Ha! Georges Laraque, top NHL goon is going vegetarian!

[flvegan]

Generally recognized as the heavyweight champion of the NHL - in 700 regular season and playoff games, he has scored 56 goals and served 1,166 minutes in penalties - the Canadiens' forward has joined the fight for more humane treatment of animals. Laraque was among the protesters when the North American Fur & Fashion Exposition was held here early this month.

I did not attend the demo and would not have known about its celebrity participant except for a photo that surfaced on the Internet. Pictured are Laraque, wearing a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals T-shirt, and a woman holding a placard on which a photo of a butchered baby seal bears the caption "Your Fur Had a Face."

The woman is my daughter. She is active in the animal rights' movement, a political commitment of which I am immensely proud.

"I saw a video called Earthlings," Laraque said. "It shows the way animals are mistreated by humans."

Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix with an original musical score by Moby, Earthlings is, as Laraque says, a powerful indictment of human cruelty toward the species that share this planet (thus the title).

"(Earthlings) shows slaughterhouses where animals suffer," Laraque said. "They're not even killed in a way that would prevent them from feeling pain."

Everywhere he has played, Laraque has been active in the community. Yesterday, he was playing indoor soccer in Brossard. Today, it's wheelchair hockey at Joseph Charbonneau high school in Villeray.

For a guy who makes his living pounding on opponents, Laraque is a big, kid-friendly teddy bear away from the rink. The key adjective is big: Laraque carries about 250 pounds on his 6-foot, 3-inch frame.

It will be interesting to see whether the champ can remain a heavyweight on a diet of tofu. Laraque had an appointment with a diet consultant last week. He has targeted June 1 as Day One of his vegetarian life.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Sports/Habs+tough+joins+fight+better+treatment+animals/1626608/story.html

[LeftyMom]

1. The jokes just write themselves.