Who Is Xavier Veilleux? Islanders Prospect & Clark Cup Winner Spotlight
The Islanders drafted Veilleux in the sixth round (No. 179) at the 2024 NHL Draft.
On May 20, New York Islanders prospect Xavier Veilleux won the 2025 Clark Cup with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, defeating the Waterloo Black Hawks in a best-of-five series.
The 2024 sixth-round pick, a left-shot defenseman, recorded eight points (three goals, five assists) in 14 playoff games, including a buzzer-beater in Game 4 to force overtime in a 3–2 loss.
In the regular season, the 19-year-old, soon-to-be Cornell blueliner, posted 41 points (eight goals, 33 assists) in 61 games.
Veilleux had previously committed to Harvard but later changed his mind.
Because of where he was drafted, many Islanders fans may not be familiar with him. But there’s a lot to like.
Islanders reporter Rachel Luscher did an interview with Veilleux about his season and winning the first-ever Clark Cup for Muskegon. You can check that out HERE.
After the 2024 NHL Draft, I wanted to learn more about the Islanders’ final pick. I caught up with Ezra Gennello, Muskegon’s Director of Communications & Broadcasting, to get a better sense of the kind of player and person the Islanders were getting.
I’ve also included Xavier’s post-draft interview, so you can hear from the man himself.