Detroit Red Wings and Team Canada forward Joe Veleno sent shockwaves through the hockey world on Saturday. He made a very dirty and dangerous play as cameras caught him attempting to stomp on Winnipeg Jets and Team Switzerland forward Nino Niederreiter.
The stomp drew strong reactions from hockey fans on social media. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) undeniably had to discipline Veleno in the wake of the incident. On Sunday, the federation handed down their discipline.
The IIHF has suspended Veleno for five games, the federation announced on Sunday. This essentially takes the 23-year-old Red Wings forward out of the tournament. Though it is unclear whether Veleno would have suited up had a lesser suspension been given.
“I have been notified of the five-game suspension imposed by the IIHF for my actions in our game against Switzerland,” Veleno said in a statement released Sunday. “I accept the sanctions from the IIHF and apologize for my actions.”
The stomp, occurring in the second period, took place in a battle for the puck along the boards. Veleno did not receive a penalty on the play. However, Niederreiter received a penalty for going after the 23-year-old Red Wings forward and eventually pushing him to the ice.
This is not Veleno's first suspension from the IIHF. The 23-year-old Red Wings forward sat out one game in 2019 for headbutting a defenseman in a game against Team Russia.
Veleno is a former first-round pick of the Red Wings back in 2018. At the World Championships, the 23-year-old sat second behind Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar in points.
An incident like this is not only dangerous but completely uncalled for. There is certainly a non-zero chance Veleno never puts on a Team Canada sweater after this shocking incident.
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