Patrick LaForge (born November 19, 1952) is the former

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

. He was born in Lac La Biche and raised in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

. LaForge was the cousin of Bill LaForge, the former coach of the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

. LaForge is a distant cousin of

Pierre Boivin Pierre Boivin (born October 28, 1953) is a Canadian businessman and was president of the Montreal Canadiens from September 2, 1999, through June 30, 2011, succeeding Ronald Corey. On July 9, 2024, he succeeded John McCall MacBain as chancell ...

, former

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

. LaForge graduated from the

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is a public polytechnic and applied sciences institute in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. NAIT offers approximately 120 credit programs leading to degrees, applied degrees, diplomas, and certifica ...

and went on to receive his MBA from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. In July 2000, he was hired as president and CEO of the Edmonton Oilers organization. From his hiring, he worked actively to build pride of ownership for the organization while exploring ways to strengthen and stabilize the club commercially. On July 2, 2008, the Oilers were purchased by Edmonton billionaire Daryl Katz. With one of the smallest markets in the league, the Oilers have become one of the most financially successful clubs in the NHL and rated as a top 10 sports club in the world by

Money Magazine ''Money'' is an American brand and a personal finance website owned by Money Group. From its 1972 founding until 2018, it was a monthly magazine published by Time Inc. and subsequently by Meredith Corporation from 2018 to 2019. Its articles co ...

. One of LaForge’s most broadly known achievements was his role in producing the inaugural regular season

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

game played outdoors, called the Heritage Classic. The game highlighted the Edmonton Oilers and

playing in front of 57,167 Commonwealth Stadium in

in winter of 2003. The Heritage Classic paved the way for an annual outdoor hockey game in the NHL, attracting fans worldwide. LaForge also coordinated the development of Katz Group's Edmonton arena and district project, a development paid in part with public dollars. LaForge had another major achievement with the return of the Edmonton Oil Kings of the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...

in 2007. The once legendary major junior team won two Memorial Cups before leaving town in 1976, but were reborn under Oilers ownership. LaForge served as both an alternate governor for the Oilers in the NHL, and governor of the Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League. On April 24, 2015 LaForge stepped down as president & chief operating officer of Oilers Entertainment Group.

Other activities

LaForge was a past

of the Edmonton

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

. He was named one of Alberta's 50 most influential people by Alberta Venture Magazine.Alberta Venture Magazine
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laforge, Patrick 1952 births Living people Edmonton Oilers executives FC Edmonton Northern Alberta Institute of Technology alumni People from Lac La Biche County Ross School of Business alumni Chief operating officers Canadian chief executives