DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec — It’s after noon on a snowy day, and Joe Veleno answers the door.



Hockey practice has been canceled. The two-hour block when he and his English-speaking teammates take classes online was called off. His billet roommate, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nic Beaudin, has left the house. On the kitchen table is a mostly finished plate of toast and eggs, which Veleno will soon polish off. “That’s mostly how it is every morning,” he says of the breakfast.



He’s still learning to cook a full menu, but he can do some of the basics. He’s got pasta down. Steak and chicken are in the bag. This summer, he says, he plans to perfect the skill. It’s one of a number of things he’ll have to square away, as he gets set to make his run for a Red Wings roster spot — or, perhaps more likely, an AHL job — in September.



Right now, though, he’s not letting himself think that far ahead. Because...