The Red Wings drafted center Joe Veleno in the first round, 30th overall, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound native of Montreal is one of four Red Wings prospects writing for our Taking Flight blog series, which chronicles the players' ups and downs as they work their way to becoming Red Wings. Veleno currently plays for the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Here is his first blog entry, 'From the Q to the D.'

From the 'Q' to the 'D' - Entry 1

by Joe Veleno

It has been a few months since the NHL draft and I still can't believe how fortunate I was to be drafted by the Red Wings. First of all, it was a real privilege, just walking up on stage and shaking their hands. They're a classy and historic organization. Putting on the jersey, it was just a great feeling and I can still remember that day as if it was yesterday. It's going to be with me for the rest of my life. It was just a great moment, speaking with them and getting to know a bit more of the staff and going in the booth afterwards and meeting former NHL players that are now part of the organization. Talking to them, it was a real pleasure and I just couldn't believe everything was happening. It was a dream come true. I was a pretty happy kid at that time.

But as happy as I was at that moment, everyone seemed to focus on my exceptional status and falling in the first round, but I was never concerned about it. I think I did pretty well throughout my season to go in the first round. It's the draft, you never know what can happen. I'm usually a pretty positive guy. I thought I would be a first-round pick in my mind and I was.

Obviously, my goal is to play on the Red Wings as soon as possible. Next year, I'm going to make that my main goal, to play there next year. I guess it helps a little bit that now the draft year has gone by, all you have to focus on is that next step. You're that close so that's what I'm going to focus on. This year obviously I have to have a big season in Drummondville. I want our team to have success and to go all the way this year and win it all. Once the season is done, during the summer, I'm going to work hard and train to be ready for training camp next year.

I feel pretty confident about competing for a spot on the Red Wings next year because of my experiences at development camp, the prospect tournament, main training camp and my relationship with (Detroit's director of player development) Shawn Horcoff.

Development camp was great. It was my first look at everything and it was another step in the right direction. I think it was a great first week, playing against guys who were pretty much NHL-ready like (Michael) Rasmussen, playing on the big club now. It was nice getting to play with them, knowing them. I think the organization was great. They set up a good schedule for us, learned a lot while I was there and left that camp with a bigger and better expectation and got ready for main camp afterwards.

It was a really good prospects tournament. I think I got the opportunity to play with great players in Rasmussen and Givani Smith. I think we were just playing our own game. I think that's why we had a lot of success. We were working hard, we were sticking to the plan and we built a lot of chemistry throughout that time. I think everything was working well. Once I finished that prospects tournament, I had a pretty good feeling about myself and I was pretty confident going into main camp with all the NHL players. I didn't let that leave me. I stuck with it and I was gaining confidence even during the main camp. It led into some preseason games. I was working hard and got the opportunity to play and I think I did pretty well.

As I said, my main goal was to play in the NHL and I wanted to stick around the main training camp for as long as possible. At the end of the day, it was their decision when to send me back to juniors, but I did a pretty good job and I stuck around there for a bit, played three preseason games. I guess they were really happy with the way I was playing. They still found that I needed some improvement, that I'm not quite there at the next level yet. They gave me some things to work on back in junior, to focus on a lot because at the next level, those things are going to be really important and right now, I'm in Drummondville working on those things -- practices, games -- looking at ways where I can be better in those areas and eventually stick with me next year.

Shawn Horcoff is the guy that I speak to and the guy who watches my games and who gives me feedback about them. He's the person where if I have something to tell him or need advice or if he needs something to tell me, that he sees in my game that I'm not doing, he'll tell me. He's the guy that I talk to pretty much on a weekly basis, sometimes on a daily basis, just to keep in touch and see how things are going and stuff. I think it's pretty cool to have that around you. I don't think too many teams and players have that, so I'm pretty lucky to have someone like Shawn look after me and watch my games and give me feedback.

It took me a couple games just to get things going again and get things rolling after the Red Wings sent me back. Afterwards, I had a couple talks with my coaches and Shawn. That's when I started keeping in touch with Shawn and he showed me why I was not having a lot of success, more than I should be doing. Afterwards, I got it from there. Once he showed it to me, I understood and took it into consideration and started applying it on the ice. Ever since Shawn came down to Drummondville, I've been having a lot of success and my game has changed a tremendous amount.

It's really good, I like it a lot. Shawn tells me as it is. He won't just say 'Good job, good job' to me. If I'm doing something wrong, he's going to mention it. I like that because he sees a lot of potential in me and just wants me to be the best player I can to play in the NHL as soon as possible. He feels like I'm close to that step, there's just a little bit of my game that's missing to translate at the next level. What he's telling me now is going to be really important and that's what's going to make me play in the NHL one day is if I apply those things, if I'm strong defensively, if I back check hard, if I'm tracking hard, if I'm being physical, being intense every shift, my chances of playing in the NHL next year become slightly better just by doing those certain things.

With all the support the Red Wings have given me, I feel I am already part of the team. I follow the Red Wings and try and watch as many games as I can. It's so cool to be so close to the NHL.

In 18 games for the Voltigeurs, Veleno leads his team in scoring with 23 points (11-12-23). He is plus-12 and has scored two power-play goals, three shorthanded goals and four game-winning goals.