Viel-Release

SAN JOSE, CA-
San Jose Sharks
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Viel, 24, split the season with the Sharks and
San Jose Barracuda
, appearing in 11 games for the Sharks recording 10 shots and 23 penalty minutes. He made his NHL debut on March 29 vs. Minnesota. He also skated in 17 games for the Barracuda, registering four points (two goals, two assists) and 31 penalty minutes.

Last season with the Barracuda, he recorded 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists), 94 penalty minutes and 116 shots on goal in his first professional season. He finished ranked tied for third among all AHL rookies in penalty minutes, pacing San Jose, and ranked fifth among Barracuda rookies in goals and assists. He was one of just three players to appear in all 68 Barracuda contests and posted one goal and six penalty minutes in four Calder Cup Playoff games.

Prior to his professional career, Viel skated in 259 games over a four-year span with Acadie-Bathurst and the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). During the four seasons, he totaled 196 points (115 goals, 81 assists), 499 penalty minutes, and a plus-12 rating. In 2017-18, he helped Acadie-Bathurst win the QMJHL championship and the Memorial Cup, recording 23 points in 20 playoff games and 10 points in four Memorial Cup contests. He was awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the league's playoff Most Valuable Player and named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.
The six-foot-two, 205-pound native of Rimouski, Quebec, originally signed with San Jose as a free agent on May 29, 2019.