Former WHL Coach Bill LaForge dies

Former Western Hockey League head coach Bill LaForge died of an apparent heart attack on Sunday. He was 53.
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rIn 1981-82, his first season as a Western Hockey League coach, LaForge led the Regina Pats to a 48-24-0 record, and led the team, which included Jock Callander, Dale Derkatch, Gary Leeman, Garth Butcher, Al Tuer and Barry Trotz to the WHL championship final before losing out to the Portland Winter Hawks four games to one.
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rIn 1983-84, LaForge coached in Kamloops for the Junior Oilers, winning the 1983-84 WHL Championship trophy by defeating the Regina Pats four games to three and a berth in the 1984 Memorial Cup tournament. The 1983-84 WHL Championship team included current Blazer General Manager Dean Clark, current Blazer head coach Mark Ferner, Doug Bodger, Ken Danneyko, and current co-coach of the Calgary Hitmen Dean Evason.
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rLaForge coached 216 games in the WHL and recorded 144 wins and 72 loses. His winning percentage of 0.667 ranks fourth all-time in WHL history.
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