George Laraque Blog

[12Newf 0]

Laraque seems like one hell of a guy to me and i have enjoyed his blogs a great deal on sportsnet. the guy is just so honest that its refreshing and to hear him talk about being scared out of his mind seems crazy. anyway, this is a truly great article,

enjoy

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/blogs/2009/...aque_last_word/

i was going to post it as a quote but its just too long.

[esteef 2,679]

"The Code says things like:

not fighting a guy at the end of his shift

not jumping guys to get a head start

never punch a guy when he's down (that's the most important thing for me; players -- and referees -- know I never do)

and, especially, don't celebrate after a fight. You see that stuff a lot in junior hockey, but for guys who do it in the NHL, it's embarrassing and shows no respect for the other guy. Remember that everything you do comes back to you; you do that, it will happen to you because everyone is watching and talking! "

See Sidney Crosby.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I don't think guys like Dave Brown or Tie Domi ever heard of this supposed "code".

Laraque is a guy I've grown to dislike over the years due to his fighting style and his lack of fights. Hard to call this wrestler an enforcer in my book.

[esteef 2,679]

Interesting...

"When you have a heavyweight on your team, that presence makes the other team accountable and could save your star player from getting hurt.

So many teams and many examples have happened in the past where teams had been suffering because they didn't have a tough guy and if some of you are still not convinced and still think I don't know what I'm talking about, ask the guys who sweat and play the game. Ask them how big of a difference they see when they play on a team that has a heavyweight compared to a team that does not have one. You'll get your response there and that from quite elite players!

For example, we can talk about how last summer, all the tough guys were signed quite quickly and before any other player, other than the obvious nine or 10 megastars. Who is the first player Pittsburgh signed this summer? Eric Goddard, three-year contract, figure it out. As much as you need a fighter, a good one that can play is hard to find and the teams that have them won't let them go, in general! lol! A sniper is easy to get: you wait for the trading deadline when pending unrestricted guys will be available and you take your pick. But at that time, all the tough guys are taken and not available, also probably because a lot of us are not making big money and are easy on the salary cap! lol!" -- Laraque

esteef

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Interesting...

"When you have a heavyweight on your team, that presence makes the other team accountable and could save your star player from getting hurt.

So many teams and many examples have happened in the past where teams had been suffering because they didn't have a tough guy and if some of you are still not convinced and still think I don't know what I'm talking about, ask the guys who sweat and play the game. Ask them how big of a difference they see when they play on a team that has a heavyweight compared to a team that does not have one. You'll get your response there and that from quite elite players!

For example, we can talk about how last summer, all the tough guys were signed quite quickly and before any other player, other than the obvious nine or 10 megastars. Who is the first player Pittsburgh signed this summer? Eric Goddard, three-year contract, figure it out. As much as you need a fighter, a good one that can play is hard to find and the teams that have them won't let them go, in general! lol! A sniper is easy to get: you wait for the trading deadline when pending unrestricted guys will be available and you take your pick. But at that time, all the tough guys are taken and not available, also probably because a lot of us are not making big money and are easy on the salary cap! lol!" -- Laraque

esteef

I have a feeling that the anti-enforcer posters on LGW have no idea what the hell Laraque is referring to in that paragraph.

[uk_redwing 495]

That was a pretty good blog...but hes no Tomas Kopecky...

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

Good read. I've always liked Laraque and this helped reinforce it.

And I always liked this one too (start at 0:50)- oldie but goodie

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

I have a feeling that the anti-enforcer posters on LGW have no idea what the hell Laraque is referring to in that paragraph.

Now why would you have that feeling GMR? We all at LGW know our enforcer is our powerplay.

Edited January 5, 2009 by ManLuv4Clears

[thedisappearer 291]

I have a feeling that the anti-enforcer posters on LGW have no idea what the hell Laraque is referring to in that paragraph.

Gee, would Laraque have any bias towards the value added by enforcers? He seems to be an unbiased opinion on the matter.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Now why would you have that feeling GMR? We all at LGW know our enforcer is our powerplay.

Sadly, many people do feel that way around here.

Gee, would Laraque have any bias towards the value added by enforcers? He seems to be an unbiased opinion on the matter.

I'm waiting for posters to give explanations as to why what Laraque said doesn't apply to our team, and how we're supposedly different than everyone else. I can feel those silly arguments coming as this thread goes on.

Oh and if you must know, I've heard skilled players say those same things that Laraque has. Some of them actually play on this Wings team. What do you think of that?

Edited January 6, 2009 by GMRwings1983

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I have a feeling that the anti-enforcer posters on LGW have no idea what the hell Laraque is referring to in that paragraph.

Wonderful, this b.s. again.

As for the blog itself, I liked it very much.

Edited January 6, 2009 by SouthernWingsFan

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Wonderful, this b.s. again.

As for the blog itself, I liked it very much.

Hey, whether you like it or not, Laraque's statements are something that I've heard many skilled players state over and over again, and this fact is something that the majority of LGW believes either doesn't exist or doesn't apply to this team.

Your post was the only B.S. in this thread so far.

[BlueMonk 102]

Very entertaining read. Very cool that he's so candid. It's not often you get that much insight from an active player. Most of these guys write stuff like that years after they hang 'em up.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Hey, whether you like it or not, Laraque's statements are something that I've heard many skilled players state over and over again, and this fact is something that the majority of LGW believes either doesn't exist or doesn't apply to this team.

Your post was the only B.S. in this thread so far.

Nah, yours was as well with the anti-enforcer B.S. Your act with the anti-enforcer statement is old. It is not an all or nothing deal like you think it is, and I'm not going down this road of explaining why as it has been beaten to the ground about 6000 times in here.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Another relevant aspect, especially for those who like to point out how Downey didn't play a playoff game last season, trying to prove he wasn't important.

One of the best stories that I will never forget is when the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1990 and the first guy Mark Messier gave the Cup to was Dave Brown, even though he hadn't played one playoff game. But all season long Brown made sure guys like Mark had all the room they needed, and trust me they did. That was just another reason why Mark Messier will always be my all-time favourite player.

I also thought it was interesting how part of the code is not to fight a guy at the end of a shift. Makes sense, but it's something I never thought of.

[Echolalia 2,961]

What an awesome read

[adtthosa 5]

There's something funny about Georges Laraque using "lol", but yeah this was a really good read.

[skacore 2]

Good read.

It almost seems unfair as a fan to not have a guy like that to rally behind.

[ComradeWasabi 109]

Regardless of any of our stances on enforcers, I think almost everyone would prefer to have a fighter in the lineup than Kopecky at this point, simply because we wouldnt' be losing anything if Kopecky was out.

[Nev 1,085]

I have a feeling that the anti-enforcer posters on LGW have no idea what the hell Laraque is referring to in that paragraph.

And I wonder if all the pro-enforcer posters on LGW have any idea what the hell Laraque is referring to in this paragraph

As much as you need a fighter, a good one that can play is hard to find and the teams that have them won't let them go

Edited January 6, 2009 by Nev

[Zion 93]

^ That about sums it up for me.

And someone should teach this "Code" to losers like Corey Perry and Jordin Tootoo. These kids aren't being raised right. I blame the parents for dropping their children on their heads.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

[spock]Fascinating.[/spock]

[Guest E_S_A_D]

Good read.

It almost seems unfair as a fan to not have a guy like that to rally behind.

Agreed.

My favorite part-

Fighting has changed a lot over the years. A lot of guys are lucky they weren't in the league 15 years ago. In those days, everyone was tough, everyone fought, and everyone was held accountable. Now, there's no policing, players are getting slashed in the face, guys are getting elbowed and hit in the head, and more and more guys are getting hit from behind.

Speaking of which, it's a real joke now how guys are turning their back to checks. For a physical player, it makes the job harder because you always have to be ready to stop in case the player turns his back to you. It's a joke how some players turn around at the last moment to draw a penalty. In the past, nobody turned and if you did, too bad. But hitting from behind wasn't a problem then. Guys were always ready, so there's simple way to fix it by taking away the instigator rule. Let's do an experiment and take it out for a year and see how many fewer cheap shots we would see. Of course, there would be more fights but hey, isn't fighting popular? Who are the most loved players of every team in general? Fighters! We want to grow the game; fighting would certainly help.

Jody Shelley has been providing the physical spark for the West-leading Sharks.

I remember back in the day, people would show up three hours before the game because they knew that Probert and Domi were going to get into a fight. Isn't that excitement? Now times have changed. My theory was always that the fan who worked 9 to 5, who worked his ass off and got dirty at work, identified more with a fighter because just like them we don't have it easy and have to get dirty too. Interesting theory, huh? And in blue-collar towns, it's definitely the case!

Now the big question: do we need a heavyweight? Yes, and here's tons of reasons why: The top team in the West is San Jose, leading the charge with Jody Shelley. They have a team to go to war with if you look at their lineup and also with all the skills they have. I think they skated quite freely out there. And the top team in the East is Boston, leading the charge with Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara. Those teams are not just doing great this year but are built for the physicality of the playoffs. We can talk about the Ducks that won the Cup and led the league in fighting. When you have a heavyweight on your team, that presence makes the other team accountable and could save your star player from getting hurt.

[Guest E_S_A_D]

This blog is exactly why I'm a hockey fan, this type of mentality he mentions from 15 years past. We would NOT have the injuries today if the instigator was removed, it's stupid. Also, if players remembered THE CODE...

This turning from a check to draw a penalty b.s. is sickening. 15 years ago, that was hockey... Many children on this board wouldn't remember those days as they still had training wheels that needed oiling.

[12Newf 0]

This blog is exactly why I'm a hockey fan, this type of mentality he mentions from 15 years past. We would NOT have the injuries today if the instigator was removed, it's stupid. Also, if players remembered THE CODE...

This turning from a check to draw a penalty b.s. is sickening. 15 years ago, that was hockey... Many children on this board wouldn't remember those days as they still had training wheels that needed oiling.

im only 23 and i easily remember those days. i remember being coached that same way and the idea of turning your back to a check was unheard of.

regardless of the instigator rule there will always be cheap shots because there will always be a demand for players like tootoo who specialize in that type of play. people take stupid retaliatory penalties all the time so i just dont buy it that the instigator stops people from getting jumped.