George LaRaque

George LaRaque

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Montreal, Quebec

Community Champion & Role Model | Inspiring Youth Through Sports | Charity And Advocacy

  • Videos
  • Expertise
  • HR & Corporate Culture
  • Change Management
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Disability
  • Racial Justice
  • Unconscious Bias
  • Personal Growth
  • Resilience & Adversity
  • Happiness & Positivity

GEORGE LARAQUE BIOGRAPHY

George LaRaque was the first black hockey player from French Canada to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).

An eleven-year veteran of the NHL, in 2010 he became the Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada. Georges was born on in Montreal, Quebec and he grew up in Tracy, a small community outside Montreal. George LaRaque began skating when he was five years old and grew up idolizing Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, but it was Jackie Robinson’s story that gave him the courage to face the challenges of being a minority in an almost all-white world of hockey.

While playing minor hockey as a child, George LaRaque was continually besieged with racist remarks from both players and spectators. Although his parents begged him to give up the game because the environment was so hostile, George LaRaque refused to quit. “I loved hockey so much,” he told the National Hockey League Web site. “I couldn’t quit even though the kids would say the N-word and tell me this wasn’t my sport so I couldn’t play. It wasn’t right so I used it as motivation. I kept playing to show them they were wrong. In my mind, if I had quit, that would have proved they were right.” Finally, when George LaRaque was fourteen, his father moved the family into the more racially diverse city of Montreal, which became a turning point for George LaRaque’s game. First, he found a more open and accepting environment in which to play, and second, he began to mature into one of the biggest players on the ice. Growing to six-foot, three-inches and 230 pounds, George LaRaque was drafted into the NHL in 1995, and quickly formed his reputation as the league’s new enforcer. In 2008, he was named the number one enforcer by

Finally, when he was fourteen, his father moved the family into the more racially diverse city of Montreal, which became a turning point for George LaRaque’s game. First, he found a more open and accepting environment in which to play, and second, he began to mature into one of the biggest players on the ice. Growing to 6′ 3″ and 230 pounds, George LaRaque was drafted into the NHL in 1995, and quickly formed his reputation as the league’s new enforcer. In 2008, he was named the number one enforcer by Sports Illustrated. Over his career George LaRaque played for the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. Off of the ice he is known for his outgoing and friendly personality. Committed and passionate about a number of causes, including animal welfare, relief effort in Haiti, sports, supporting youth, and promoting active, healthy lifestyles, he continues to be involved with numerous charities and hopes to serve as a positive role model to young people.

Over his career Laraque played for the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. Off of the ice he is known for his outgoing and friendly personality. Committed and passionate about a number of causes, including animal welfare, relief effort in Haiti, sports, supporting youth, and promoting active, healthy lifestyles, he continues to be involved with numerous charities and hopes to serve as a positive role model to young people.

 

George LaRaque Related Media

Coming Soon!

George LaRaque Related Content

Articles & Magazine Feature

Montreal Canadiens: Georges Laraque Reveals His Top Five Tough Guys

A Winning Habit

During Thursday night’s installment of The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, he and his guest, former Montreal Canadiens tough guy and Quebec native, Georges Laraque touched on the added toughness in the Atlantic Division. Laraque’s passion for the fisticuffs on ice has translated into his off-ice media career, and he continues to discuss fighting in the sport and its importance.
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Articles & Magazine Feature

Former Hab Georges Laraque's Laval card store broken into, thief caught on camera

CTV NEWS

Former Montreal Canadiens enforcer George Laraque is looking for answers after his card store in Laval was robbed, and the thieves were caught on security camera. Laraque posted surveillance camera videos of the theft on his social media accounts and asked anyone who could identify the thief to contact the police. Video from around 1 a.m. on Friday shows an individual in a grey hoodie smash the front window of "Ultime Sports Collection Laval" with a tool and enter.
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Articles & Magazine Feature

‘Smashed and robbed’: Former NHL enforcer posts video of his collectables store getting broken into

GLOBAL NEWS

A sports shop owned by ex-Montreal Canadiens enforcer Georges Laraque was robbed overnight Thursday, and he is asking anyone who might recognize the thief to contact him. Laraque posted video footage to his various social media accounts on Friday showing his store, Ultime Sports Collection Laval, getting its windows smashed in and its collectible cards and other items stolen.
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Articles & Magazine Feature

Georges Laraque has been teaching Michael Pezzetta how to fight

Montreal Gazette

Former Montreal Canadiens tough-guy Georges Laraque has been teaching current Hab Michael Pezzetta how to improve his fighting skills. After the pair were spotted working together at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, Laraque tweeted, “for several years now, I have been training players to defend themselves or to fight on the ice.” Article content Laraque said the training session came about after Pezetta asked him for a private session, which he offered for free — as is the case with “any other player whom I help.”
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George LaRaque Topic Presentations

The Story of the Nhl's Unlikeliest Tough Guy

  • Virtual PresentationKeynote PresentationWorkshop SessionHalf Day TrainingFull Day Training
  • Think you know NHL tough guy Georges Laraque? Think again. In this intimate, often surprising, biography, Laraque tells the story of a hockey player’s life that is unlike any other, from a childhood facing racism in Quebec’s minor hockey system, to the thrill of the Stanley Cup Finals as an Edmonton Oiler, and sharing a dressing room with Sidney Crosby—and from dropping the gloves on the ice to refusing to back down from much more serious fights off the ice. Honest, startling, and brave, this is a portrait of a hockey player unlike any you’ve seen before.

George LaRaque Speaking Testimonials

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George LaRaque Montreal, Quebec, Canada

George LaRaque Keynote Speaker delivers customized and tailored keynote presentations, workshops, and training sessions on a wide variety of topics. Each presentation is unique and are designed for a variety of audiences, industries, conferences, and event formats.

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When SBC receives a request to book George LaRaque we provide you with their speaker fees, travel costs and check their schedules. We work closely with the host organization's event planning team and the speaker to handle the logistics and to relay or negotiate associated costs. Our talented team members then will work with our talent directly or their agent/manager/assistant to confirm the Canadian speaker fee and travel expenses, so that event planning teams can receive an official quote for the speaker appearing at the event. Speaker fees and travel costs vary per speaker and our role is to contact George LaRaque about your event, after we have connected with the event organizers to learn all the event details and/or conference program. Each booking request is unique since session durations and audience sizes can vary which may affect the speaker's fees. If you are looking to hire George LaRaque, we recommend filling out the booking request form so a booking agent from Speakers Bureau Canada can get in touch with our talent to help you coordinate with your team to engage the speaker for a successful event.