"Jeff parlayed his first professional contract into a very successful season with the Barracuda and earned this NHL contract thanks to a mixture of hard-nosed play along with the ability to play a skilled, team-first game," said Wilson. "He has a long track record of proven leadership qualities, having captained his team to the 2018 Memorial Cup and we are excited to watch his continued development with our organization."

Viel, 22, recorded 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists), 94 penalty minutes and 116 shots on goal in his first professional season with the San Jose Barracuda in 2018-19, San Jose's top development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). He finished ranked tied for third among all AHL rookies in penalty minutes, pacing San Jose, and ranked fifth among Barracuda rookies in goals and assists. He was one of just three players to appear in all 68 Barracuda contests, and posted one goal and six penalty minutes in four Calder Cup Playoff games.

In 2017-18, Viel registered 62 points (39 goals, 23 assists), 127 penalty minutes, and a plus-29 rating in 58 regular season games with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (@QMJHL). He ranked first on the Titan in goals and penalty minutes and finished the regular season tied for ninth in the league in goals. In 20 playoff games he paced the Titan in goals (14) and points (23), helping them win the QMJHL Championship, while being named the winner of the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the league's playoff MVP. In four Memorial Cup games, Viel posted 10 points (three goals, seven assists) as the Titan won the CHL's top tournament, and was named to the tournament's All-Star Team.

A captain each of his last two seasons in junior, the 6-foot-1, 202-pound native of Rimouski, Quebec, Canada, skated in 259 QMJHL games over a four-year span with Acadie-Bathurst and the Sherbrooke Phoenix. During the four seasons, he totaled 196 points (115 goals, 81 assists), 499 penalty minutes, and a plus-12 rating.