One Tough Hero
Malcolm Johnston tells us about another side of Georges Laraque ... WOW.
Who would have thought ... Many of us Canucks have impressions of our hockey stars ... and my impression of Georges just changed a lot. Thanks Malcom. - Len
Georges Laraque didn't make a name for himself in the NHL by scoring lots of goals. In 695 games over 12 seasons with Edmonton, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and finally his hometown of Montreal, he managed to score 53 times. He was very well known for playing with a lot of determination and toughness though. He retired from professional hockey this year.
Georges is a very talented and dedicated man off the ice too. After the earthquake in Haiti, Georges partnered with World Vision Canada to start a foundation called Hockey for Haiti. Both of Georges' parents are from Haiti, and he felt very motivated to do something about the situation. He knew that he could use his position to make a real difference in the lives of many people. This isn't the first time that Georges has stood for something he believes in, he became a vegan many years ago because of his stance on the way we treat animals.
Georges is participating in the C.B.C. series Battle of the Blades, where an ex hockey player is paired with a figure skater, often with some strange results. It's a bit like "Dancing with the Stars, where the object is to whittle the pairs down every week until a winning pair emerges from the original eight. Should Georges win this competition, he will donate the prize money to World Vision's Hockey for Haiti Foundation. Things didn't go very well for Georges and his partner Annabelle Langlois during their first week rehearsals.
Oh well, I'm sure a few stitches won't phase Big Georges. He's accumulated a few of them through his career.
Did you know that Georges Laraque is also the Deputy Leader of Canada's Green Party? I kid you not. He was appointed in July. In his own words....“Of course, the reason I was drawn to the Green Party is that it has excellent policies on a wide range of issues. From standing for social justice to strong fiscal policies, from supporting youth and the arts to eliminating poverty, I strongly believe that Green values and policies are the best for this great country of ours.”It looks like Mr. Laraque is not just another pretty face (or even one, for that matter). I'm very certain that he is going to make a big name for himself well beyond the world of hockey.
I'll just leave you with a little clip of the Georges Laraque that most of us are somewhat familiar with. He's going to make a great national politician. No-one will mess with Canada if he's in charge.
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