Vol. 31 | No. 07 | Issue #323 | July 2019
COVER PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
EDITOR’S NOTE
THE
RENAISSANCE
MAN
This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding
that information presented is from various sources from which
there can be no warranty or responsibility by Beckett Media, LLC
as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.I
ran into a former NHL player at a civic event a few weeks back.
A er exchanging pleasantries, I asked him how he was enjoying
retirement. e smile disappeared from his face. “Honestly,” he said,
“half the time I don’t know what to do with myself.”
Georges Laraque clearly isn’t having the same problem fi lling his
post-playing days. In the nine years since he last laced ‘em up for the
Montreal Canadiens, the 42-year-old seems to have found time to do
virtually everything. He’s written a highly entertaining memoir, hosted
a radio program, served as the deputy leader of Canada’s Green Party,
appeared on CBC’s “Battle of the Blades” and “Canada Reads,” fought
MMA legend Georges St-Pierre, made a memorable cameo in the cult
classic “Goon,” partnered in several vegan restaurants and spearheaded
charitable eff orts for (among other causes) the earthquake victims of
Haiti.
And just last year, the 6-foot-3, 300-pounder won top prize in a
Montreal Pride drag contest a er performing Whitney Houston’s “I
Will Always Love You” in a wedding dress.
Participating in the event clearly had special meaning to Laraque.
“I don’t see any diff erence from racial discrimination, and discrimi-
nation toward sexual orientation,” he told e S t a r. “It’s the same fi ght.
So for me, calling me the ‘N’ word, and not accepting someone as
homosexual is the same thing,” he said.
“I’ve had to stick up for myself my whole life and now I’m sticking
up for others.”
Laraque’s latest adventure sees the lifelong collector living out his
hobby dream as a partner in a Montreal card shop. Our story, by Bill
Hoppe, starts on pg. 10.
“For so many years all I did was [fi ght],” he said. “I was a fi ghter
and I was viewed like that. To me, it’s awesome to show that I can do
other things.”
At this point, it’s hard to imagine there’s anything he can’t do.
AL MUIR • [email protected] • @almuirsi on Twitter
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