If they were still playing in the NHL, you'd likely expect Donald Brashear and Georges Laraque to drop the gloves and duke it. Now that both are retired, things are different and Laraque has come out in support of Brashear after stories showing the former NHL enforcer had taken a job at a Tim Hortons in Quebec City.
Laraque's post on social media was aimed at the National Post, one of the largest outlets to run the story on Brashear. "There's no such thing as a stupid job, there's only stupid people," Laraque wrote. "Every trade has value and requires qualities in the worker."
Laraque's post was accompanied by a picture of him behind the counter at a Tim Hortons in full uniform with a pot of the chain's signature coffee.
Several media outlets ran with the story of Brashear working at a Tim Hortons with the implication being that he had squandered the millions of dollars he made over the course of 17 NHL seasons, was in dire need of money, and had taken on a job that was seemingly beneath him. However, comments from the owner of the restaurant, who is a former NHLer himself and a friend of Brashear's, painted a different story. Pierre Sévigny indicated he needed help at his Tim Hortons and Brashear was looking for more stability and routine after some run-ins with the law. Whatever the case, as many were quick to point out, a job is a job and no one should be criticized for where they choose to work.
It's also worth noting that when the National Post first tweeted the story regarding Brashear and his new job, it was accompanied by a picture of Laraque. The tweet was quickly removed and replaced with one showing a picture of the proper former player.
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