Roberto Luongo had a mixed relationship with Vancouver Canucks fans during his eight-year stint with the team. Despite leading the Canucks to within one game of winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 and being a key player in Team Canada’s gold-medal win in Vancouver in 2010, Luongo sometimes had a tense relationship with the media. However, his humorous and self-deprecating personality eventually went viral through a once-anonymous X (formerly Twitter) account. Luongo was recently named the eighth member of the Canucks’ Ring of Honour, and in his speech, he made it about the fans, stating that he was happy for them and that hockey was fun again in Vancouver. Currently serving as the special advisor to Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito and running the Panthers’ goaltending excellence department, Luongo watched as the Canucks completed the season-series sweep against the Panthers in a 4-0 shutout win. Thatcher Demko was the star of the game, stopping all 36 shots he faced for his league-leading 15th win of the season. The Canucks continue to perform well on both ends of the ice, sitting third in the league in goals against.
Despite being held off the scoresheet on Thursday, Quinn Hughes remains the NHL’s leading defenseman in points with 39, two points ahead of Cale Makar.
The team did not perform well against Vancouver, with the coach acknowledging that they made some unusual mistakes. However, he believes that this was an anomaly and not related to their previous game against Seattle.
The Panthers captain dismissed the idea that the long ceremony for Luongo’s jersey retirement affected their performance. He praised Luongo for his contributions to the team and the hockey culture in South Florida.
Luongo became the first player in Panthers franchise history to have his number retired in a ceremony on March 7, 2020. There was much debate about whether he deserved a jersey retirement from the Canucks, but he was instead honored in the Ring of Honour.
The Panthers will look to bounce back on their road trip with games in Edmonton and Calgary. Meanwhile, the Canucks will embark on a four-game trip through the Central Division, starting with a game in Minnesota on Saturday.
