After playing eleven seasons with the team, no one is more deserving to see their sweater raised to the rafters than Roberto Luongo. The Florida Panthers should do it sooner rather than later.
Social media funny guy, locker room leader, and fan-favorite. Roberto Luongo was the heart and soul of hockey in South Florida for eleven seasons. The Florida Panthers shouldn’t hesitate to celebrate his career by retiring his jersey as soon as possible.
Luongo isn’t only the greatest goalie in Florida’s hockey history; he is arguably the most exceptional Panther of all-time.
Bobby Lu is the franchise leader in 12 categories, including wins (230), saves (160,860), minutes played (32,416) and shutouts (38). Those figures are astounding and solidify him as an absolute legend.
I realize that the Panthers failed to achieve any playoff success during his tenure with the Cats, but it would be unjust to put the blame on his shoulders. In fact, could you imagine how terrible those past Panthers teams would’ve been had they not had him between the pipes?
Panthers fans have been blessed with some of the most exciting and eccentric players of all time. Being able to watch guys like Jaromir Jagr, Pavel Bure, and John Vanbiesbrouck is something that Florida’s faithful fanbase should not take lightly.
However, despite their legendary status, none of the superstars listed above left quite the impact that Luongo made in the hearts of Florida’s followers.
He sits in second place for all-time NHL games played with 1,044 and has the third-most career wins with 489. Those numbers will surely be enough for him to punch his ticket to the Hockey Hall of Fame and speak to his legendary status throughout the league.
Stats aside, a great deal of what has earned him his fan-favorite pedigree is credited to his character. Luongo is brilliantly entertaining on Twitter and is a must follow. Just take a look at how he announced his retirement:
https://twitter.com/strombone1/status/1143942124444033025
Everything I have touched on should be enough to convince you that he is more than deserving. If for whatever reason, you still have doubts, let’s take his loyalty to the organization and his community into consideration.
In his open letter to fans regarding his retirement, Luongo once again reiterated his connection to his neighborhood saying: “I’ve been able to make this place home. It’s the best place to live in the world, and the fans have always been so warm and welcoming … I’m building a home in Parkland, and it’s going to be my family’s permanent home for the rest of our time on this earth. I’m proud to be a Parkland resident.”
The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was a tragedy that affected the entire nation. Even where I was living in Western Canada, the mood was somber after the news broke.
Roberto made a speech before a Panthers home game just one week after the incident. You would have to be made of stone to say that it wasn’t moving to see him speak from the heart and pay his respect to those afflicted.
Only two numbers have ever been retired in Panthers franchise history. Number 93 was retired in recognition of the team’s founder Bill Torrey and number 37 in honor of former team owner Wayne Huizenga. Not a single player’s number has ever been resigned.
I can’t think of a more deserving player to receive such an honor than Roberto Luongo. Even if his stats were less impressive, his reputation alone is enough to earn him a spot in the rafters.
Roberto Luongo is a Florida Panthers legend. Based on his character and his franchise records, the Panthers would be wise to retire number one in recognition of the best goalie in the team’s history.