Former NHL enforcer Georges Laraque says he wants to "change the world" but for now will settle for getting Canadians to vote and do more for the environment as the Green Party's new deputy leader.

Laraque was appointed to his new role over the weekend, replacing Jacques Rivard, who left the Greens for the Bloc Quebecois last month. Laraque will be a co-deputy leader with Adriane Carr.

The 33-year-old, who retired in June after 13 years as an NHL tough guy, says he always knew he would be known for more than dropping the gloves.

"I'm doing this for free and I'm doing this just to try and improve our environment, try to improve Canada and the world -- I want to change the world," Laraque said Tuesday on CTV's Canada AM.

"I always thought that I had more to offer than just being a hockey player. I always wanted to have an impact on society, and this is what I was born to do and I'm really happy to devote my time to this."

Laraque's jump from the hockey to the political arena is perhaps not all that surprising given he has long been known for his activism for causes he believes in.

He is a vegan who advocates for animal rights and also works with World Vision on reconstruction projects in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Laraque said he was first approached to join the Greens about a year-and-a-half ago, when he was appearing at a conference on environmental issues.

When Rivard left, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May asked him about taking on the deputy leader role, which he says will allow him to connect with Canadians on both political and social issues.

"The first thing is I went to get more people to vote, because if we're a democratic country, how come 41 per cent of people are not voting?" Laraque asked, suggesting Canadians are tired of conventional politics.

"Well, I'm different. I don't talk like a politician. I talk differently and I think a lot of people identify themselves to me so hopefully I can encourage people to vote."

"And also," Laraque added, "I really want to encourage people…to do stuff for the environment so we can ensure a better future for our kids, for our grandchildren."

May said Saturday she hopes Laraque will help the party "make its breakthrough" after winning only 7 per cent of the popular vote in the 2008 federal election.

"It's because he has just a tremendous following," she told CTV News Channel. "People know him as an NHL player and people who ordinarily wouldn't think they might vote Green might just give a listen to things Georges has to say."

Laraque replied "not for now" when asked if he would run for a seat in Parliament, saying he is too busy with his advocacy work.

However, he will travel across Canada on behalf of Green Party candidates, educating voters about the party and the environment.

"So if I can educate people about the party and stuff that people can do, even if you don't vote for the Green Party, if everybody does a little something to help our environment, we're going to live in a much better place."