George LaRaque
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Montreal, Quebec
Community Champion & Role Model | Inspiring Youth Through Sports | Charity And Advocacy
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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 Content
George LaRaque Topic Presentations
The Story of the Nhl's Unlikeliest Tough Guy
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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
George LaRaque Speaker Topic Ideas
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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