Bill LaForge

Bill LaForge (September 2, 1951 – June 19, 2005) was a Canadian ice hockey coach. LaForge briefly coached the Vancouver Canucks in National Hockey League, but enjoyed more success in junior ice hockey with Western Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League teams. LaForge was known for his controversial coaching style, intimidation tactics, on-ice brawls, suspensions and fines.

Background LaForge was related to Patrick LaForge, the former president of the Edmonton Oilers. Depending on the source, they were either brothers, or cousins. Through his relation to Patrick LaForge, he was also a distant cousin of Pierre Boivin, former president of the Montreal Canadiens. LaForge was married to Penny and had four children. LaForge played hockey and football at Archbishop MacDonald High School. He later played for the Edmonton Huskies and attended training camp for the Calgary Stampeders in 1974, but did not pass the physical due to an injury sustained working at a construction site.

Coaching style LaForge used his football background in teaching his teams to be a physical club, and stressed team first, instead of the name on the back of the jersey. LaForge's coaching mantra was a PhD in hockey: pride, hustle and desire.

He used unorthodox coaching methods, punishing emphasis on physical play, and had a stoplight installed in his team's dressing room in Hamilton. The stoplight was red between periods meaning, players were not allowed to fight, but once it turned green at the start of a period, players could fight. He insisted on players attending school, and keeping an active mind.

quote|Bill had this rough and gruff image, but he was actually very kind at heart. He was good to our family. Every time I ran into him he’d ask about my wife and kids.|Doug Lidster By the end of the season, Oshawa led the league with 3198 penalty minutes, averaging of 47 minutes per game, compared to the second most penalized team in the league had only 2092 penalty minutes. LaForge led the Generals to fourth place in the Leyden division, and a playoff berth. Oshawa faced the Peterborough Petes in a best-of-five preliminary round in the playoffs. The series was highly anticipated considering the historic rivalry between the teams, and Peterborough winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup each of the three previous seasons. The teams split the first four games, each winning twice on home ice. During the pregame skate before game five, a brawl ensued between the two teams, including a physical altercation between LaForge and Peterborough coach Dave Dryden. Order had to be restored by local policemen, as the referee and linesmen were not on the ice at the time. LaForge later received a 50-game suspension. LaForge resigned following the season. LaForge was suspended three times during the season as a result. having four players with 300-plus penalty minutes, including Al Tuer who led the league with 486 penalty minutes, and team captain Garth Butcher had 318 penalty minutes. had five players with 50–goal seasons,

Kamloops Junior Oilers LaForge moved onto his next team, the Kamloops Junior Oilers for the 1982–83 WHL season. He took over a team that won only 18 games the previous season. Kamloops finished third place in west division with 46 wins, and earned 92 points. LaForge's team led the west division with 1937 penalty minutes. Despite a notable decrease in penalty minutes from previous LaForge teams, Kamloops still managed to get into seven brawls during the season. The Victoria Cougars defeated Kamloops four games to three in the division semifinals.

LaForge remained with the Junior Oilers for the 1983–84 WHL season, and improved the team's record to first place in the west division, with 50 wins and 100 points. Kamloops led the league with 467 goals scored, and led the west division with 1865 penalty minutes, including ten brawls. Kamloops swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs defeating the Seattle Breakers, and then the Portland Winter Hawks both by five games to none. In the finals, LaForge met up with his former team, and defeated the Regina Pats in seven games to win the President's Cup and the WHL Championship. Laforge and the Junior Oilers moved on to the 1984 Memorial Cup hosted by the Kitchener Rangers. Kamloops lost game one to the Kitchener Rangers 7–9, and lost game two to the Ottawa 67's 1–5. Facing the also winless Laval Voisins, LaForge pulled out a 4–3 win. In the semifinal versus Ottawa, the Junior Oilers lost 2–7.

Vancouver Canucks LaForge was 32 years old when hired to coach in the National Hockey League. LaForge was announced as the new head coach of the Vancouver Canucks for the 1984-85 NHL season, the day after the semifinal game of the 1984 Memorial Cup. Canucks general manager Harry Neale chose LaForge over Mike Keenan, believing that LaForge would motivate the often laid-back NHL team. Vancouver then went on a nine-game losing streak, including losses of 2–13 to the Philadelphia Flyers, 0–7 to the Edmonton Oilers, and 3–10 to the Los Angeles Kings. Frustration was evident in the loss to the Flyers which included seven fights and two brawls. LaForge lasted only twenty games into the 1984–85 Vancouver Canucks season, being fired by Neale after a 1–5 loss to the St. Louis Blues on November 20, with only four wins and two ties. The Steelhawks managed to finished fourth place in the Emms division and amass 1641 penalty minutes.

LaForge returned behind the bench for the 1985–86 OHL season. The Steelhawks struggled in a rebuilding season as the team was mostly 17-year-olds. Hamilton finished seventh place in the Emms division and missed the playoffs, but managed to lead the league with 2060 penalty minutes.

LaForge had a lot of returning players for the 1986–87 OHL season, and improved the team's record to second place Emms division. The Steelhawks accrued 1632 penalty minutes, fifth highest in the league. In the playoffs, Hamilton defeated the Guelph Platers four games to one in the first round, but were swept in four games by the Windsor Spitfires in the second round.

In the 1987–88 OHL season, LaForge led the Steelhawks to a third-place finish in the Emms division, and led the league with 2232 penalty minutes. Ten different players on LaForge's team had at least 100 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, Hamilton defeated the North Bay Centennials four games to none in the first round. The Steelhawks defeated the London Knights four games to two in round two. In the third round, LaForge's team was swept out of the playoffs again in four games by Windsor Spitfires.

Niagara Falls Thunder The Hamilton Steelhawks relocated to Niagara Falls, Ontario for the 1988–89 OHL season, and were renamed the Niagara Falls Thunder. LaForge led the Thunder to a second-place finish in the Emms division, and led the league with 2280 penalty minutes. LaForge's team led league with 410 goals, including the league's top two scorers in Bryan Fogarty and Stan Drulia, and an additional seven players with at least 20 goals. In the playoffs, Niagara Falls swept the Windsor Spitfires in the first round, earned a bye in the second round, then won a hard fought seven game series versus the London Knights in round three. LaForge and the Thunder were upset by the Peterborough Petes in six games in the finals, by the well disciplined Petes, compared to the many penalties taken by the Thunder. LaForge's aggressive coaching style was blamed for costing the Thunder a chance at the Memorial Cup, as they had been one of the top ranked team in the league all season with high expectations going into the finals.

LaForge continued to make headlines into the 1989–90 OHL season, by legally adopting Trevor Renkers to facilitate coaching the prospect. Twenty games into the season LaForge's team had a record of 4 wins, 14 losses and 2 ties. Team owner Rick Gay had grown tired of LaForge's antics by this time, fired LaForge and replaced him with George Burnett.

Later career LaForge was hired by Tri-City Americans owner Ron Dixon on December 17, 1989 as director of player personnel. After the Christmas break, LaForge altered the dressing room to make it smaller, The players revolted and refused to play under his supervision in the next league game on December 30, 1989 vs the Portland Winterhawks. LaForge was hired to replace interim head coach and general manager, Mike Kelly. LaForge was fired at the end of the season.

LaForge was head coach of the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League for the 1993–94 season. The team finished tied for 8th, and last place with the Lloydminster Blazers.

LaForge filled in as a replacement coach with the Nashville Nighthawks of the Central Hockey League near the end of the 1996-97 season. LaForge took over the final eleven games for player-head coach Iain Duncan, winning two and losing nine games to finish the season. LaForge's coaching career finished with fisticuffs, including a brawl in the second last game, and six fights in the final game of the season.

Coaching record Regular season and postseason coaching statistics.