Georges Laraque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Georges Laraque |
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Laraque in 2016
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| Born | December 7, 1976 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 273 lb (124 kg; 19 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Pittsburgh Penguins Montreal Canadiens |
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| NHL Draft | 31st overall, 1995 Edmonton Oilers |
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| Playing career | 1996–2010, 2015 | ||
| Website | https://georgeslaraque.com | ||
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Georges Laraque
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| Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada | |
| In office July 31, 2010 – October 17, 2013 Serving with Adrianne Carr
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| Succeeded by | Daniel Green |
Georges Laraque (born December 7, 1976) is a Canadian former ice hockey player. He was known as one of the most successful "enforcers" in hockey during his career. An enforcer is a player who helps protect their teammates and sometimes gets into fights on the ice. Laraque retired from professional hockey in 2010.
After being chosen by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1995 draft, Georges always felt a special connection to that team. Today, he hosts a radio show in Montreal. Laraque also works as a public speaker and is part of the NHL's diversity group. He has always been active in charity work, visiting hospitals and playing in charity hockey games. After retiring, he even helped build a hospital in Haiti. He is a strong voice against racism and is also a vegan.
From 2010 to 2013, he was one of the deputy leaders of the Green Party of Canada. During his 14 years in the National Hockey League (NHL), he played for the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens.
Contents
Georges Laraque's Hockey Career
Georges Laraque started his hockey journey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He played for several teams there. In 173 junior games, he earned 107 points and spent a lot of time in the penalty box (661 minutes!). Laraque was part of the Granby Prédateurs team that won the Memorial Cup in 1996.
After junior hockey, Laraque played for the American Hockey League's (AHL) Hamilton Bulldogs. He had his first professional fight on October 25, 1996.
On September 15, 1997, in a pre-season game, Laraque fought a well-known tough player named Donald Brashear. He wanted to show the coaches what he could do. On November 15, 1997, Laraque was called up to the NHL. He had his first NHL fight against Todd Simpson of the Calgary Flames. Laraque won that fight and a few others before going back to the AHL.
A year later, Laraque worked hard to improve his game. The Edmonton team then brought him to the NHL for good. While he was a strong offensive player in junior hockey, he became known as an "enforcer" in the NHL. His large size (273 pounds) and willingness to fight made him one of the most feared players in the league.
In 2003, The Hockey News magazine named him the 'Best Fighter'. In 2008, Sports Illustrated also called him the number one enforcer. Even though he was known for fighting, Laraque also had some great offensive moments. On February 21, 2000, he scored three goals in one game (a hat trick) against the Los Angeles Kings. He was named the best player of that game.
During the 2004–2005 NHL lockout, Laraque played in Sweden for AIK. The next season, back with the Oilers, he famously defeated a very large player named Derek Boogaard in a fight. In 2006, Laraque wanted to stay with the Oilers. He even offered to take less money if they gave him a long-term contract with a "no-trade clause" (meaning they couldn't trade him). The Oilers didn't agree, so he signed with the Phoenix Coyotes on July 5, 2006. He scored his first goal as a Coyote against his old team, Edmonton.
Laraque was later traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 2007–08 season. His former junior coach, Michel Therrien, who was then the Penguins' coach, wanted Laraque to protect young star players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
On July 3, 2008, Laraque signed with the Montreal Canadiens. He chose to wear number 17 instead of his usual 27. The Canadiens wanted Laraque to add toughness to their team. On November 21, 2009, Laraque was suspended for five games for a knee-to-knee hit. On December 12, 2009, he had his last professional fight against Eric Boulton.
On January 21, 2010, the Montreal Canadiens decided to release Laraque from his contract. His contract was officially bought out on June 15, 2010. Laraque had been dealing with back injuries, so he announced his retirement from professional hockey. After being released, Laraque focused on helping Haiti, his family's home country. He started raising money to rebuild the Grace Children's Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake.
While playing with the Oilers, Laraque was famous for his "Laraque Leap." This was when he would jump and smash his body against the glass after the Oilers scored a goal.
Laraque briefly came out of retirement on January 16, 2015, playing two games in Norway before retiring again. He also served as an assistant coach for the Haiti street and ball hockey national team in 2015.
Georges Laraque's Political Work
On February 13, 2010, Georges Laraque joined the Green Party of Canada. On July 31, 2010, he was officially named one of the party's Deputy Leaders. He later announced he would run for a federal election in the Bourassa area. However, on October 17, 2013, Laraque resigned from his roles with the Green Party.
Georges Laraque's Personal Life
Georges Laraque's parents were both born in Haiti and later moved to Canada. Georges was born in Montreal, Quebec. During his NHL career, he was often called "Big Georges" or "BGL." His brother, Jules-Edy Laraque, also played hockey in minor leagues. His cousin, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, played in the NHL and in Europe.
During the hockey off-season, Laraque lives in Edmonton, which he considers his second home. He often hosts a sports radio show there. Laraque spends a lot of time doing charity work to help people in Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and Haiti.
In April 2020, Laraque, who has asthma, was hospitalized for COVID-19 in Quebec.
Georges Laraque's Businesses and Other Activities
Laraque became a vegan in 2009. He did this to protest against animal abuse in the meat industry. He has invested in vegan restaurants and owns his own vegan restaurant in Montreal. He also owns other health and fitness businesses, like Rise Kombucha.
In 2010, Laraque appeared on a TV show called Off The Record where he grappled with world mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Georges St-Pierre. The same year, Laraque was on Season 2 of CBC's Battle of the Blades, a show where hockey players team up with figure skaters.
In 2011, Laraque took part in the CBC's Canada Reads literary competition. He supported the book The Bone Cage by author Angie Abdou. Laraque also appeared in the 2011 movie Goon, playing a hockey enforcer.
On November 8, 2011, Laraque published his autobiography. It was called Georges Laraque: The Story of the NHL's Unlikeliest Tough Guy.
In 2012, the Canadian Hockey League Players' Association named Laraque as its first executive director.
In 2014, Laraque challenged a Quebec women's cycling champion, Lex Albrecht, to a bike race. He lost the race and needed medical attention afterward.
On October 15, 2016, Laraque co-founded Mentorum, a health and fitness company. In 2020, he mentioned that a charity boxing match against Mike Tyson was almost arranged.
Achievements
Awards
- Edward J. Debartolo Community Service Award – 2008
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1992–93 | Montreal-Bourassa Canadien | QMAAA | 37 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 50 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1992–93 | Saint-Jean Lynx | QMJHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1993–94 | Saint-Jean Lynx | QMJHL | 70 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 142 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 1994–95 | Saint-Jean Lynx | QMJHL | 62 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 259 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 42 | ||
| 1995–96 | Laval Titan Collège Français | QMJHL | 11 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Saint-Hyacinthe Lasers | QMJHL | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Granby Prédateurs | QMJHL | 22 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 125 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 104 | ||
| 1996–97 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 73 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 179 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 1997–98 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 46 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 154 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | ||
| 1997–98 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 39 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 57 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 25 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 76 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 123 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 148 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2001–02 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 157 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 64 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 110 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 66 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 72 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 73 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 44 | ||
| 2006–07 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 56 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 71 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 141 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 33 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 61 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 28 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Fana IHK | NOR.3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 695 | 53 | 100 | 153 | 1126 | 57 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 72 | ||||
See also
- List of Montreal athletes
- List of famous Montrealers
- List of black NHL players
- List of Pittsburgh Penguins players
Images for kids
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Laraque receives Community Service Award during a pregame ceremony, April 2008.
