MONTREAL - Georges Laraque couldn't have picked a better time to score the first goal of his Canadiens career.
With relatives still missing in the Haitian earthquake, the hulking enforcer bore down in the crease early in the second period in a 5-3 victory over the slumping Dallas Stars on Thursday night.
"It was a magic moment," said Laraque, who had not scored a goal in his 58 previous games for the Canadiens.
"I dedicate this goal to all the Haitians, to my family members and to all of those who lost loved ones or who are looking for them."
Honoured victims
Before the game, the Canadiens held a moment's silence and launched a fund-raising campaign for the earthquake victims. In a scoreboard appeal, team president Pierre Boivin pointed out that the city is home to about 100,000 Haitians and that two players in the game -- Laraque and Stars defenceman Maxime Fortunus -- are Montrealers of Haitian descent.
''It was tough getting into the game,'' said Laraque, whose parents are from Haiti. ''What was going on there was going through my head.
''And to be playing against another Haitian -- what are the odds of that?''
Laraque got some good news Thursday. His uncle who spends winters in Haiti is OK. But there are still distant relatives he hasn't heard from.
