Inside the Article:
The 2022-23 season for Detroit Red Wings forwards Lucas Raymond and Joe Veleno may be over, but they’re not finished playing just yet. Both players will be representing their respective countries in the upcoming 2023 IIHF World Championship that officially begins on May 12.
Lucas Raymond and Joe Veleno aren’t finished playing in 2023
The tournament will be taking place in Tampere, Finland, and Riga, Latvia. And Raymond will represent Sweden, while Veleno will be playing for Canada.
“There’s always a big honor playing for your national team and your country,” Raymond said. “I feel really good and I’m very excited and I want to keep playing.”
Like Raymond, Veleno talked about the feeling of honor that he gets representing his homeland on the international stage.
“There’s plenty of great Canadian players that can be eligible,” Veleno said. “I was really grateful and honored that they thought of me.
“Anytime you get a chance to represent the Maple Leaf for us Canadians, it’s a huge honor…It’s always a pleasure and anytime I can get that opportunity, more often than not I’ll take those tournaments. I think it’ll be a good experience. It’s going to be in a great country. There’s a lot to visit. My family will most likely be coming down and I’ll get to spend time with them. I’m really excited and looking forward to it.”
Joe Veleno on playing for Team Canada
Raymond finished his second NHL season by scoring 45 points in 74 games, while Veleno reached a career-high of 20 points appearing in all but one game.
Red Wings to be well represented in World Championship
In addition to Raymond and Veleno, Red Wings defenseman Olli Maatta plans to represent Finland in the tournament.
General manager Steve Yzerman will be working as Team Canada’s associate general manager, while assistant coach Alex Tanguay will be taking that same role with the team. Additionally, head coach Derek Lalonde will serve as an assistant coach for Team USA. We wish them all the best of luck.
