New Habs Player Profile - Georges Laraque
Name - Georges Laraque
Position - Right Wing
Born - Dec 7, 1976 (Montreal, Quebec)
Height - 6′ 3″
Weight - 243 lbs
Canadiens Jersey # - 17
Well, the Canadiens have been unable to land prized free agent Mats Sundin thus far, and it looks unlikely that they will, but Bob Gainey has made a few roster moves this off-season, including bringing in some toughness in the form of league heavyweight, Georges Laraque.
Laraque has been one of the NHL’s most dominant fighters during his career, and his presence in the Canadiens lineup will not only act as a deterrent to those looking to mess with stars like Kovalev and Koivu, but will also take the pressure off rising star defenseman, Mike Komisarek, who was forced to fill that role for the past couple of seasons.
Fans who are not familiar with Laraque shouldn’t be tempted to dismiss him as just another goon. Sure, it will be his main role on the team, but Laraque brings other aspects to the table. He’s played over 600 games in the NHL, and has twice been to the Stanley Cup finals. On this young Canadiens team that sort of experience is invaluable. Despite his time in the game, Laraque still has an almost child-like enthusiasm for the game of hockey, and you can see his passion come through on each and every shift. That sort of energy is infectious, and his teammates will feed off of it. Fans love to see that passion, especially in this day and age where the game itself has taken a back seat to the business side of the sport. Mark my words: It won’t take long for Big George to become a fan favorite.
Laraque will wear Canadiens jersey # 17 this season. He has worn jersey #27 throughout his career, but that number belongs to Alexei Kovalev. Something tells me Kovalev won’t be willing to arm-wrestle for the rights to wear it.
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