WESTLOCK – The Soul Sisters Memorial Foundation is back with its annual Sports Night event with this year’s set to feature former Edmonton Oilers’ Georges Laraque, a man who’s been billed as “The Unlikeliest Tough Guy” in hockey.
This Feb. 24 event at the Westlock and District Community Hall is general seating and is only for ages 16 and up — doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $40 each and available at simplytickets.ca or at MTech Printing & Signs Inc, 9940 - 107th St in Westlock.
At 6’4”, 245 pounds, Laraque played in the National Hockey League for 13 years with the Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens and retired in 2010. During his NHL career, he was nicknamed “Big Georges” and was known for his toughness on ice and was considered primarily as an enforcer at the NHL level.
Laraque was born in Montreal Dec. 7, 1976, the oldest of three children of parents who had immigrated from Haiti as refugees. Physical activity was a priority in the Laraque family and when he was five, the family moved from friendly Montreal to Sorel-Tracy in southwestern Quebec, where they faced racism and bullying.
His role as an enforcer in the NHL apparently led to a lot of anxiety, and in a podcast, he describes the pressure from his father to do whatever it takes to make the team. But being a mean guy is not his natural personality.
Anyone attending Sports Night will probably learn much more about him, which will also feature special guest, Ryan Straschnitzki, a former Humbolt Bronco player who was involved in the horrific bus crash, April 16, 2018, that killed 16, including the bus driver, coach, assistants and several of his teammates. Straschnitzki survived but was left with serious crippling injuries.
MC for the evening, Rod Kaliel of the Westlock Senior Warriors hockey team, said due to time and other commitments and distance, Straschnitzki won’t be at the event in person, but will appear via Zoom.
Soul Sisters president Christine Vachon said the evening will also include a ‘hot stove panel’ with both Laraque and Straschnitzki, as well as others, participating.
