… and you can win it!

Our favorite hockey player is at it again. This time, Georges Laraque of the Montréal Canadiens is joining the many other athletes who have stepped up to show how going vegan doesn't just do a body good—it does a body great.

Just in time for (Canadian) Thanksgiving, Georges is releasing his brand-new vegan ad, in which he highlights the many reasons to say "Non!" to turkey.

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Georges also sat down for an exclusive Q&A with PETA in which he reveals that it was a movie that first convinced him to go vegan:

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To celebrate his brand-new vegan testimonial, Georges has donated a signed hockey puck and a glossy photo—which are now up for grabs.

How do you win? Just leave a comment below telling us who your favorite vegetarian or vegan athlete is and why. The most fan-crazed comment will take home the prize.

The contest ends on October 22, 2009, and we'll choose one winner on October 26, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Que le meilleur gagne!*

Posted by Amanda Schinke

*That's how the French-speaking Québecois might say, "May the best one win," mes amis.

What do you get when you combine our favorite hockey player with one of our favorite faux-chicken sandwiches?

Hat trick! Georges Laraque was so impressed by a Canadian KFC's vegan sandwich, he ordered two more to go.

While there is one major animal offense that keeps Canada in the penalty box, KFCs in Canada offer an awesome vegan sandwich—and they are also making efforts to phase in controlled-atmosphere killing. Partner that with Georges Laraque's insatiable hunger for animal liberation and I'd say you have one of the sweetest assists Canada's seen in some time.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

sportsillustrated.cnn / CC

Georges Laraque (or "Big George" to friends and fans) is known for duking it out on the ice as the star enforcer for the Montréal Canadiens, but these days he's fighting for animal rights.

Georges already protested a fur expo in Montréal, and now he's just delivered a slap shot to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the bloody seal slaughter. Georges sent a letter to Prime Minister Harper, writing, "Blood on the ice is fine when it comes to Canada's national sport because players are willing participants, but the blood of helpless baby seals that stains the ice each year is Canada's shame."

He joins other notables who have denounced the slaughter, including Canadian Senator Mac Harb, British Columbia native Pamela Anderson, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and President Obama.

I think everyone can agree that this hockey champ is a pro at sticking up for animals.

Posted by Karin Bennett

There was no love lost between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings as they battled on the ice last night in game three of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but there was love in the stands during intermission when Jason Levy asked his girlfriend, Nicole Hughes, to marry him.

But wait—there's more! While the couple's special moment was rolling live on the stadium's huge screen, Jason surprised the audience when he held up a sign reading, "McDonald's Breaks Birds' Wings and Legs."

Jason jumped at the perfect opportunity to tell thousands of people that the fast-food giant refuses to alleviate the suffering of the chickens killed for its restaurants by adopting an improved slaughter method called "controlled-atmosphere killing." Currently, birds killed for McDonald's are grabbed by their legs and slammed upside-down into shackles, and many are still conscious when their throats are cut and they are immersed in scalding water.

So, to sum up: First, PETA Foundation staffer Alex Bury and her then-fiancé Jack Norris got hitched at a KFC restaurant in Toronto to celebrate the introduction of a faux chicken sandwich at most Canadian KFC outlets. Then, Jason Levy spotlights McDonald's cruelties to birds in his marriage proposal.

Anybody else have any ideas for the "fast-food cruelty nope-tials" (ouch) tour?

Posted by Karin Bennett

neobeans / CC

Canadian hockey hasn't given anyone much to cheer about since the Montréal Canadiens' last Stanley Cup victory 16 years ago. But if PETA has its way, Canadiens fans will get another chance to be victorious on the ice—the ice floes, that is.

The owner of the Montréal Canadiens is considering selling the team, and guess who's throwing an offer on the table? In our letter to team owner George Gillett, we're offering to pay $10,000 Canadian to rent the team for a week, during which time we'd change its name to the Canadian Seal Pups and encourage every spectator to sign and mail our postcards to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging him to end the seal slaughter.

Give the seal pups some hockey sticks, and then let's talk about blood on the ice.

Posted by Shawna Flavell