The Colorado Avalanche and San Antonio Rampage have announced that Eric Veilleux has been hired as head coach for the AHL affiliate starting in the upcoming 2016-17 season. Veilleux began his coaching career in the Quebec Major Junior League in 2005 where he spent the next nine years accumulating 346 wins for a .579 win percentage. His time was split between the Shawinigan Cataractes (2005-12) and Baie-Comeau Drakkar (2012-14).

The 44-year-old coach was no stranger to winning. He took the teams to playoffs in each of those years, making it to the President’s Cup Final twice with Baie-Comeau and once with Shawinigan. Veilluex won the Lapointe Trophy (QMJHL Coach of the Year) in his final season with Drakkar after leading his team to its second consecutive appearance in the President’s Trophy finals (46-20 win record, .697 win percentage). In his final year with Shawinigan, his team took home the franchise’s first Memorial Cup.

After leaving Drakkar, Veilleux coached the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL, starting as an assistant coach in 2014-15 and moving to the head coaching role last season when the team moved to the ECHL.

“Eric is an experienced coach and is the right person to develop our players in San Antonio,” said Avalanche assistant general manager Craig Billington. “After an extensive interview process, we determined he was the best candidate based on his coaching background and expertise. We are excited to have him join the Avalanche organization.”

Veilleux played center in his days on the ice, a career that spanned seven seasons in the AHL. Three of those seasons were with affiliates of the Colorado Rockies (Cornwall Aces and Hershey Bears). Randy Ladouceur remains San Antonio’s assistant coach.