With 30 teams in the NHL and more than 41 players of colour on rosters this season, there’s more to the league than Calgary captain Jarome Iginla. P.K. Subban, (Montreal Canadiens) and Dustin Byfuglien, (Chicago Blackhawks) were both integral to their teams during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“Oh, it was unbelievable,” he says. “Breaking into the NHL was great, I’ll remember that. Scoring my first goal, I mean, it was like yesterday. But, the Order of Canada, it’s right there. I have had some wonderful things happen to me since I came aboard the NHL, but this was breathtaking. It really was.”

He has made a point of engaging in the community throughout his career. Rallying in his charge for earthquake relief are the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the league itself. Each organization donated $100,000 to Laraque’s project, Hockey for Haiti.