AHL: Coachella Valley Firebirds Re-Sign Goaltender

The Coachella Valley Firebirds saw this morning that defenseman Maxime Lajoie was heading overseas. Following that news, they announced they are re-signing goalie Jack LaFontaine to a one-year AHL contract. He played in two games for the Firebirds last season, going 1-0-1 with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. LaFontaine also played in 31 games with the Kansas City Mavericks. He went 21-8-0 with a 2.22 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and five shutouts. In 15 Kelly Cup Playoff games this season, he went 9-6-0 with a 1.93 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and four shutouts.

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Jack LaFontaine

LaFontaine spent his first two college seasons at Michigan, making 22 appearances. He went 5-11-1 with a 3.42 goals-against average, and a .902 save percentage. He then played a season for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. In 25 games, he went 9-9-6 with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. He then went back to college and went to Minnesota for three seasons. LaFontaine appeared in 74 games, going 43-24-6 with a 2.34 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and five shutouts.

He then joined the Carolina Hurricanes organization. In two games for Carolina, he went 0-1-0 with a 7.20 goals-against average, and a .780 save percentage. He played in two games for the Norfolk Admirals, going 1-0-1 with a 3.49 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. In 13 games that same season with the Chicago Wolves, he went 4-3-7 with a 2.89 goals-against average, a .885 save percentage, and a shutout.

The next season, he played in five games with the Syracuse Crunch, going 1-2-0. LaFontaine posted a 3.49 goals-against average, and a .924 save percentage. In 30 games that season for Orlando in the ECHL, he went 11-14-1 with a 3.49 goals-against average, a .898 save percentage, and a shutout. In 2023-24, he played in three games for the Firebirds, going 2-0-0 with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. LaFontaine, in 23 games with the Mavericks, went 16-3-1 with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and a shutout. In 12 Kelly Cup Playoff games, he went 7-4-0 with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.