Roberto Luongo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roberto Luongo |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2022 | |||
Luongo practicing with the Vancouver Canucks in April 2009
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| Born | April 4, 1979 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 217 lb (98 kg; 15 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | New York Islanders Florida Panthers Vancouver Canucks |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 4th overall, 1997 New York Islanders |
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| Playing career | 1999–2019 | ||
Roberto Luongo (born April 4, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His teams included the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and Vancouver Canucks. In 2022, Luongo was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Luongo was an NHL All-Star twice, in 2004 and 2007. He won the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2011. This award goes to the goalie (or goalies) whose team lets in the fewest goals. He was also a top contender for other awards. These included the Vezina Trophy (best goaltender) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player). Luongo is second all-time in games played by an NHL goaltender. He is also fourth all-time in wins. He used the butterfly style of goaltending.
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Roberto Luongo's Early Life
Roberto Luongo was born in Montreal, Quebec. His father came from Italy, and his mother was Irish-Canadian. Roberto has two younger brothers, Leo and Fabio. They also wanted to be goalies.
The Luongo family lived in Saint-Leonard, Quebec. This area north of Montreal has a strong Italian community. It was just a few blocks from Martin Brodeur's home. Brodeur also became a famous NHL goalie. Luongo speaks English, French, and Italian.
Roberto started playing hockey at age eight as a forward. His parents wanted him to improve his skating first. When he was 11, his team's goalie did not show up. Roberto begged his mom to let him play in net. He ended up getting a shutout in that game. He decided to focus on hockey when he was 14.
In August 2009, the arena where Luongo played as a child was named after him. It is now called the Roberto Luongo Arena.
Junior Hockey Career
The Val-d'Or Foreurs picked Luongo second overall in the 1995 QMJHL draft. This was the highest a goalie had ever been drafted in the QMJHL. He started his junior career in the 1995–96 season.
In the 1996–97 season, he won 32 games. He also won the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's best pro prospect. At the 1997 CHL Top Prospects Game, coach Don Cherry compared Luongo to Hall of Famer Ken Dryden.
Drafted by the Islanders
At the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders picked Luongo fourth overall. This made him the highest-drafted goalie in NHL history at the time. Later, Rick DiPietro would be picked first overall by the Islanders in 2000.
Luongo continued to play junior hockey after being drafted. In the 1997–98 season, he had 27 wins and seven shutouts. His seven shutouts tied a QMJHL record.
He returned to the QMJHL for the 1998–99 season. He was traded to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan during the 1999 World Junior Championships. He helped the Titan win his second straight President's Cup. He set QMJHL playoff records for games played, minutes played, and wins.
Playing in the NHL
New York Islanders (1999–2000)
Luongo signed a contract with the Islanders in January 1999. He made his professional debut with the Lowell Lock Monsters in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was called up to the Islanders in November 1999.
He made his NHL debut on November 28, 1999. He stopped 43 shots in a 2–1 win against the Boston Bruins. Luongo quickly became the Islanders' starting goalie. He recorded his first NHL shutout in December 1999.
In June 2000, the Islanders drafted goalie Rick DiPietro first overall. This meant Luongo was no longer their future starting goalie. So, the Islanders traded Luongo to the Florida Panthers. He was traded with Olli Jokinen for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. This trade turned out to be very good for the Panthers.
Florida Panthers (2000–2006)
The Panthers were very excited to have Luongo. He became their starting goalie. In his first season (2000–01), he set a team record with five shutouts. He had 12 wins with the struggling Panthers. His save percentage was one of the best in the league.
Luongo signed a four-year contract extension in September 2001. In the 2001–02 season, he played 58 games. He then injured his ankle and missed the rest of the season. He returned in 2002–03 and played 65 games. He had a team record shutout streak of 144 minutes and 51 seconds.
In the 2003–04 season, Luongo was nominated for the Vezina Trophy (best goalie) and Lester B. Pearson Award (top player voted by players). He played 72 games and set NHL records for most saves and shots faced in a season. He also had seven shutouts. He was named to his first NHL All-Star Game. He finished second in voting for all three awards.
The 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to a lockout. Luongo played in two international tournaments instead. In 2005–06, he became the Panthers' all-time leader in wins. He had 107 wins with the team. He also broke the team record for most wins in a single season with 35.
Vancouver Canucks (2006–2014)
First Seasons in Vancouver
In June 2006, the Panthers traded Luongo to the Vancouver Canucks. He signed a four-year, $27 million deal with Vancouver. His arrival brought stability to the Canucks' goaltending position.
Luongo won his Canucks debut on October 5, 2006. He recorded his first Canucks shutout on October 25. In January 2007, he was voted a starting goalie for the Western Conference All-Stars. He set a Canucks record with 39 wins on March 9. He finished the season with a career-high 47 wins. This was just one win shy of the league leader.
The 2007 playoffs were Luongo's first NHL post-season. He stopped 72 shots in his first playoff game. This was close to an NHL record. The Canucks won that series but lost in the next round. Luongo was nominated for three major NHL awards that season. He finished second in voting for all of them.
In the 2007–08 season, Luongo continued to play well. He set a Canucks record with a shutout streak of over 210 minutes. He was voted an All-Star again but did not attend. The Canucks missed the playoffs that year.
Captaincy and Stanley Cup Finals Run
On September 30, 2008, Luongo was named the 12th captain in Canucks history. This was unusual because goalies are not usually allowed to be captains. He was the first goalie captain since 1948. He did not wear the "C" on his jersey. Instead, he had it on his mask.
In November 2008, Luongo had another long shutout streak. It lasted over 242 minutes. He then suffered a groin injury and missed 24 games. He returned in January 2009. He finished the season with a career-high nine shutouts.
The Canucks made the playoffs in 2009. They swept the St. Louis Blues in the first round. They then lost to the Chicago Blackhawks. Luongo was criticized after a tough Game 6 loss.
In September 2009, Luongo signed a 12-year, $64 million contract extension. In October 2009, he became the Canucks' all-time leader in shutouts. He recorded his 50th career shutout in January 2010.
Before the 2010–11 season, Luongo stepped down as captain. He wanted to focus on playing. Henrik Sedin became the new captain. Luongo also started working with a new goalie coach. He changed his playing style to stay deeper in his net.
Luongo had a great 2010–11 season. He led the league with 38 wins. He also had a career-best 2.11 goals against average (GAA). He and backup goalie Cory Schneider won the William M. Jennings Trophy. This was for having the lowest GAA in the league. The Canucks won the Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the NHL.
In the 2011 playoffs, the Canucks faced the Blackhawks again. Luongo was pulled from two games in the series. But he started Game 7 and helped the Canucks win in overtime. They then beat the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks. This sent the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 17 years.
They played the Boston Bruins in the Finals. Luongo had two shutouts in the series. But he was pulled from two other games. The Canucks lost Game 7 at home.
Later Years in Vancouver
In the 2011–12 season, Luongo struggled early on. His backup, Cory Schneider, played very well. Luongo became the 23rd goalie to play in 700 NHL games. He also became the Canucks' all-time leader in wins.
In the 2012 playoffs, Schneider started most games. Luongo was the backup. Many thought Luongo would be traded. But his large contract made it difficult.
In the 2012–13 season, Luongo and Schneider shared playing time. Schneider was seen as the main goalie. Luongo handled this change well. He said the Canucks were "Cory's team." The Canucks lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Before the 2013–14 season, Schneider was traded. This made Luongo the starting goalie again. But then, coach John Tortorella chose rookie Eddie Läck to start a big outdoor game. Luongo was very disappointed.
Return to Florida (2014–2019)
On March 4, 2014, Luongo was traded back to the Florida Panthers. He was traded with Steven Anthony for Jacob Markström and Shawn Matthias. The Canucks kept part of Luongo's salary.
In the 2017–18 season, Luongo played his 1,000th NHL game. He became only the third goalie in NHL history to do this. He also became the Panthers' all-time leader in games played, wins, and shutouts.
On February 10, 2019, Luongo played his 1,030th career game. This moved him to second all-time in games played by a goalie. On February 25, he passed Ed Belfour for third-most wins.
Luongo announced his retirement on June 26, 2019. The Panthers retired his number on March 7, 2020. He was the first player to have his number retired by the team. After retiring, Luongo joined the Panthers' front office. He won his first Stanley Cup as an executive in 2024.
Roberto Luongo's Playing Style
Luongo played using the butterfly style. This means he dropped to his knees to cover the bottom of the net. He was known for his quick reflexes and great glove saves. His first goalie coach, François Allaire, said Luongo had the "best catching glove" he had ever seen.
Luongo was a tall goalie, which helped him cover a lot of the net. He was also known for his strong focus and competitive spirit. However, his puck-handling skills were sometimes seen as a weakness.
Later in his career, he changed his style slightly. He started playing deeper in his net. This helped him control rebounds better.
International Hockey Career
Luongo played for Team Canada many times. He won a bronze medal at the 1995 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
He played in the 1998 World Junior Championships. In 1999, he was the starting goalie for Canada at the World Juniors. He helped Team Canada win a silver medal. He was named the Best Goaltender of the tournament.
Luongo first played for the Canadian men's team at the 2001 World Championships. He won gold medals at the 2003 and 2004 World Championships. He also won the 2004 World Cup.
He was part of the Canadian team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He was a backup to Martin Brodeur.
Olympic Gold Medals
Luongo was the starting goalie for Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He helped Canada win the gold medal. In the gold medal game, he made 34 saves as Canada beat the United States in overtime.
In March 2010, Luongo carried the torch in Downtown Vancouver for the 2010 Paralympics.
He was selected for his third Olympics in 2014 in Sochi. He won his second Olympic gold medal there. He mostly played as a backup to Carey Price.
Awards and Achievements
QMJHL
NHL
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International
Vancouver Canucks
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Records
NHL Records
- Most saves in a single season – 2,303 in 2003–04
- Most shots faced in a single season – 2,488 in 2005–06
- Most shots faced in a single playoff game – 76 on April 11, 2007
Florida Panthers Records
- Longest shutout streak – 144 minutes and 51 seconds in 2002–03
- Most shutouts in a season – 7 in 2003–04
- Most wins in a season – 35 in 2005–06
- Most games played in a season – 75 in 2005–06
- Most games played all-time – 318
- Most wins all-time – 108
- Most shutouts all-time – 26
Vancouver Canucks Records
- Most saves in a single game – 72 on April 11, 2007
- Longest shutout streak – 242 minutes and 36 seconds in 2008–09
- Most wins in a season – 47 in 2006–07
- Most games played in a season – 75 in 2006–07
- Most shutouts in a season – 9 in 2008–09
- Lowest GAA in a season – 2.11 in 2010–11
- Most shutouts all-time – 33
- Most wins all-time – 224
Images for kids
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Atlanta Thrashers forward Peter Bondra scores on Luongo during the 2005–06 season
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Luongo carrying the Canadian flag after the gold medal win against the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics
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Luongo during the quarterfinal against Russia at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
See also
In Spanish: Roberto Luongo para niños
