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Montreal Canadiens’ Georges Laraque: Life After Hockey

By Lissa Albert |
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Dec 16, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens celebrate the goal scored by forward Alex Galchenyuk (27) during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Former Montreal Canadiens‘ enforcer Georges Laraque has always been a dynamic person to watch. While wearing the CH, off-ice and on camera, after his hockey career ended, and on into the present, Big Georges, as he’s known, is always engaging.

In this, the first of a “Where Are They Now?” series, let’s follow Georges Laraque from his hockey career, and beyond.

Laraque’s career began in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, in 1993, at the age of 17. He played with a variety of teams, including the Granby Prédateurs (coached by none other than Michel Therrien), and winning the Memorial Cup in 1996.

In 1995, he was drafted 31st overall by the Edmonton Oilers. He played at the AHL level, with the Hamilton Bulldogs, for 2 full seasons, with the Oilers for 8. He was signed as a free agent, by the Phoenix Coyotes, in 2006, where he played for half a season before being acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline in 2007.

Playing with Pittsburgh for 71 games, he scored 4 goals and recorded 13 points. When he became a free agent that summer, Montreal signed him to a 3-year contract.

Though he was known as an enforcer, and recorded 1126 penalty minutes as an NHLer, Laraque never enjoyed the position he was put in, namely that of a fighter. He, like many other enforcers, did so as it was expected of them and it was beneficial to maintaining an NHL career.

But he is a gentle soul, as is evidenced by his post-hockey life.

In January, 2010, after struggling with injuries, the Canadiens released Laraque from the team. Laraque took the news hard, and the timing could not have been worse. It was shortly after the devastating earthquake which decimated much of Haiti – the country of his parents’ birth – and the Canadiens collected donations from game-going fans over two game nights.

The announcement of almost $160,000 in relief funds ($59,000 just from fan donations, and $100,000 added by Habs management) came during a pre-game ceremony, in which Laraque was shown to be visibly moved. Just a few days after that, Laraque was released.

He did not hold back his emotional reaction, stating how hurt he was by the news – which he received via telephone from then-GM Bob Gainey. Later on, he offered a reaction that was as emotional but less bitter:

“It’s obviously extremely disappointing for it to finish like this, but what’s going on in Haiti right now has given me some perspective,” Laraque said. “I want to look at the positives. It was an honour for me to wear the Canadiens uniform, and I’m happy I was able to play in front of my family.”

His heart, no doubt, lay on the ice, and his time with the Canadiens was cherished despite the injuries and struggles he sustained, and the way in which it ended.

But his post-hockey life would lead him down other pathways.

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In February, just a month after his release from the Canadiens, Laraque joined the Green Party of Canada, and in July of that year, was appointed Deputy Leader of the Party. Laraque’s passionate causes include animal welfare, the environment, continued relief and support for Haiti, and sports.

He signed on in order to help promote healthy lifestyles through sport and activity, to help fight obesity – especially among young people – and to make a difference that was global. In his position as Deputy Leader, he traveled the country with the Green Party’s leader, Elizabeth May, and actively reported back via his Facebook page.

He stepped down from the role in 2013 – amidst controversial charges against him, a former business partner alleging he committed fraud. He has maintained his innocence in the charges, the Party has supported him, and the charges were retracted.

In 2011, Laraque took Habs’ defenseman P.K. Subban on a trip to Haiti. Subban called it a “life-changing experience” as they visited earthquake-devastated areas, met with patients and their families at a children’s hospital, and played ball hockey with some of the kids they met.

For then-21-year-old Subban, the experience was profoundly moving, and he was visibly grateful to Laraque for the opportunity.

Laraque has a website where he has uploaded information and write-ups about everything from his career and his life post-hockey. He maintains one of the most positive outlooks you can find online, promoting not only his book and his biography, but his causes and the ways in which people can get involved.

I like the good things in life. I like to have fun, to joke around. However, it’s my humanitarian side, my involvement in various charitable and professional projects that really defines who I am. – Georges Laraque, Homepage

He is also active on Twitter and Facebook, interacting with his fans whom he has never forgotten.

Laraque has remained active and outspoken in various arenas:

  • A vegan since 2009, he is an animal activist and has opened two vegan restaurants
  • He has taken part in “Canada Reads”, an annual event featuring celebrity panelists “defending” chosen books in order to promote literacy. Laraque’s chosen book, in 2010, was “The Bone Cage“, a novel that revolves – not surprisingly – around athletes.
  •  For 5 consecutive years, Laraque has taken part in the “5 Days For The Homeless” campaign, an event which takes place every March. It involves participants sleeping outdoors for 5 nights, and remaining in place for 5 straight days, in order to raise fund for, and awareness of, the plight of the homeless in Montreal. Laraque has joined Montreal Mayor, Denis Coderre, other politicians, and radio personalities in his annual participation.
  • He took to running marathons for charity, not an easy feat for someone of his build; in 2014, he ran a marathon to collect money for leukemia patients. But he was not deterred by the training or the grueling run:
I know how hard it is to run. But it’s not nearly as hard as fighting leukemia.
  • On his Facebook page, a few years ago, Laraque asked for contributions in the form of articles, attributing his request to the high caliber of followers on his page. He asked for any topic, as long as it was respectful and interesting, and to any he published, he would send a cap from one of his NHL teams. I am proud to say I own one of those autographed caps – from the Habs, of course – due to my article on cyberbullying issues. Other issues he addressed ranged from family topics to sports.

Personal photo by Lissa Albert, 2015

But his most recent success comes in the form of hockey – street hockey. And it’s a resounding triumph.

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This past week, Georges Laraque coached the Haitian Street Hockey team to its first world championship – and in fact, their first time in the tournament – captured in Switzerland and held by the International Street And Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF). The team’s win was a stunning surprise to those who did not expect it to be a contender, much less a champion.

Laraque had originally decided to join the team as a player. But when one coach left, he was asked to take over. It proved to be a winning move.

Laraque asked a friend of his – Robert Haddock – to assist him on the coaching team. Haddock, a minor-league player who currently heads the development team at a local West-Island hockey association in Montreal, grabbed the chance.

Haddock’s roots are in Barbados, a few islands to the east of Haiti, but he took Laraque up on the offer just weeks ahead of their departure for Switzerland.

Laraque remembered a conversation he and Rob had once shared, in which Haddock expressed his desire “to coach a team with only black guys to show how good we could be.” This was what propelled him to recruit Haddock to the team.

(Another personal note – my kids have benefited from Rob Haddock’s development clinics; my many conversations with him about hockey translating to life lessons and education have been enlightening. I can personally attest to the fact that his heart, like Laraque’s, lies with making a difference in this world)

The Haitian team was reminiscent of the famed Jamaican bobsledders: underdogs, first-time contenders, players whose immigrant families had them focus on homework rather than sports, but who had natural abilities that were all but overlooked.

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Laraque talks about how these players perceived hockey, and their own skills:

For some of them, believe it or not, this is the first time they’ve had formal coaching because they usually got together with a bunch of buddies and played in a league. They watch a little TSN and a few Habs games and try to mimic Markov or P.K. Subban and all of a sudden they think they’re on the same wavelength.

Now that they have captured the championship, Haddock’s vision is focused on 2017, when the tournament will be held in the Czech Republic. He hopes to draw talent from North Americans of Haitian background (cities like Toronto, Vancouver, Boston and New York are rich with this demographic). In fact, most of the team’s players were Montreal-born.

Georges Laraque’s heart is worn on his sleeve. Whatever he undertakes, he does so with passion and commitment.

In this interview held after the tournament, his pride and exuberance are in his million-dollar smile.

It’s always good to keep up with one’s favorite players; for me, having just become immersed in understanding the intricacies of hockey in 2010 – and having instantly taken to learning about the people on the team, Georges Laraque remains among my top favorites.

His personality alone is a winner and I look forward to seeing more of what this dynamic, driven man will do in the future.

(Enjoy this routine from “Battle of the Blades” – a “Dancing With The Stars” type of production that pairs figure skaters with hockey players. Georges showed his competitive, and warrior self in this particular routine, but also demonstrates a keen sense of style and grace)

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