Roberto Luongo says if things had played out differently at last season's Heritage Classic he might still be a member of the Vancouver Canucks. Former head coach John Tortorella started backup Eddie Lack over the veteran goaltender in the Canucks' outdoor showcase game at B. Luongo was traded to the Florida Panthers two days later in a move that was widely speculated to have been precipitated by the snub, and the year-old all but confirmed that to be the case on Tuesday at Rogers Arena ahead of Thursday's homecoming against the Canucks.
I did want to play that game," Luongo told reporters. Who knows? Chants of "Loo" rang out around B. Place back in March to protest the decision to start Lack, but Luongo said he didn't feel "disrespected" by the organization or Tortorella — who was fired following one disastrous season that saw Vancouver miss the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Thursday's game will be Luongo's first in Vancouver since the trade and he touched on a number of memorable moments at his press conference, including winning gold for Canada at the Olympics and the run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. It was great," said Luongo. Turns out, he knew where this was heading before anyone else. Not long ago, it seemed impossible. But on Tuesday the Canucks proved dreams do come true. What the Canucks got Tuesday beats that deal, by the way. The Canucks are all-in on their rebuild now.
Hopes the team can make it to the Stanley Cup finals have been replaced by hopes the team can make it to the playoffs. The infamous summit meeting between Francesco Aquilini and Luongo in Florida during the draft now becomes yet another punchline in the Luongo era. The last joke was what happened at the Heritage Classic. The Canucks now claim they thought this trade was possible so they held him out as their starting goalie.
Of course, that makes liars of John Tortorella and Laurence Gilman, who both said it was because they believed Lack gave them a chance to win. Maybe Luongo should send a Christmas card to Tortorella after all. Whether a Kesler deal happens before the deadline hardly matters.
It could be for years or it could be until July 1. When Schneider was taking over for Luongo , he presented himself as a well-adjusted man who was ready to be a No. Lack has been more goofy sidekick than man.
In , Roberto Luongo signed a year contract extension that would have him playing goalie for the Vancouver Canucks through the season. Perhaps Luongo regrets signing the dotted line, considering the overbearing expectations that are placed on him yearly in Vancouver. Pundits argue Luongo's contract as justification that his performance needs to improve.
The aforementioned statistics, both regular season and playoffs, more than back up the paychecks that Luongo receives. The Nashville Predators recently opened up their limited checkbook for the long-term services of Pekka Rinne, thus supporting the notion that goaltenders warrant top pay.
In Luongo, the Canucks have a top-notch netminder and consequently, he deserves to be paid like one. Roberto Luongo will win a Stanley Cup before his career is said and done. If the Canucks are wise, they will make sure Luongo is on their roster when that happens.
While the lack of a championship haunts Luongo's reputation as a great goaltender, his career has many seasons left. Luongo will have many opportunities in the future to get the elusive Stanley Cup. Regardless, a career should never be defined by the lack of a championship. If a player puts up great numbers consistently, he or she should still be considered elite.
Look for Luongo's presence in many future Stanley Cup Finals. Luongo won a gold medal for Team Canada in the Winter Olympics. He also won the William Jennings Trophy which is awarded to the netminder who allowed the fewest goals in a season. Luongo has led the league in saves, wins, games played and goals against during various years in the NHL. These are not the accomplishments of a goalie who merits the criticism that Luongo consistently receives. The hardware points to Luongo as one of the best goalies in the league and why he is undeserving of the "overrated" label.
Obviously, this year and next year are going to be a key role in my decision. There will be lots of takes on this. Some will be upset and think he is showing poor leadership. Others will wonder why he would consider going somewhere — say Detroit — at a pay cut possibly to win, rather than build with a team for a more satisfying win. I actually find his response refreshing. Think about it. What could he have said? I love it here.
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