from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman delivered a message on the eve of development camp that piqued the interest of one prospect in particular

Center Joe Veleno, who will embark on his pro career in the fall, was part of the Team Howe group that went through on-ice testing and shooting drills on the first day of development camp Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.

Development camp is as much about instilling good habits off the ice — what to eat, when to eat, the importance of sleep, how to optimize workouts — and the five-day event kicked off with a dinner highlighted by a speech from Yzerman, two months into his reign as general manager.

“He was telling us there are going to be a lot of open spots and it doesn’t matter if you’re a first-round pick or an invite, everyone is battling for a position,” Veleno said. “Everyone is out here to showcase something.”

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