Georges Laraque became a fan favourite in Edmonton during his long tenure with the Oilers to begin his career, drawing enormous cheers from the crowds at Rexall Place with his huge hits, energetic fights, and timely goals.
Now, the retired hockey player turned retired politician has taken up a new calling: training up-and-coming tough guys on how to fight. And his two current pupils are a pair of Alberta boys, one of whom already took the NHL by storm late last season.
“I’m training Matt Rempe and Tyrel Bauer for hockey fighting, this week in Edmonton, at the Silent Ice arena,” Laraque tweeted on Monday evening. “If you thought Rempe was a problem this year in the NHL, wait till you see him this coming season…”
I’m training Matt Rempe and Tyrel Bauer for hockey fighting, this week in Edmonton, at the Silent Ice arena. If you thought Rempe was a problem this year in the @NHL, wait till you see him this coming season…
J’entraîne Matt Rempe et Tyrel Bauer aux combats de hockey,… pic.twitter.com/Y0zjWNTJjl
— Georges Laraque (@GeorgesLaraque) July 8, 2024
The 22-year-old Rempe is a 6’7″ forward who racked up 71 penalty minutes in just 17 games with the Rangers during the 2023-24 regular season. He added one goal and 10 penalty minutes in 11 playoff contests with the Rangers this spring.
Rempe’s antics attracted a considerable amount of media scrutiny after he first joined the Rangers, particularly directed toward how often he chose to fight after doing so significantly less with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The Calgary-born forward routinely sported a black eye while playing with the Rangers down the stretch last season.
On the Rangers’ locker cleanout day last month, Rempe noted to the media that he wanted to spend time improving his fighting technique this summer.
“I also want to work on the fighting,” Rempe said. “I want to be the guy. I really enjoy that side of the game, and I want to continue to work on that. And then it’s getting stronger, filling into my body more, my mobility – everything. I’ve got a lot of work to do, and I’ve always done that. I think as a sixth-round pick, I’ve kind of always exceeded expectations.”
Laraque’s other client, Tyrel Bauer, is a 6’3″ winger in the Winnipeg Jets organization who managed seven points and 83 penalty minutes in 56 games with the Manitoba Moose last season. The Jets originally selected the Cochrane, AB product in the sixth round (No. 164 overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
