**Red Wings Sign Joe Veleno to 2-Year Contract**
On July 20, 2024, the Detroit Red Wings announced that restricted free agent forward Joe Veleno had agreed to a two-year, $4.55 million contract. Veleno, who is 24 years old, filed for salary arbitration earlier in the month, on July 5. Last season, he contributed 28 points, comprising 12 goals and 16 assists, while appearing in 80 games. During that season, he played on a one-year contract worth $825,000. Veleno has accumulated a total of 64 points (30 goals, 34 assists) over 232 career NHL games since being drafted by the Red Wings as the 30th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
**Roberto Luongo Joins Beer League Hockey Team, Making Waves in South Florida**
In a surprising and memorable moment, Roberto Luongo, a Hockey Hall of Famer and former NHL goaltender, stepped in to play for a local South Florida beer league team. The Beer League Leafs, a 40-and-over adult hockey team, found themselves in a tight spot during their semifinal playoff game on August 15, 2024. With their regular goaltender unavailable, the team was left unsure who would take on the crucial role between the pipes.
To their astonishment, Luongo, a celebrated goaltender with 19 seasons in the NHL and 1,044 regular-season games under his belt, stepped into the locker room. Now a special advisor with the Florida Panthers, Luongo’s unexpected appearance gave the team a significant morale boost. Leafs captain Brad Bargman described the moment as surreal, saying it felt like his prayers had been answered. Luongo’s presence injected hope and excitement into the locker room ahead of their high-stakes game.
While news of Luongo’s beer league appearance didn’t break until weeks later, the story gained traction after a video of his locker room entrance went viral. When asked for comment by ESPN, Luongo downplayed the event, calling it an “urban legend” and suggesting it was best left as a fun story. According to Zach Randolph, the adult hockey coordinator at the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs, the situation was more straightforward than rumors suggested. Luongo happened to be at the rink during the Beer League Leafs’ practice and volunteered to play when the team found themselves in desperate need of a goalie.
Luongo’s casual involvement in local hockey comes as no surprise in South Florida, where Panthers players and alumni frequently visit the IceDen. It’s not unusual for current and former NHL players to stop by the facility, especially as many of their children are involved in youth hockey programs. However, having a Hall of Famer suit up for a beer league playoff game is a rarer occurrence. Randolph commented that while Panthers players have occasionally made appearances at the rink, it’s uncommon for them to participate in recreational leagues.
Brad Bargman, who has a personal connection to Luongo, was particularly thrilled. He had coached Luongo’s son, Gianni, and Luongo now coaches Bargman’s son, Bryce. Despite their friendship, Bargman had never dared ask Luongo to play for his team, feeling it would be taking advantage of their relationship. The opportunity for Luongo to join the Beer League Leafs happened naturally and was a dream come true for Bargman.
Interestingly, the playoff match held personal significance for Bargman, as the opposing team, No Regretzkies, was formed by players who had previously left the Leafs following disagreements. Among those players was Petr Schastlivy, a former NHL player himself, who had played 129 games for the Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks before continuing his career in Russia’s KHL. The rivalry between the two teams added an extra layer of intensity to the game, with Bargman acknowledging that past conflicts made the matchup even more significant.