Only fools never change their minds.

He wants to finish his career as a Pen. He’s won his Cups and individual awards; he has nothing left to prove or accomplish.

I would think most teams are going to draft for talent in the long-term over the potential of a more immediate return in bottom-of-the-lineup guys or tweeners. They’re over-agers for a reason and, while they may turn into something useful, their runway is fairly short. The Avs are in “win now” mode so drafting over-agers makes sense for them but I wouldn’t expect it to become a common strategy across the league.

Georges Laraque did acknowledge that the information was false, which shows he’s capable of humility and of owning up to his statements a rare gesture in the public sphere. In the Gallant situation, he relayed in the conditional tense information provided by his sources. That linguistic choice matters: it kept the information in the realm of rumor, not stated fact. Unfortunately, that nuance often gets lost when a rumor spreads quickly on social media. And let’s be honest some fans tend to react very strongly to even the slightest rumor, without taking the time to consider the context or intent.

We can also point to the Taylor Hall situation, when Laraque stated that the player had entered rehab, then later retracted the claim publicly. But saying that the information was “100% false” doesn’t automatically make it so. It was a highly sensitive and private matter, and it’s entirely plausible that Laraque was contacted quickly or even encouraged to retract his statement to protect Hall’s privacy. It’s possible he didn’t have permission to reveal that information publicly, and chose to deny it in an effort to minimize harm.

Georges Laraque is indeed not a journalist that’s true but he has many contacts throughout the NHL, and he often tries to bring something extra to the public conversation by sharing information he receives, sometimes exclusively. He does so with a genuine intent to engage his audience, foster discussion, and provide a different look behind the scenes of hockey.

Like anyone who speaks publicly on sensitive topics, he sometimes makes mistakes or is misinterpreted. And this isn’t unique to him: even the best journalists have seen their words taken out of context or challenged after the fact. Does that make them “clowns”? I don’t think so.

If we start labeling anyone who slips up or whose information changes over time as a clown, we’d be dismissing a good number of analysts, broadcasters, and reporters. Laraque, for all his strengths and flaws, is part of that media landscape. He deserves to be critiqued absolutely but with a baseline of respect.

The solid evidence is Laraque stating, “After further verifications I can say that this information was 100% wrong,”
He did the same thing with Gerard
Galant and the Habs. He’s an attention-seeking clown, but you can respect him if that’s your thing.

It’s important to show respect, especially when speaking about public figures. Whether you like Georges Laraque or not, he’s always been transparent and taken responsibility for his statements. Calling him a “clown” just because you disagree with him leans more toward a personal attack than constructive criticism.
 
As for Taylor Hall, Laraque stated: “Hall had off-ice issues and went through rehab during the summer he was traded (2016).” That’s not a comment made lightly, it fits within a broader context where several sources had raised concerns about Hall’s off-ice challenges at the time.
 
So, if someone wants to dispute that information, they need to go beyond indignation and ask a serious question: What solid evidence do you have that Hall never went through rehab? Because without strong facts, accusing Laraque of “making it all up” is doing exactly what he’s being criticized for: speculating without proof.

Intellectual honesty also means knowing when you don’t hold all the facts.

Laraque is a known clown who made up rumors about Taylor Hall going to rehab.