 Between his time in the NHL and the WHA, Laughton was sold to the Montreal Canadiens before the start of the 1971-72 season by the California Golden Seals.Not being able to make the team with an already stacked lineup, Laughton was sent down to the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the American Hockey League and made team captain by head coach Al MacNeil.He led the team that included Larry Robinson and Yvon Lambert, future stars on the Canadiens, to the 1972 Calder Cup championship.