College Sports
Laraque impressed with diverse group of youth players at Willie O’Ree Academy
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Georges Laraque surveyed the lobby of the Pittsburgh Penguins practice facility on Tuesday afternoon and smiled. “I’m looking at this now, I can’t believe how many young Black kids, diverse kids, girls, are here playing hockey,” Laraque, who was a forward for the Penguins for two seasons (2006-08) in his 12-year […]

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Georges Laraque surveyed the lobby of the Pittsburgh Penguins practice facility on Tuesday afternoon and smiled.
“I’m looking at this now, I can’t believe how many young Black kids, diverse kids, girls, are here playing hockey,” Laraque, who was a forward for the Penguins for two seasons (2006-08) in his 12-year NHL career, said at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. “This shows you how much hockey has evolved.”
Laraque returned to Pittsburgh for the first time since 2008 to be a guest coach at the Willie O’Ree Academy, a five-year-old training and enrichment program established by the Penguins and presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods. It is for local youth hockey players ages 10-17 to help them advance their skills while developing a strong social support network.
Nearly 40 boys and girls were put through their paces on the ice by Laraque, who was joined by Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph and retired forward Colby Armstrong, who played three of his eight NHL seasons with Pittsburgh (2005-08).
“It’s really my honor to be with these guys,” Joseph said. “It’s gratifying to see that hockey is going in the right direction and taking the steps towards having a more different culture in hockey, and [becoming] more accessible for everyone to be able to play a game.”