“When we’d be losing in a soccer game he’d be so upset that sometimes he’d cry because he was so young,” says Michael Buonincontri on the phone from France where he plays pro hockey. “He was determined to win. I don’t think it would make him cry anymore, but when he was younger he’d definitely take it to heart.”

The Buonincontri’s father, Frank, coached Veleno in minor hockey for two years. At that point Michael had already moved away from home to pursue his own career in the sport, though he’d always watch Veleno play whenever he was in town.

“I just remember him being a dominant force out there,” says Buonincontri of seeing his cousin in Atom hockey. “He was by far the best player in the country at his age. It was like he was born to be a hockey player – everything was natural.”

Veleno is only 16 now, but his childhood might as well be a lifetime ago. At 15 he was granted exceptional status to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – the first player to do so in the league. He was drafted first-overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2015. The Ontario Hockey League is the only other league to have had exceptions with future NHL stars like Connor McDavid, John Tavares, and Aaron Ekblad. Being in that kind of rarefied company means Veleno’s life has become a constant barrage of interviews, autographs, glad-handing, and, of course, the regular rigors of junior hockey.

For many there’s an expectation for Veleno to live up to the label. He knows that every sentence and every skating stride will parsed by peers, fans, the media, and scouts.

“It is extra pressure but at the same time I have to handle it and get used to it because there’s probably going to be something worse than that in the future,” says Veleno.

Tim Roszell, the Sea Dogs manager of media and communications, says it’s not uncommon for Veleno to sometimes do two or three media hits a day – a surprising increase from last season when he was the new curio on display. Veleno says he doesn’t mind doing interviews because he knows he’ll be doing them for years to come – so he might as well get used to it now.

What Veleno does miss, at times, is having the life of a regular teenager.

“My life before the (QMJHL) was just a regular 14 or 15-year-old,” says the 6-foot-1 centre. “I went to school full-time, I could hang out with my friends and go see a movie at night. A lot of more free time away from the rink. Now it’s just become like a business almost, but you can still have some fun. I’m still hanging out with teammates and going to dinner and all that stuff. A lot has changed.

“You just realize that it’s becoming more and more of a job.”

A job that will only become more taxing the closer he gets to the 2018 NHL draft, for which he has first-overall potential. In his rookie season he scored 13 goals and added 30 assists in 62 games and rarely looked out of place despite playing against older opponents.

"His hockey sense just stands out like a sore thumb,” Dan Marr, NHL Director of Central Scouting told NHL.com. “The vision and the poise and the composure … he plays like a veteran out there. But he doesn't have swag. He has savviness to his game. He's got that finesse and that touch when you need it, but he also has that inner drive and compete that stands out in a game where he's not going to be denied on the play. 

"If he doesn't get it on the first try, he's going to find a way to get it done the second time."

In Saint John this year he had one goal and six assists in nine games before a lower body injury sidelined him from team and an opportunity to represent Canada a second time at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Coming into the 2016-17 season Veleno says he was more confident knowing what to expect from other teams and players. He’s also bulked up, gaining 10 pounds in the off-season.

“A lot of guys were bigger and stronger than I was,” says Veleno of his rookie campaign. “I really worked on that a lot this summer – getting stronger and putting on some more pounds to help with

being bigger on the ice.”

The Sea Dogs are third in the QMJHL standings (9-4-1-0) and they’re getting scoring from a number of players, meaning there’s no external pressure on Veleno to be the team’s savior.

“Usually when you’re drafted that high you’re going to a team that’s rebuilding for the future,” says Sea Dogs teammate Bokondji Imama. “He’s already on a good team that’s going to win this year so he’s going to gain a lot of experience.”

Imama met Veleno in the summer just prior to the QMJHL draft when they were working out at the same Montreal gym. Imama – in his fifth and final year of junior eligibility – says he was impressed with Veleno’s humility and work ethic with nary a hint of cockiness.

“He’s really grounded,” says the 20-year-old. “He’s aware of the potential and the impact that he has as a (now) 16-year-old. He deals pretty well with the pressure. He’s a good teammate.

“He conducts himself like an 18-year-old veteran.”

Imama, a sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015, sees one of his roles as being team protector. Last season he made good on it by jumping off the Sea Dogs bench to defend Veleno after the young star had been bumped from behind into the boards by Halifax veteran Kelly Bent. Bent and Veleno exchanged gloved punches, though the Mooseheads forward manhandled the youngster before officials broke it up. Imama was suspended 15 games by the league and a firestorm over fighting in hockey ensued because of Veleno’s age.

Despite the repercussions Imama wants the opposition to know he’d do it again if anyone takes a run at their baby-faced star.

“I would stick up for him any time,” says Imama. “Obviously I would try to do it in different way this time to avoid a 15 game suspension, but for Joe Veleno or any one of my teammates, if someone tried to take advantage of my teammates I would stick up for them.

“He’s young, so for sure I’m looking out for him.”

To be sure there are number of people who have Veleno’s back while he navigates his path to the NHL. Even Buonincontri, 22, keeps tabs on his cousin from France by watching or listening to games on the internet and checking the boxscores while he’s on the bus traveling with his team the Caen Drakkars.

“He can’t change anything; he has to continue being himself,” says Buonincontri. “Everyone’s here and everyone is supporting him.

“The sky’s the limit for him."