Wild's Veilleux takes contract matter into own hands

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune file

The Wild’s Stephane Veilleux on negotiating his own contract: “I know what’s best for me and wanted to do my own thing.”

The Wild winger fired his agent and is negotiating for himself. He hopes to reach an agreement without going to arbitration.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: July 16, 2008 - 4:07 PM

Tom Lynn is known as a brash, stubborn negotiator. But Stephane Veilleux doesn't find him that way.

In fact, the Wild's tightly-wound energy bug has yet to even contemplate body-checking the Wild assistant general manager into an office soda machine.

Imagine this scene: Lynn, who went to Yale, has a law degree from Cornell and has negotiated millions of dollars worth of hockey contracts, staring across the desk at ... Veilleux, a 26-year-old winger.

Earlier this summer, Veilleux decided it made no sense to continue paying his agent, Paul Corbeil, 4 percent of his salary. So Veilleux, a restricted free agent, fired Corbeil and decided to represent himself in negotiations for a new contract.

"After every contract, it's time to not only negotiate a new deal with the team, but also the agent," Veilleux said. "I just decided it was time I didn't need my agent. It's nothing personal against him. I'm mature enough to do my own decisions. I know what's best for me and wanted to do my own thing."

Lynn didn't return messages seeking comment.

The NHL Players' Association doesn't have an accurate number of how many players don't have agents, but it says it's not "common practice." The NHLPA offers players "technical support," so on Veilleux's behalf on July 5, the NHLPA filed for arbitration.

The NHLPA will provide a lawyer if Veilleux and the Wild cannot negotiate a contract by Veilleux's arbitration hearing scheduled for next Monday.

But Veilleux is hoping to avoid arbitration.

"We've started talking and it's going really well," said Veilleux, taken 93rd overall in June 2001. "I think it's just a matter of time -- maybe a couple days -- before I'm going to be back with the Minnesota Wild.

"I like this organization and I feel really fortunate to have been with the same team since 2001. The way things are now, it's tough to stay with the same team, so right now I definitely want to work out a contract that's best for both of us. It's just a matter of time if everything goes well."

Veilleux, who spends the summer going back and forth between Minnesota and his home of St. Georges de Beauce, Quebec, is currently in Minnesota working out at Xcel Energy Center with strength and conditioning coach Kirk Olson.

Veilleux, a checking-line winger and penalty killer, scored a career-high 11 goals last season and has scored 30 goals and 67 points and has compiled 214 penalty minutes in 280 games.

As for the Wild's other restricted free agent, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and the team are not close to a long-term contract agreement. Bouchard's arbitration date is July 28.

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