The Week That Was – Exceptional Talents
Each week, CHL.ca goes coast to coast to highlight the top stories from around the league.
Wright back at it
There were no signs of rust from the exceptional Shane Wright.
Skating in his first competitive contest in more than a calendar year, the budding Kingston Frontenacs superstar pocketed a hat-trick in Tuesday’s 12-1 final versus Sweden to help Canada find the win column in its tournament opener at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.
Entering the showcase, the 17-year-old Burlington, Ont., native was named captain of the Canadian squad, with Mason McTavish of the Peterborough Petes and Logan Stankoven of the Kamloops Blazers also serving as alternates.
Shane Wright (@shane_wright51) of the @KingstonFronts led the way with a hat trick as five #OHL players logged multi-point outputs in a 12-1 tournament-opening win for Canada 🇨🇦 at the #U18Worlds in Texas.
RECAP 📰: https://t.co/tTRHjlN5fX pic.twitter.com/0qMcAtHsPV
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) April 28, 2021
“We trust (Wright) to play two-way hockey and make responsible plays. That is a big sell that we have been asking the whole team to do and he epitomizes it,” Team Canada head coach Dave Barr said postgame. “He is great on the bench for a guy who is younger than the vast majority of our players. He demands that the bench play the right way, the way that we want to play to help us win a game.
“He scored three tonight, and I hate to say ‘the right way’, but he wasn’t cheating, he was just in the right spot at the right time, making good plays. He has such a wicked shot that it was hard on the goalie for sure.”
The early favourite for first-overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, Wright returns to the ice following the 2019-20 OHL campaign in which he led the Frontenacs with 66 points in 58 games, set a new franchise record for goals by a freshmen with 39 tallies – while also challenging other accomplishments set by fellow exceptional talents like John Tavares and Connor McDavid – and was later recognized as the CHL Rookie of the Year.
Wright and his Canadian teammates will now look to keep up their winning ways Wednesday against Latvia.
Bedard debuts with Canada
Tuesday’s tournament opener for Canada at the 2021 IIHF Under-18 World Championship was truly exceptional.
Beyond Wright, 15-year-old rookie Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats made his debut on the international stage with the Great White North, and as just the third double-underager for Canada in event history, joining the likes of Tavares and McDavid.
The first-ever player to be granted early admission into the WHL, Bedard made a lasting impression in his premiere season with Regina in notching an astounding 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points in only 15 appearances to not only lead the Pats in scoring but stand atop the entire circuit at the time of his departure for the Under-18s.
One stayed home, one went to Sweden.
One didn't play this season, one posted 28 points in 15 games.
Arriving prepared in Texas required extraordinary – and very different – adjustments for Shane Wright and Connor Bedard. 🇨🇦#U18Worlds | @OHFHockey | @BCHockey_Source
— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) April 28, 2021
“It is not an easy league. It is a lot of bigger guys, faster guys, stronger guys, and not what you are used to playing against, so it is different,” Bedard recently told Junior Hockey Magazine. “Coming in, my coach and all my teammates instilled a lot of confidence in me and I knew that I was going to be free to make mistakes. I didn’t have to play nervous or worry about getting ice time. I think that really helped me a lot and that made the transition a lot smoother.”
And just as he did with the Pats this season, Bedard found his way on to the scoresheet Tuesday, drawing an assist on a first-period goal by Oshawa Generals forward Brett Harrison.
A native of North Vancouver, B.C., Bedard competed with the under-18 West Vancouver Academy last season, dominating to the tune of a team-leading 84 points counting 43 goals and 41 assists across 36 games. And it is those sort of otherworldly offensive instincts that make the teenage phenomenon the must-see attraction ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Veleno realizes NHL dream
Good things come in threes, making Tuesday night memorable for one more reason.
Making his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings, a longtime dream became a reality for QMJHL graduate Joe Veleno who pulled on the Winged Wheel for the first time, seeing nearly 15 minutes of ice time and recording two shots in a 1-0 shootout decision versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“He was strong on the puck, strong on his stick, played a 200-foot game, had some opportunities,” Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill told Ansar Khan of Michigan Live postgame. “I thought he played a good hockey game. He looked like a guy who has played two years pro and was ready for the opportunity to skate in the NHL. His strength really showed. He got a decent amount of ice time and he earned it.”
A night I will certainly not forget! Wish my family and friends could have made it to the game, but they were cheering me on from back home! Very grateful to have their support behind me. https://t.co/5JgwKX0eQh
— Joseph veleno (@jveleno91) April 28, 2021
A first-round selection by the Red Wings in the 2018 NHL Draft, Veleno is skating in his second pro season after spending last year with the Grand Rapids Griffins – the Red Wings’ top minor-league affiliate – and following a four-year QMJHL run that counted 230 career contests split between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Drummondville Voltigeurs.
“I want to play the game right. Guys are going to help me along the way. I want to help the team win every time I step on the ice,” Veleno added Tuesday per Khan. “I want to be a difference-maker for (the Red Wings), if it is scoring a goal or blocking a shot or whatever it is, I want to be important in all aspects of this game and help this team win.”
The first QMJHL player to earn exceptional status, Veleno debuted with the Sea Dogs in 2015-16 and finished 10th in scoring among league freshmen. The following season, the native of Kirkland, Que., was a key cog in helping Saint John hoist its third President’s Cup as QMJHL playoff champions, while his most dominant campaign in the junior ranks came in his final year with Drummondville in which he netted 104 points over 59 games to finish fourth in league-wide scoring and earn a spot on the QMJHL First All-Star Team.