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Georges Laraque wants to help move an elephant out of Edmonton

Georges Laraque

FILE--This April 14, 2009 file photo shows Montreal Canadiens Georges Laraque stretches during a practice in Brossard,Canada. Laraque and the Montreal Canadiens officially parted ways Tuesday June 15, 2010 when the NHL club announced it would buy out the final season of Laraque’s contract. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Paul Chiasson)

AP

Now that he’s in retirement, former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque has become better known for his spins on the ice on CBC’s “Battle of the Blades” as well as an occasional political activist for the Green Party. After an NHL career in which he racked up 1,126 penalty minutes over 12 seasons, Laraque is moving on to a career as an activist of sorts. You may also better know him for his role in helping the NHL raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti where his family hails from.

Big Georges is also apparently a big time animal lover as well. When I say a “big time” animal lover I am referring to the size of the beast. Laraque is petitioning an Edmonton zoo to have an elephant from there moved to a warm weather elephant sanctuary. CTV Montreal has the story.

Former hockey pugilist Georges Laraque is offering up $100,000 if the City of Edmonton will move Lucy, a zoo elephant he says is suffering from cold and isolation.

Laraque has written a letter to Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel, saying he will put the money toward a new downtown hockey rink or to other projects if the city will move the 35-year-old Asian elephant to a warm-weather elephant sanctuary.

He says Lucy’s health problems and signs of mental distress mandate a move, adding that elephant exhibits -- especially in cold climates -- are out of date and being phased out.


You don’t usually get to see this side of an NHL player past or present and it’s pretty cool to see a guy who made his living beating the snot out of his opponents doing so much to help causes like this that do some good things. Branching it out to do something to help an animal in captivity and turning it into something to benefit the Edmonton community is truly something for the feel-good department not to mention being incredibly random as well.

(stick tap to Kukla’s Korner for finding this one)