Florida Panthers are honoring goalie Roberto Luongo in a way that no other player in the history of the franchise has been honored. Panthers recently announced that Luongo will be the first player in the history of the franchise that will have his jersey number retired.
Panthers’ will retire Luongo’s No.1 Jersey at a ceremony scheduled for March 7, 2020.
“Roberto is a cornerstone of Panthers history and an icon of the game,” – said Panthers owner Vincent Viola in a statement. “He has represented himself and the Panthers with tremendous dignity, determination and a standard of excellence throughout his career. Roberto exemplifies what it means to be a Florida Panther. … There is no player more deserving to be the first Florida Panther to have his jersey number retired.”
Roberto Luongo played 11 years in Florida over the course of two stints. He had three All-Star appearances as the member of the organization while helping the team to win two Atlantic Division titles.
Luongo also holds several Panthers’ franchise including most games played all-time with 318, most wins in a season with 35, and most wins all-time with 108.
“Hopefully, there will be a lot of people in the building to enjoy that special moment with me,” – said Luongo off the jersey retirement ceremony.
Besides being a member of the Panthers, Luongo also played for New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks. He retired holding the NHL record for most saves in a season with 2,303.
Luongo also had a successful international career with Canada national team, winning the Olympic gold medals and two World Championships.
