Joe Veleno and Kristina Provost were classmates from kindergarten through Grade 6 at East Hill Elementary School in Rivière-des-Prairies.
On Monday, they were reunited as the Canadiens forward visited the school he attended in Montreal’s East End to chat with students and teachers.
“It’s very exciting because I remember back in elementary school he was very into hockey,” said Provost, who now teaches Grade 4 at the school. “He was like the hockey guy. And now he plays for our city’s team, which is very cool.
“My students, since the beginning of the year, have been talking about Joseph Veleno playing for the Canadiens, saying, ‘He’s my favourite player,’ ” Provost added. “So I sent him a letter — I’m not sure if he got it — to invite him here. So they’re very excited that he’s here now.”
Veleno is enjoying the Olympic break in the NHL schedule and spent last week in the Caribbean, soaking in some sunshine with a few of his Montreal friends and teammate Jakub Dobes. The Canadiens players not taking part in the Olympics will hold their first practice of the break at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. They don’t play again until Feb. 26, when the New York Islanders will visit the Bell Centre.
“We had time to relax and have some fun and take a little bit of time and rest our minds a little bit and our bodies from all the hockey we’ve been playing recently,” Veleno said. “With the travel and how hard an 82-game schedule is — especially when it’s really condensed — you play through a lot of bumps and bruises and sometimes injuries. From a mental standpoint, just not having to think about going to the rink or being on a tight schedule as much … it was nice to be free and do as you wish. I think it was much needed.”
On Monday morning, memories of his youth came flooding back as Veleno drove to the East End, including the steep hill leading up to East Hill Elementary School.
“I haven’t been here in a while, but driving up the hill, coming up to the school, it brings back a lot of memories … seeing some familiar faces, teachers,” he said. “It always feels good to come back to where it all started. It feels special.”
Veleno’s family lived on Lorenzo-Prince Ave. in Rivière-des-Prairies. He stood out as a young hockey player and was rated the top peewee player in Quebec by the Journal de Montréal. His parents — Tony and Lina — decided the family would leave Rivière-des-Prairies after he graduated from Grade 6 and move to Kirkland so Veleno could be part of the highly respected Lac St. Louis minor hockey organization on Montreal’s West Island.
“When you’re young, you don’t really appreciate how much your parents are doing for you at the time,” Veleno said. “It wasn’t just me … it was my brother and my sister, too. A lot of sacrifice for them. But it all paid off, and I think we’re all very proud of what the outcome resulted in.”
Veleno attended St. Thomas High School in Pointe-Claire for Grades 7-9 before becoming the first and only Quebecer granted exceptional player status to join the major-junior ranks as a 15-year-old. He was selected by the Saint John Sea Dogs with the No. 1 overall pick at the 2015 QMJHL draft and attended St. Malachy’s High School while playing for the Sea Dogs before finishing his junior career with the Drummondville Voltigeurs and getting selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round (30th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes — who has known Veleno since he was 14 and helped him gain exceptional-player status as his agent, along with Philippe Lecavalier — brought the 26-year-old forward back to Montreal last summer as a free agent. In 49 games this season in a checking role, Veleno has 2-2-4 totals.
Not surprisingly, Veleno said his favourite class in elementary school was gym and he remembers playing a game called knee hockey at lunch time.
“Apparently it’s still around … is that true?” he asked the East Hill Elementary School students gathered in the gym to meet him.
They replied yes.
“I might have created that game, just letting you guys know,” Veleno said.
Veleno’s favourite Canadiens player as a kid was Max Pacioretty, who he now looks very much like.
“I wish I could go back and be a kid sometimes,” Veleno told the students in the gym. “Just have fun, listen to your teachers, your parents. They’ll only steer you in the right direction and give you good advice.
“It’s an honour and super-grateful to be able to come back here and to play for the Montreal Canadiens has always been a dream,” he added. “Without the help of the community and the school and the friends that I made and the relationships that I built, it wouldn’t be possible and this moment wouldn’t be as special. I hope one of you guys can maybe live that dream one day. Listen to your teachers, be a good student, and a lot of good things can happen.”
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