MANAGEMENT
PATRICK LaFORGE
PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
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The Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club has enjoyed a remarkable history during 32 years in the National Hockey League, including 5 Stanley Cups, and seven members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Founded on his lengthy experience with leading sports and entertainment organizations in the areas of professional and major junior hockey, alpine ski racing, auto racing, horse racing and professional rodeo, Patrick has enjoyed many significant highlights since joining the Oilers in 2000.
For example, Patrick created the concept and was the driving force behind The Heritage Classic, the first regular season outdoor NHL game, played November 22, 2003. More than 57,000 hockey fans braved bone-chilling temperatures in Edmonton to watch the Oilers play the Montreal Canadiens. The event included a NHL Alumni Game featuring Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Guy LaFleur and Larry Robinson. The Heritage Classic became the template for the NHL Winter Classic, now a marquee event in the NHL schedule.
Under his leadership, Patrick also guided the launch of “Breakaway to Win” the first public lottery for an NHL team in Canada, as well as the creation of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, which gifted over $20 million to charities across Oil Country since 2001. Having anticipated the 2004-05 NHL lockout, he had the foresight to bring the American Hockey League’s Road Runners to Edmonton for the 2004-05 season which helped pay the bills during some very lean months. He followed that up by securing the return of one of the most storied franchises in Canadian junior hockey, bringing the Edmonton Oil Kings back to the Alberta Capital in 2007. And again added to the portfolio by the Oilers purchase of the Edmonton Capitals professional baseball team in 2008.
Both the Capitals and Oil Kings have since won championships in their respective Leagues, and today Patrick is also overseeing more recent equity investment into the full service entertainment production company Aquila, as well as Edmonton’s leading fitness training company, Bodies by Bennett.
As President and COO, Patrick is responsible for growing the business portfolio while keeping the businesses in the black. He also oversees the relations with fans, customers and commercial partners. Under his leadership, the organization has fan support in Oil Country has resulted in 270 consecutive Oilers sellouts as the 2011-12 NHL season wraps up.
He is currently an Alternate Governor for the Oilers, and a Governor and Executive Committee Member of the Western Hockey League. Patrick is Past Chairman of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and a Rotarian. He was named a Top 50 Most Influential Person in Alberta by Alberta Venture Magazine and recipient of the Consumer Choice Award as Edmonton Business Person of the year, both in 2008.
Born in Lac la Biche, Alberta and raised in Edmonton, Patrick enjoyed a lengthy business career prior to joining the Oilers. He held the positions of Vice President International Marketing, Molson Breweries of Canada and President and CEO, Alpine Canada as well as serving on the Executive Board of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Patrick graduated from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and completed the Executive Management Program at the University of Michigan. Patrick, and his wife Fran, have three grown children; Meredith, Connor and Riley
Founded on his lengthy experience with leading sports and entertainment organizations in the areas of professional and major junior hockey, alpine ski racing, auto racing, horse racing and professional rodeo, Patrick has enjoyed many significant highlights since joining the Oilers in 2000.
For example, Patrick created the concept and was the driving force behind The Heritage Classic, the first regular season outdoor NHL game, played November 22, 2003. More than 57,000 hockey fans braved bone-chilling temperatures in Edmonton to watch the Oilers play the Montreal Canadiens. The event included a NHL Alumni Game featuring Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Guy LaFleur and Larry Robinson. The Heritage Classic became the template for the NHL Winter Classic, now a marquee event in the NHL schedule.
Under his leadership, Patrick also guided the launch of “Breakaway to Win” the first public lottery for an NHL team in Canada, as well as the creation of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation, which gifted over $20 million to charities across Oil Country since 2001. Having anticipated the 2004-05 NHL lockout, he had the foresight to bring the American Hockey League’s Road Runners to Edmonton for the 2004-05 season which helped pay the bills during some very lean months. He followed that up by securing the return of one of the most storied franchises in Canadian junior hockey, bringing the Edmonton Oil Kings back to the Alberta Capital in 2007. And again added to the portfolio by the Oilers purchase of the Edmonton Capitals professional baseball team in 2008.
Both the Capitals and Oil Kings have since won championships in their respective Leagues, and today Patrick is also overseeing more recent equity investment into the full service entertainment production company Aquila, as well as Edmonton’s leading fitness training company, Bodies by Bennett.
As President and COO, Patrick is responsible for growing the business portfolio while keeping the businesses in the black. He also oversees the relations with fans, customers and commercial partners. Under his leadership, the organization has fan support in Oil Country has resulted in 270 consecutive Oilers sellouts as the 2011-12 NHL season wraps up.
He is currently an Alternate Governor for the Oilers, and a Governor and Executive Committee Member of the Western Hockey League. Patrick is Past Chairman of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and a Rotarian. He was named a Top 50 Most Influential Person in Alberta by Alberta Venture Magazine and recipient of the Consumer Choice Award as Edmonton Business Person of the year, both in 2008.
Born in Lac la Biche, Alberta and raised in Edmonton, Patrick enjoyed a lengthy business career prior to joining the Oilers. He held the positions of Vice President International Marketing, Molson Breweries of Canada and President and CEO, Alpine Canada as well as serving on the Executive Board of the Canadian Olympic Committee.
Patrick graduated from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and completed the Executive Management Program at the University of Michigan. Patrick, and his wife Fran, have three grown children; Meredith, Connor and Riley
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