You probably know Georges Laraque as a former NHL player. Maybe you also know him as a speaker, entrepreneur, or advocate. But before all of that, there was a young boy with a dream: to play in the National Hockey League.
A dream that, to say the least, didn’t come with the easiest path.
In his autobiography, La force d’y croire, Georges takes readers behind the scenes of his journey. Not just the moments in the spotlight, the games, and his professional career. He also shares what he had to overcome to get there, the obstacles that could have made him give up, and the experiences that helped shape the man he is today.
Because behind the hockey player the public knows is a story that explains a lot.
Before the NHL, There Was a Dream
From an early age, Georges Laraque wanted to play in the NHL. On paper, the rest of the story almost seems straightforward: he works hard, reaches his goal, and goes on to enjoy a long professional career.
In real life? It was a lot more complicated.
On his path to professional hockey, Georges had to deal with racism, among other challenges. At one point, things became difficult enough that he considered giving up on his dream.
And that’s exactly when a book entered his story.
The Book That Changed Georges Laraque’s Journey
Long before writing La force d’y croire, Georges Laraque was deeply impacted by someone else’s autobiography: Jackie Robinson’s.
The first Black player in the modern era of Major League Baseball, Robinson was one of Georges’ heroes. By discovering his story and the obstacles he had overcome, Georges found something he needed at that exact moment: a reason to keep going.
The book made him realize that a personal story can have an impact far beyond the person telling it.
And an idea began to take shape.
If Jackie Robinson’s story had helped him keep pursuing his own dream, maybe one day his story could do the same for someone else.
That’s where the desire to eventually write his own autobiography began. Years later, that idea would become La force d’y croire.
La force d’y croire: More Than Hockey
Of course, it’s impossible to tell Georges Laraque’s story without talking about hockey. His NHL career is an important part of his journey, and the book gives readers a glimpse behind the scenes.
But reducing La force d’y croire to a book about hockey would miss the point.
Because a career is never built solely on what the public gets to see.
Behind the games are motivations. Behind the decisions are values. Behind the successes are doubts, challenges, and moments when moving forward takes far more effort than anyone might imagine.
That’s the part of his story Georges also wanted to tell.
Getting to Know the Man Behind the Public Figure
When someone spends years in the public eye, people inevitably get to know a certain version of them.
For Georges, many first discovered him as a hockey player and one of the NHL’s most recognizable enforcers. Others came to know him later through his public appearances, speaking engagements, advocacy, or various projects.
La force d’y croire takes us back to the beginning.
It provides a better understanding of where some of his motivations and values come from, as well as how the different stages of his life influenced the path that followed. That’s also how Georges presents his autobiography today: as an opportunity to learn more about his motivations, his values, and the behind-the-scenes story of his career.
And when you know the story behind the man, some of the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place differently.
Why Tell His Story?
That’s probably what makes the story behind La force d’y croire so interesting: the project didn’t begin with the idea of publishing a book.
It began with a young Georges reading one.
An autobiography came into his life during a difficult time. He saw himself in the story, found inspiration in it, and decided to keep pursuing his goal. Years later, after achieving his dream of playing in the NHL, he was able to put his own story on paper.
There’s something pretty special about that full-circle moment.
And suddenly, the title takes on its full meaning: La force d’y croire.
Believing in a goal when everything is going well is one thing. Continuing to believe when the road becomes much more difficult than expected is another.
Discover Another Side of Georges Laraque
Think you know Georges Laraque?
His autobiography might have a few surprises in store for you.
La force d’y croire takes readers back to where it all began and reveals the journey behind the career: that of a young hockey enthusiast with an enormous goal ahead of him and plenty of obstacles standing in his way.
Years after being inspired by Jackie Robinson’s story, Georges is now sharing his own.
And maybe his story will give someone else the strength to believe, too.
The book is available in print on eBay and in digital format through Éditions de l’Homme.