EDMONTON OILERS MEDIA GUIDE

PATRICK
LAFORGE
The Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club has enjoyed a
remarkable history during 32 years in the National
Hockey League, including five 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.
PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
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’s fan support in Oil Country has resulted in 270
consecutive Oilers sellouts at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season.
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