And you thought Camp Mendelbaum was tough?

... That's got nothing on Big Georges' Finishing School. Hat tip to R-Gib for the pointer to this item which has passed through the 'sphere without much comment, as Oilers tough guys Steve MacIntyre and Zack Stortini went a few rounds in the gym with one of the NHL's most-feared scrappers. Kudos to SMac and Zack, who apparently take seriously the need for them to improve in all aspects of their games.   

You can agree or disagree with fighting in hockey, with plenty of fuel for both fires. What's undeniable is these three facts: it's been in the game since forever; it still is part of the game; and it is and always has been a tough gig.

Georges Laraque, shown above plying his trade in his customary beatdown style, was the last true enforcer the Oilers had, so it's cool to see him "give back to the community" all the way from Montreal.

"I want to help them and do everything I can to help them get better and develop. They come to my gym, so I try to take care of them like they're my brothers."

Such a caring fellow, that Big Zhawrzh. He had some interesting quotes about Stortini ... or at least I, unabashed Zorg fan, found them interesting :). Read on:

"It was just a matter of giving him a couple of tricks and pointers from a veteran on how to defend yourself and be aggressive," Laraque said. "Zack did really well."

"As a player, Zack is a really good player. He's a good skater and he can play hockey," Laraque said. "He's not a one-dimensional tough guy."

"He doesn't worry about what people say about his fighting style. And when he fights heavyweights, big people like me, he has to know how to defend himself. The goal in a fight is not to get punched -- you don't want to get knocked out. So I showed him a couple of pointers on how to protect himself."

"It all depends on how big a guy you're fighting. If a guy is a lot bigger than you, you can't fight open, you have to be smart and you have to fight smart."