Stephane Veilleux plopped down at a local Caribou Coffee last week and the memories of his near decade-long career with the Minnesota Wild came flooding back.

He smiled when he talked about getting picked in the third round of the 2001 NHL Draft. That smile grew as he described his first career goal, which he proudly noted came against legendary goaltender Patrick Roy. He also made sure to mention how loud the Xcel Energy Center used to get during the playoffs.

“Those types of moments are definitely going to stay with me forever,” said Veilleux, who became a fan favorite around the Twin Cities thanks to the energy he brought every night.

Perhaps his most vivid memory with the Wild, however, is his last with the organization. That came after the 2014-15 season when Veilleux learned the Wild would not be re-signing him.

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Knowing he wasn’t going to play on the Wild the following season, Veilleux, a survivalist that scratched and clawed his way to a 506-game NHL career, wasn’t close to being ready to hang up the skates.

His agent Ben Hankinson knew that, as well, and after combing through various options, he presented Veilleux with a unique opportunity: a contract with the Oji Eagles of the Asia League.

Founded nearly 15 years ago, the Asia League as it currently stands is comprised of eight teams: four teams from Japan, three from South Korea and one from Russia.

“I never even knew that there were teams over there,” Veilleux said. “I sat down with my wife and she knew I still wanted to play and continue my passion so I decided to sign there.”

Two years later, he’s still playing. He returned to Japan last weekend to prep for his third season with the Oji Eagles. His wife, Amy, and two children, 5-year-old Raphael and 3-year-old Viviane, will join him in Japan in a couple of months. That means a lot of FaceTime until then.

“We had no idea that there even was a league over there a couple years ago,” said Amy Veilleux, who is from Hudson, Wis. “I remember sitting down and talking about it and it was like, ‘We might as well take advantage of this opportunity.’ I’m so glad we did.”

LIFE ABROAD

Veilleux stepped off the plane in Japan a couple years not knowing a lick of the language. Suddenly he was transported back to his days as a 20-year-old with the Wild.

“It was kind of like when I got drafted,” said Veilleux, who grew up speaking French in Saint-Georges, Quebec. “I couldn’t speak English back then so it took some time getting used to in the beginning. It was the same not being able to speak Japanese. It was definitely really interesting having a translator around 24 hours a day and being on the other side of the world trying to figure things out.”

Veilleux and his family live in Tomakomai, a small city on the northernmost island of Japan. He said he feels fortunate that his family is able to share this experience with him.

“I don’t think playing in Japan would be an option if my family couldn’t be out there with me,” Veilleux said. “That would be really tough.”

Veilleux added that it helps that his kids are young enough to bring them along for the ride.

“It’s not like we’re taking them out of school or something like that,” Veilleux said. “It would be a lot harder if they were 10 years old or older. They are having a blast right now. It’s nice that we have some years to enjoy it as a family.”

“It’s been great,” Amy Veilleux added. “It’s kind of funny, too, because even though we only know a few words, our kids have actually picked up some of the language on their own. They know basic things like ‘Konnichiwa’ and ‘Arigato’ from playing with other kids at the playground.”

As far as navigating the language barrier himself, Veilleux has learned a handful of phrases that help him get by in a pinch. That said, he always takes comfort in going to the rink because “everyone speaks the same language” when the game is being played.

“It’s a good league,” said Veilleux, who has 72 points (25 goals, 47 assists) in two seasons with the Oji Eagles. “There is no place where this game is easy. It’s not like I played in the NHL so I go over there and things are easy. It doesn’t work that way. You still have to battle and play hard to make things happen.”

MEMORY LANE

Veilleux played 428 games with the Wild and, while his 11-year NHL career also featured short stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning (77 games in 2009-10) and the New Jersey Devils (1 game in 2011-12), there’s no doubt which team he most identifies with now that his NHL career is over.

“It was unbelievable,” Veilleux said of his time with the Wild. “I couldn’t be more thankful for it.”

The Veilleux family still resides in St. Paul and eventually plan to settle down for good in a Twin Cities suburb. He watches as many Wild games as he can from afar.

“I’m still a fan,” Veilleux said. “That will never go away.”

Veilleux has an added rooting interest in the Wild now that two of his former teammates — assistant general manager Andrew Brunette and director of player development Brad Bombardir — hold positions in the front office.

Neither is surprised that Veilleux is still pursuing his passion.

“He has always loved to play the game,” Brunette said. “He always has a smile on his face whether he’s playing 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 or whatever. He works hard even when he’s playing shinny in the summer.”

“I’m not surprised at all,” Bombardir added. “It’s a testament to him. I know when I was done playing, I was done playing. It’s definitely a reflection on Steph that he wants to continue to do this year after year.”

Asked about the most-vivid memory of Veilleux as a teammate, Brunette and Bombardir picked the same one.

“That time he went around the world and scored against (the Washington Capitals),” Brunette said. “We always teased him about beating guys 1-on-1. He was always told in his role to chip the puck in. He actually pulled it off in a game, and it’s a good thing he did because he probably would’ve been back in the AHL if he missed it.”

“Yeah, I remember that,” Bombardir added with a laugh. “I thought he was going to score 50 goals after seeing that. He took the puck and went 1-on-1 with the defenseman and made him look like a fool.”

Veilleux, of course, was never a goal-scorer. The most he ever scored in a season was 13 in 2008-09.

“Yeah, they still bug me about that goal,” Veilleux said. “It was a highlight-reel goal, for sure, and especially because I wasn’t really a goal-scorer in my career.”

THE NEXT STEP

Veilleux doesn’t know how much longer he’ll keep playing, though it might be easier for someone to rip the jersey off his back than for him to give it up.

“Obviously I’ll have to move on and do something else at some point,” he conceded. “I’m definitely not ready to do that yet. I’ve had a lot of advice and people have told me I should play as long as I can. As of right now I’m still really enjoying the experience.”

His season with the Oji Eagles starts in September. It will be a condensed, 28-game schedule because of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. That will give him essentially two months off in the middle of the season, which in turn, could preserve his body to play another season down the road.

Veilleux said he plans to reevaluate retirement on a year-to-year basis for the remainder of his playing career. When he hangs up the skates for good, he wants to stay in the sport in some capacity.

“I would really enjoy that,” he said. “It’s my true passion. It’s what I know. If an opportunity ever presented itself I would definitely look into it. I really want to give back. I want to share the experiences that I’ve been through.”

“He will definitely have to do something within the sport,” Amy Veilleux added. “He would not last one week sitting behind a desk.”

In the meantime, Veilleux will continue to play, making new memories along the way.

“To be able to keep playing in Japan and getting paid to do what I love is amazing,” Veilleux added. “As long as I’m having a good time, I’ll keep playing,”