A look at Luke Laraque's youth hockey career and how he made his way to the SHL.

Stockholm, Sweden

As with most highly touted hockey prospects, Laraque's hockey days started when he was just a child, getting on skates at the age of 4 years old. Our story will follow Mr. Laraque starting with his age 13 season with the vaunted Frölunda HC. Luke's story starts in a way you normally wouldn't expect from the 10th overall pick in the SMJHL Draft; he was struggling mightily. Playing for the Under 16 2nd team in the Frölunda system, Luke was playing in a 3rd line role amassing a meager 4 points in 12 games. Frölunda had begun to sour on Laraque, starting to shop his rights before he even got a shot to prove himself. Djurgårdens IF, a team always looking to improve their youth system, came calling for his rights. Laraque vowed that Frölunda would regret their decision to trade him at such a young age. He finished the season with 38 points in the final 20 games of the season, playing primarily for the 1st line of Djurgårdens.

The next year Laraque was promoted to the U16 1st team where he amassed 22 goals and 30 assists in 20 games played. Youth hockey players who have aspirations of playing professionally generally aren't afforded the opportunity to play at a team near their family. This was an all too familiar reality for Laraque before he was traded to Djurgårdens. Growing up in Stockholm, Laraque was over 5 hours by car from his parents and siblings. Not an easy undertaking at only 13 years old.

In his year 15 season he split his time between the U18 Allsvenskan and U18 Elit teams for Djurgårdens. He performed extremely well in both leagues amassing a total of 24 goals and 38 assists in 32 games played. Life was looking great for Laraque at this time, he was close to home, he was playing well, and he could enjoy the normal things a 15 year old would enjoy. He thought he was invincible. Right when the sense of comfort creeped in, that's when adversity and heartbreak cut in. During a routine play cutting around the back of the net in Djurgårdens's first playoff game, Laraque's left leg buckled in excruciating pain. He had torn his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on a simple cross over maneuver.

Laraque spent the next eight months of his life in different stages of immobility. He had surgery a few days after the injury and the clock started ticking towards recovery. Through rehab he trained hard, always giving 110% at anything he was doing to support his recovery. In the end he returned to Djurgårdens a week before the end of the season. He suited up for 3 games for the U20 SuperElit team. After major injury any athlete has doubts and insecurities. Laraque was no different. In those three games he only garnered one assist. Although he was punching above his weight class (playing with and against players 2-3 years older than him), the expectations were much higher for his return.

In Laraque's final season in youth hockey he was ready to show the world he was back to his old self. In the off-season he trained hard, ready to return to form. In his final season with Djurgårdens he exploded. Leading the league in points, Laraque amassed 17 goals and 36 assists for a total of 53 points in 38 games played. Djurgårdens U20 SuperElit team won the championship that year with Laraque at the helm.

@blix900 APPROVED! +5 TPE