Vaillancourt, 38, enters his fourth season as goaltending coach for the Crunch in 2026-27. In his first season in Syracuse, Vaillancourt oversaw a goaltening group that featured four different goalies earning a win, five total shutouts and a combined 2.54 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. In his second season, goaltenders Brandon Halverson and Matt Tomkins shared the AHL’s

Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award. The four goaltenders in 2024-25 combined for a 2.38 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. In 2025-26, Vaillancourt helped guide a pair of goaltenders — Brandon Halverson and Ryan Fanti — to rank in the top-10 in the AHL based on goals-against average. Halverson led the league with six shutouts and became the franchise’s all-time leader in shutouts (12) while working with Vaillancourt.

He had previously served as goaltending coach and video coordinator for the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada since 2012-13. He also served as an interim coach for the Laval Rocket during the 2020-21 season and goaltending coach for Hockey Canada at the World Under-17 Challenge with Team Canada Red during the 2018-19 season.

A native of LaSalle, Quebec, Vaillancourt began his coaching career in Quebec minor hockey rising from bantam AA to midget AAA, where he worked with Rousseau-Royal de Laval-Montréal between 2008 to 2017.