Notable players coached by LaForge in junior ice hockey include; Shayne Corson, Keith Primeau, Dean Evason, Gary Leeman, Tony Tanti, Brad May, Ken Daneyko, Doug Bodger, Garth Butcher, and Rob Brown.
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.
"Hustle" for yourself and your team, and you have to have "desire" for yourself and your team.He used unorthodox coaching methods, punishing emphasis on physical play,[6] and humiliating practices.
Every time I ran into him he’d ask about my wife and kids.LaForge began his major junior coaching career with the Oshawa Generals in the 1980–81 OHL season.
Oshawa lost their first game 0–6 to Windsor, but established a pattern of physical play with five fights and two brawls in the match, to start the season.
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.
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.
[23] Despite the penalty minutes, Regina scored the most goals in the WHL with 465,[25] had five players with 50–goal seasons,[24] and featured the top two point scorers in the league; Jock Callander and Dave Michayluk.
[27] Despite a notable decrease in penalty minutes from previous LaForge teams, Kamloops still managed to get into seven brawls during the season.
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.
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 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.
[10] LaForge's NHL coaching career began with a 2–5 loss to the Quebec Nordiques, then a 6–5 overtime win versus the Los Angeles Kings.
[33] 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.
[34] 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.
[12] After being fired from Vancouver, LaForge returned to the junior hockey, coaching the Hamilton Steelhawks for the remainder of the 1984–85 OHL season as mid-season replacement for Dave Draper who continued as general manager.
Marie Greyhounds in the televised OHL game of the week, that resulted in a full bench-clearing brawl in the second period.
Hamilton finished seventh place in the Emms division and missed the playoffs, but managed to lead the league with 2060 penalty minutes.
[38] LaForge had a lot of returning players for the 1986–87 OHL season, and improved the team's record to second place Emms division.
[44] 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.
[15] Renkers played only one game for the Niagara Falls Thunder, scoring a goal, and taking four penalty minutes.
[46] LaForge was hired by Tri-City Americans owner Ron Dixon on December 17, 1989 as director of player personnel.
[47] After the Christmas break, LaForge altered the dressing room to make it smaller,[16] and took over running a team practice.