LaForge was originally a football player. He failed a physical at the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders training camp in 1974 which put an end to that career. He had played hockey as well. LaForge now turned to hockey coaching at the minor level in his home province of Alberta. Some successes there had brought him to the attention of Sherry Bassin, the Oshawa Generals' General Manager in 1981 when he was looking for a new coach. LaForge was hired. After that season he went to the Regina Pats. They posted a 48-24-0 record and went on to the final where they lost.