SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Tampa Bay Lightning have hired Éric Veilleux as an assistant coach for their top minor-league affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, the local team announced on Wednesday.
Veilleux, 47, joins the hockey organization after serving as head coach for the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the 2018-19 season. Under his guidance, the Mooseheads posted a 49-15-2-2 record, second-best in franchise history, and reached both the 2019 Rogers President Cup Final and Memorial Cup Championship, the Crunch said.
Prior to joining Halifax, Veilleux, a Quebec City native, spent two seasons as head coach for the San Antonio Rampage. He also spent one season as head coach of the Norfolk Admirals during their inaugural ECHL season, after making his professional coaching debut as an assistant with the Admirals in their final American Hockey League (AHL) season in 2014-15.
As a player, Veilleux skated in 447 career AHL games as a forward with the Lowell Lock Monsters, Kentucky Thoroughblades, Hershey Bears, and Cornwall Aces — compiling 106 goals and 174 assists. He won the Calder Cup with Hershey in 1996-97.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com
Photo credit: Syracuse Crunch
