# Claude LaForge

Joseph Claude Roger LaForge (July 1, 1936 – May 4, 2015) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers between 1958 and 1968. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1957 to 1973, was mainly spent in the American Hockey League.

## Playing career

Before playing in the NHL, LaForge played 2 games with the Montreal Royals and one season with the Shawinigan Falls Cataractes of the Quebec Hockey League (QHL) and one season with the Cincinnati Mohawks of the International Hockey League (IHL). In 1958, LaForge was named to the QHL Second All-Star Team.
He started his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1957–58 season. He would play a total of 5 games with the Canadiens. On June 3, 1958, the Canadiens traded LaForge along with Gene Achtymichuk and Bud MacPherson to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for money.
LeForge spent time between the Red Wings and their American Hockey League-affiliates, the Hershey Bears and Pittsburgh Hornets. After spending parts of 5 years with Detroit, he was sent down to the Hornets and was then traded to the Quebec Aces of AHL in exchange for Terry Gray on March 1, 1966.
When the Philadelphia Flyers bough the Aces on May 8, 1967, LaForge's NHL rights were transferred to the team. He played 65 regular season games with the Flyers. In August 1970, the Flyers traded LaForge to the Denver Spurs of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in exchange for money. After spending 3 seasons with the Spurs, LaForge retired from playing professional ice hockey.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1954–55 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | QJHL | 45 | 18 | 4 | 22 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1955–56 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | QJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Montreal Royals | QSHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 |
| 1956–57 | Shawinigan Falls Cataractes | QSHL | 60 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1956–57 | Cincinnati Mohawks | IHL | 8 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1957–58 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1957–58 | Shawinigan Falls Catarates | QSHL | 52 | 26 | 27 | 53 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1957–58 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 14 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1958–59 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 57 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1958–59 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1959–60 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 68 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 49 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 55 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 35 |
| 1961–62 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1961–62 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 31 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1962–63 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 50 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 17 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1963–64 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 51 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 59 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 1964–65 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 67 | 23 | 32 | 55 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 1965–66 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 55 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965–66 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 9 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1966–67 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 60 | 16 | 25 | 41 | 46 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 1967–68 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 63 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15 |
| 1967–68 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 8 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 57 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| 1969–70 | Quebec Aces | AHL | 72 | 28 | 39 | 67 | 44 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1970–71 | Denver Spurs | WHL | 64 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 1971–72 | Denver Spurs | WHL | 56 | 15 | 31 | 46 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 1972–73 | Denver Spurs | WHL | 25 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| AHL totals | AHL totals | AHL totals | 601 | 206 | 288 | 494 | 490 | 39 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 49 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 193 | 24 | 33 | 57 | 82 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15 |