Haiti's Hockey Player

Believe it or not, there was one Haitian-born player in National Hockey League history. Not only did he score 21 goals in 89 career games, but he also played in the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary.

His name is Claude Vilgrain. He was born in Port-au-Prince, but grew up near Quebec City after moving to the province when he was six months old. His father was a prominent Haitian economist, often consulting Haiti's Department of Agriculture. His grandfather was a famous judge, while his uncle was a notable doctor who has a street in Port-au-prince named after him.

He represented Canada the Calgary Olympics. He also played for the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers. After retiring he moved to Calgary where he works with Play Works, an "innovative playground" equipment supplier. You can read more about Claude Vilgrain's career here.

As you know Haiti has been devastated by a terrible earthquake. The country is in ruins, with tens of thousands dead and that number likely to grow significantly with lack of shelter, food, clean water and medicine. There is no shortage of avenues to donate to Haitian aid. I encourage you to consider donating a few dollars.