the griff

Doug Johnson - arts editor

Georges Laraque’s autobiographical book, Georges Laraque: The Story of the NHL’s Unlikeliest Tough Guy, is an unabashed portrayal of the issues at the forefront of its author’s mind.

Laraque says he had two major dreams growing up — to play professional hockey and to write a book. Both of these dreams came true, though he was somewhat surprised to find himself writing a book at the age of 35 as he has so many more experiences to live through.

Laraque cites Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player’s autobiography as a prime influence on both his book and life. Robinson’s Biography, says Laraque, inspired him to push through racism towards his dreams. “What he had to endure,” says Laraque of Robinson, “it was crazy. When I read that, it gave me the fuel to do the same thing as he did, using every racial slur as motivation to make it.”

The ex-hockey player finds the English title of the book, attached to it by Penguin Publishing to give it punch, misrepresentative of the book. He prefers the French title that, he says, translates to “The Power of Believing.” The English title also seems to imply that the book is primarily about his time in the NHL.

The book, says Laraque, only discusses hockey on several points. He mainly refers to hockey as a kind of metaphor for following your dreams, as that’s what he did. “Everyone knew I played hockey but it’s not talking about hockey that’s going to inspire people. Obviously, I talk about [how] hockey was a dream for me as a kid, and when I talk about dreams,” he says, “I talk about how everyone that has a dream that if they work towards it and put all their energy into it, everything is possible.”

But, Laraque says, “It’s about my life and my life is not hockey.”

The book, Laraque says, is very much written in the way he talks. He used the opportunity to write on a number of topics that interest him, from his role as tough guy to the Dalai Lama to veganism. “

“I talk about my trip to Haiti, to Africa,” says Laraque, “because I talk to people here in Canada who always complain about everything — the food, the traffic, the music or a hockey team — and when you go to those countries, ones where people have real reasons to complain, they’re singing, they’re dancing, finding reason to live. They’re an inspiration. I tell everybody to go to a poor country for three days — it will change your life. You’ll be a better person, a different person.”

Though writing a book was a childhood dream of Laraque’s, he is in no rush to write another book. “It took so much time and energy. I admire people who write books for a living,” Laraque says. “It’s a lot of work.”