Roberto Luongo

Roberto Luongo
Born	April 4, 1979 (1979-04-04) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	217 lb (98 kg; 15 st 7 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Catches	Left
NHL team Former teams	Vancouver Canucks New York Islanders Florida Panthers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	4th overall, 1997 New York Islanders
Playing career	1998–present

Roberto Luongo (born on April 4, 1979) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He employs the butterfly style of goaltending and has previously played in the NHL for the New York Islanders and the Florida Panthers.

Roberto is a two-time NHL Second All-Star (2004 and 2007) and a winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy for backstopping his team to the lowest goals-against average in the league (2011; with backup Cory Schneider).

He has additionally been a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender (2004, 2007 and 2011), the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by his peers (2004 and 2007) and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player (2007).

Prior to his NHL career, he played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the Val-d'Or Foreurs and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, winning back-to-back President's Cups and establishing the league's all-time playoff records in games played and wins.

Following his second QMJHL season, Roberto was selected fourth overall by the Islanders in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

After splitting his professional rookie season between the Islanders and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lowell Lock Monsters in 1999–2000, Roberto was traded to the Panthers.

In five seasons with Florida, he established team records for most all-time games played, wins and shutouts.

During the 2006 off-season, Roberto was traded to the Canucks after failed contract negotiations with the Panthers.

Following his second year with the Canucks, he became the first NHL goaltender to serve as a team captain since Bill Durnan in the 1947–48 season.

Roberto served in that capacity for two seasons before resigning from the position in September of 2010.

In the subsequent 2010–11 season, he helped the Canucks to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals and lost to the Boston Bruins.

During Roberto's tenure with Vancouver, he has become the team's all-time wins and shutouts leader.

Internationally, Roberto has competed for Team Canada in numerous tournaments. As a junior, he won a silver medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships while being named Best Goaltender in his second tournament appearance.

He has won two gold medals at the 2003 and 2004 World Championships and a silver in the 2005 World Championships.

Roberto also won the 2004 World Cup championship and appeared in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin as a backup to Martin Brodeur in both instances.

He succeeded Brodeur as Canada's starting goaltender during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning a gold medal. On January 7, 2014, Roberto was named to the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team.

Playing Career

Early Playing Career

Roberto began playing organized hockey at the age of eight as a forward. His father taught all his sons soccer which he played until he was 14 years old, at which point he decided to concentrate on hockey.

Although he initially had the desire to play in net, his parents wanted Roberto to develop his skating first.

Several years later, after Roberto was cut from a peewee team, he made the switch to goaltender.

When Roberto was 11 years old, his team's usual goaltender did not show up and after begging his mother (who was still hesitant about him playing the position), Roberto went in net and posted a shutout.

In August of 2009, the arena in which Roberto played his minor hockey in St. Leonard was named after him as the Roberto Luongo Arena.

It is the second arena in the community to be named after an NHL goalie after the Martin Brodeur Arena was renamed as such in 2000.

By the time he was 15 years old, he was playing midget with Montreal-Bourassa (the same team that produced NHL Quebecer goalies Brodeur and Felix Potvin).

Roberto has credited Hall of Fame goaltender Grant Fuhr as his inspiration growing up, citing an admiration for his "spectacular glove saves."

He had the opportunity to first meet Fuhr before a game against the Calgary Flames during his rookie season with the Islanders.

Junior Playing Career (1995-1999)

The Val-d'Or Foreurs made Roberto the highest drafted goaltender in QMJHL history at second overall in 1995.

He began his junior career in the 1995–96 season with Val-d'Or and posted six wins in 23 games played.

As the team's starting goaltender the following season in 1996–97, Roberto improved to a team-record 32 wins and he was awarded the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's best professional prospect.

After his performance at the 1997 CHL Top Prospects Game, opposing coach Don Cherry likened Roberto to Montreal Canadiens' Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden while NHL Central Scouting Bureau director Frank Bonello heralded him as a "franchise goalie."

At the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Roberto was selected in the first round (fourth overall) by the New York Islanders.

The pick originally belonged to the Toronto Maple Leafs but was traded to the Islanders in exchange for Wendel Clark, Mathieu Schneider and D.J. Smith.

At the time of the draft, Roberto was the highest picked goaltender in NHL history, surpassing Tom Barrasso and John Davidson's fifth overall selections in 1983 and 1973 (His selection was later surpassed by Rick DiPietro's first overall selection by the Islanders in 2000).

Upon his draft, Roberto continued to play junior with the Foreurs in 1997–98. He recorded 27 wins and a 3.09 goals against average (GAA).

His seven shutouts tied Nick Sanza's QMJHL record, set in 1974–75 (Adam Russo later tied it as well in 2002–03).

Roberto went on to win 14 of 17 playoff appearances in the QMJHL playoffs to lead Val-d'Or to a President's Cup championship and a Memorial Cup appearance.

The Foreurs failed to win a game in the 1998 Memorial Cup tournament, however, and finished in last place.

Although the Islanders planned to have him play in the NHL for the 1998–99 season, an inconsistent performance at training camp led to Roberto's return to the QMJHL that season.

Due to having failed to come to terms on a contract before October 1, 1998, Roberto was not allowed to be called up to the Islanders from junior over the course of the subsequent season.

Roberto started the season with Val-d'Or but was traded to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan during the 1999 World Junior Championships for the remainder of the 1998–99 season.

He went on to lead the Titan to his second consecutive President's Cup championship with a 2.74 GAA in 23 games.

He finished his QMJHL playoff career with the all-time league record in games played (56), minutes played (3,264:22), wins (38) and shots faced (1,808). His and Memorial Cup appearance in 1999.

The Titan finished in last place, failing to win a game during the tournament.

New York Islanders (1999-2000)

After Roberto's performance at the 1999 World Junior Championships, he was signed by the Islanders to a three-year, $2.775 million contract on January 8, 1999.

The following season, he made his professional debut with the Lowell Lock Monsters, the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.

Early in the season, Roberto was called up to the Islanders on November 22, 1999, after a shoulder injury to backup Wade Flaherty.

Six days later, he made his NHL debut, stopping 43 shots in a 2–1 win against the Boston Bruins.

His early performances solidified him as the Islanders' starting goalie over veteran Félix Potvin.

Nearly a month after Roberto's debut in New York, Potvin was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on December 19, 1999 in exchange for backup goaltender Kevin Weekes.

The next month, Roberto recorded his first career NHL shutout in his eighth game, stopping 34 shots in a 3–0 victory over the Bruins on December 27, 1999.

In January of 2000, he was publicly criticized by Islanders general manager Mike Milbury for having gone looking for an apartment in New York on a game day before letting in seven goals to the Boston Bruins.

Milbury told the media, "You can't do that in the NHL. You have to prepare yourself."

Roberto defended himself by saying he did not divert from his usual game day routine by looking at just one apartment. He finished the season with the Islanders, posting a 3.25 GAA and .904 save percentage in 24 games.

In the off-season, the Islanders selected goaltender Rick DiPietro with the first overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

DiPietro's selection supplanted Roberto as the highest-drafted goaltender in NHL history and the Islanders' goaltender of the future.

Consequently, Milbury traded Roberto to the Florida Panthers along with centre Olli Jokinen for winger Mark Parrish and centre Oleg Kvasha that same day on June 24, 2000.

The deal would later be seen to have disproportionately benefited the Panthers as both Jokinen and Roberto would eventually develop into star players in contrast to Parrish and Kvasha.

Roberto expressed surprise at the trade, saying, "I didn't expect it at all. One day they're telling me I'm the goalie of the future, and the next day I'm gone. I didn't really appreciate that. The good side is that [the Panthers] wanted me."

Florida Panthers (2000-2006)

The Panthers organization expressed high praise for Roberto following the trade. General manager Bryan Murray characterized him as "a franchise guy while head coach Terry Murray added "He's the guy teams have to have to win the Stanley Cup."

Roberto entered his first training camp with the Panthers competing for the starting role with veteran goaltender Trevor Kidd. Coach Terry Murray opted to begin the season with Kidd due to his experience.

On October 9, 2000, he made his first start with the Panthers on October 9, 2000, making 18 saves in a 4–2 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Splitting the goaltending duties, Roberto went on to appear in 43 games, in comparison to Kidd's 42.

He finished his 2000–01 rookie season (he qualified as a rookie because he had not played in at least 26 games the previous season with New York) by notching a franchise record fifth shutout of the season in a 3–0 win against the New York Rangers on April 7, 2001.

The total surpassed John Vanbiesbrouck's four-shutout mark, set in both the 1994–95 and 1997–98 seasons.

Roberto posted a 12–24–7 record with the struggling Panthers, who finished 12th in the Eastern Conference, while recording a 2.44 GAA.

His .920 save percentage was sixth in the league and second all-time among rookie goaltenders, behind Manny Fernandez's mark set the previous season.

Approaching his third NHL season, Roberto agreed on a four-year contract extension with the Panthers on September 13, 2001.

He was chosen to play in the inaugural NHL YoungStars Game in 2002 for Team Melrose, winning 13–7 over Team Fox.

After appearing in 58 games in 2001–02, Roberto suffered a torn ligament in his right ankle in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 20, 2002.

Even though he was sidelined for the remainder of the season, Roberto finished with a 16–33–4 record, a 2.77 GAA and .915 save percentage.

Roberto returned in 2002–03 to a heavier workload, playing a 65-game season. He had a franchise record-setting shutout streak that lasted 144:51 minutes; it was snapped on January 20, 2003, against the Montreal Canadiens.

He also recorded his first 20-win season with a 20–34–7 record, 2.71 GAA and .918 save percentage. The Panthers continued to struggle, however, finishing 13th in the East.

In his fourth season with the Panthers (2003–04), Roberto emerged with his first Vezina Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award nominations as the top goaltender and top player as selected by the players, respectively.

Playing in 72 games, Roberto set NHL marks for most saves and shots faced in a single season with 2,303 and 2,475, respectively.

Both marks were previously set by former Islanders teammate Felix Potvin in 1996–97 as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

Roberto's resulting .931 save percentage was first among goalies with at least 50 starts and set a Panthers franchise record, breaking Vanbiesbrouck's .924 mark, set in 1993–94. His seven shutouts furthered his franchise record and was good for fifth in the league.

At mid-season, Roberto was named to his first NHL All-Star Game, held in February 2004. Competing for the Eastern Conference, he won the Goaltenders Competition segment of the SkillsCompetition, allowing the fewest goals on goaltender-related events.

The following day, he played in the third period of the All-Star Game and helped the East to a 6–4 win against the West.

At the end of the season, Roberto was named to the Second NHL All-Star Team, but lost the Vezina Trophy to fellow Montreal-native Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, while Martin St. Louis of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Pearson Award.

Despite Luongo's success, however, the Panthers failed to qualify for the playoffs once more.

Due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Roberto was inactive with the exception of two international tournaments, the 2004 World Cup and the 2005 World Championships.

With the NHL set to resume in 2005–06, Roberto was without a contract. After negotiations failed, the Panthers filed for arbitration on August 11, 2005. The process awarded him a one-year, $3.2 million contract on August 25, 2005.

On April 13, 2006, Roberto became the winningest Panthers goaltender of all-time, passing Vanbiesbrouck with his 107th win with the team (a 5–4 overtime victory against the Ottawa Senators).

He went on to post 35 wins, breaking Vanbiesbrouck's 27-win single-season Panthers mark, set in 1996–97.

Set to become a free agent for the second consecutive off-season, Roberto couldn't not come to an agreement with the Panthers, having formally turned down a five-year, $30 million contract offer in January of 2006.

It was also reported that among Roberto's demands were that backup goaltender Jamie McLennan be re-signed, his long-time goaltending coach François Allaire be hired and that a public statement be released that he would not be traded until the no-trade clause of his contract took effect.

Vancouver Canucks (2006-current)

Prior to the start of the 2006–07 season, Panthers general manager Mike Keenan traded Robert to the Vancouver Canucks on June 23, 2006.

He was packaged with defenceman Lukas Krajicek and a sixth round draft pick (Sergei Shirokov) in exchange for forward Todd Bertuzzi, defenceman Bryan Allen and goaltender Alex Auld.

Immediately following the deal, Vancouver signed Roberto to a four-year, $27 million deal. He expressed surprise, claiming that he and the Panthers were very close to a deal the day before the trade.

Roberto's arrival in Vancouver ended a seven-and-a-half-year period of instability for Canucks netminding, with a total of 18 goaltenders having played for the club since Kirk McLean's departure in 1998.

General manager Brian Burke had coined the term "goalie graveyard" during his tenure in Vancouver to describe the club's goaltending fortunes.

On October 5, 2006, Roberto recorded a 3–1 win against the Detroit Red Wings in his Canucks debut.

Later in the month, he notched his first shutout with the Canucks, stopping 32 shots in a 5–0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on October 25, 2006.

On January 9, 2007, Luongo was voted in as a starting goaltender for the first time in his career for the Western Conference All-Stars.

Six days after the announcement, Roberto was hospitalized after taking a puck to the throat in practice. He spent the night in the intensive care unit for fears his windpipe would swell shut.

Discharged from the hospital on game day, Roberto recorded a shutout that night against the Montreal Canadiens on January 16, 2007.

During the 2007 NHL All-Star Game in Dallas, he was named the Skills Competition's top goaltender and helped the West to a 12–9 win over the East.

Late in the season, Roberto recorded his franchise record-setting 39th win in a 2–1 overtime victory on March 9, 2007. He surpassed Kirk McLean's 38-win mark set in 1991–92.

He went on to finish with a career-high 47 wins, one shy of league-leader Martin Brodeur, who broke Bernie Parent's thirty-three-year-old NHL record of wins in a season.

However, Roberto and Brodeur are considered to have been given an advantage to Parent with the inauguration of the shootout that season by the NHL, allowing more games to be decided with wins, as opposed to ties.

In addition to his 47 wins, Roberto recorded a 2.29 GAA (which was at that time, a personal best) and a team-record .921 save percentage (surpassing Dan Cloutier's .914 save percentage in 2003–04; later broken by Cory Schneider's .929 save percentage in 2010–11).

He won three team awards: the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as MVP, the Molson Cup as the player with the most three-star selections and the Most Exciting Player Award.

Leading the Canucks to a Northwest Division title and what was then a franchise record of 105 points the team was seeded third in the Western Conference.

The 2007 playoffs marked Roberto's first NHL post-season appearance. Facing the Dallas Stars in the opening round, he almost set an NHL record for most saves in a playoff game in his post-season debut.

Roberto stopped 72 shots, en route to a 5–4 quadruple overtime victory, one save shy of Kelly Hrudey's 73-save mark set in 1987.

He went on to win his first playoff series as the Canucks eliminated the Stars in seven games, however they were defeated in the second round by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks.

Roberto put forth a losing 56-save performance in the deciding fifth game against the Ducks.

After the game ended in regulation at a 1–1 tie, he missed the first three minutes of the first overtime period to what was first believed to be an equipment malfunction, however after the series ended, it was revealed instead that Roberto had an untimely case of diarrhea.

The Canucks lost the game 2–1 in the second overtime when Roberto took his eye off the puck to look at the referee, believing a penalty should have been issued to the Ducks on a play in which Canucks forward Jannik Hansen was hit by Ducks forward Rob Niedermayer.

With Roberto not paying attention, Ducks defenceman Scott Niedermayer shot the puck from the point to score the series-winning goal

At the end of the season, Roberto was nominated for three major NHL awards: the Vezina Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award and Hart Memorial Trophy as the league MVP.

However, he finished second in voting for all three awards, behind Brodeur for the Vezina and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Hart and Pearson.

Roberto kept pace statistically in 2007–08 with his previous season's work and continued to set significant marks, including a three-game shutout streak spanning 210:34 in late-November (breaking the Canucks' previous franchise record of 184:20 set by Ken Lockett in 1975).

He was voted in as the 2008 NHL All-Star Game's Western Conference starting goalie for the second consecutive season, although he did not attend in order to be with his pregnant wife in Florida.

With the Canucks battling for the Northwest Division title all season long, a losing streak that saw Roberto win only one of his final eight starts which caused the Canucks to miss the playoffs altogether.

Nevertheless, he received his second consecutive team MVP and Molson Cup awards. Roberto also finished seventh in Vezina Trophy balloting.

At the Canucks' end-of-season media address, Vigneault speculated whether Roberto's heavy regular season workload, having started the team's final 31 games, was a factor in the late-season collapse.

Roberto finished the season with a 35–29–9 record, 2.38 GAA and .917 save percentage.

On September 30, 2008 (prior to the start of the 2008–09 season), Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis and head coach Alain Vigneault named Luongo the 12th captain in team history, replacing the departed Markus Näslund.

The decision was unconventional as league rules forbid goaltenders from being captains.

As such, Roberto became only the seventh goaltender in NHL history to be named a captain and the first since Bill Durnan captained the Montreal Canadiens in 1947–48 (after whom the league implemented the rule).

In order to account for the league rule, Roberto did not perform any of the on-ice duties reserved for captains and did not wear the captain's "C" on his jersey.

Instead, he incorporated it into the artwork on the front of one of his masks which he occasionally wore for the early months of the 2008–09 season.

Canucks defenceman Willie Mitchell was designated to handle communications with on-ice officials while defenceman Mattias Ohlund was responsible for ceremonial faceoffs and other such formalities associated with captaincy.

Centre Ryan Kesler was chosen along with Mitchell and Ohlund as the third alternate captain.

A month into the 2008–09 season, Roberto began a shutout streak that lasted three games against the Nashville Predators, Phoenix Coyotes and the Minnesota Wild, akin to the feat he accomplished in the same month of November the previous year.

Roberto's overall shutout streak was snapped at 242:36 minutes, in a 2–1 shootout loss against the Colorado Avalanche which surpassed the Canucks record he set the previous season.

On November 22, 2008, Roberto left a game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins after suffering an adductor strain in his groin.

Initially listed as week-to-week, he attempted what was considered an early comeback within two weeks of the injury, but he suffered a setback during a team practice on December 10, 2008 leaving early in discomfort.

After missing 24 games, Roberto made his return on January 15, 2009, in a 4–1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. While injured, he was chosen for the fourth time to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game as the lone Canucks representative.

Despite speculation he would have to miss his second straight All-Star Game, Roberto recovered in time and took part in a 12–11 shootout loss to the Eastern Conference.

He finished the season with back-to-back shutouts in the final two games against the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche to establish a new career-high of nine shutouts on the season, breaking Dan Cloutier's previous franchise single-season shutout record of seven, set in 2001–02.

Winning their second Northwest Division title in three years, Roberto and the Canucks returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence.

During the 2009 playoffs, he led the Canucks to a first round sweep of the St. Louis Blues. The Canucks then faced the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round, which Chicago ultimately won in six games.

Roberto was heavily criticized following his performance in the sixth and deciding game, allowing seven goals in the 7–5 loss. In a post-game interview, he told reporters that he "let [his] teammates down."

Many in the Vancouver media were quick to suggest trading Roberto, arguing that his large salary could be better spent while pointing to several successful teams with relatively low-salary goalies.

Nevertheless, he was presented at the year-end awards ceremony with the Scotiabank Fan Fav Award (which is a fan-voted award in its inaugural year for the league's favourite player).

Also finishing fourth in Vezina Trophy voting, he missed out on his second nomination in three years by one vote behind Niklas Backstrom of the Minnesota Wild, Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets and trophy-winner Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins.

With one season left on his original four-year deal with the Canucks, Roberto and agent Gilles Lupien began contract negotiations with general manager Mike Gillis in the 2009 off-season.

At the time of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, ESPN reported that Roberto and the Canucks had agreed on a long-term extension to be announced on July 1, 2009.

However, the report was denied by both Lupien and Gillis. A little over a month later in early-August, Gillis told Vancouver sports radio station TEAM 1040 in an interview that he was "philosophically" close to a deal with Roberto to be signed before the upcoming 2009–10 season.

That same month (while at Team Canada's summer camp for the 2010 Winter Olympics), Roberto set a September 13th deadline to sign a contract before the Canucks' training camp began, explaining that he "will not be negotiating during the season ... [not wanting] that distraction."

Several days later, on September 2, 2009, the Canucks announced that they had signed Roberto to a 12-year contract extension worth $64 million for a $5.33 million annual salary cap hit.

The front-loaded deal, which will expire by the time Roberto is 43 years old and includes a no-trade clause, sees him make $10 million in 2010–11, then approximately $6.7 million annually through to 2017–18, $3.3 million and $1.6 million the subsequent two seasons before tailing off to $1 million for the final two years.

The contract contains two additional clauses to circumvent the no-trade clause that allow Roberto to facilitate a trade after the fifth year and for the Canucks to also facilitate a trade after the seventh year.

Nearly a month into the 2009–10 season, on October 25, 2009, Roberto recorded his 21st shutout as a Canuck (48th career) in a 2–0 win against the Edmonton Oilers, surpassing Kirk McLean as the franchise shutouts leader.

The following game against the Detroit Red Wings on October 27, 2009, he suffered a rib injury that was revealed the following day to be a hairline fracture.

Roberto originally injured his rib two games prior against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 24, 2009 after taking a shot from Leafs forward Niklas Hagman in the chest.

The injury was re-aggravated during the Detroit game during a collision with Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi.

Roberto returned to the lineup on November 10, 2009 after missing six games. On January 7, 2010, he recorded his 50th career shutout in a 4–0 win against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Despite recording the second 40-win season of his career, Roberto finished with his worst statistical season as a Canuck, heavily affected by a poor second-half.

Pulled seven times in 68 appearances, Roberto recorded a 2.57 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

In the subsequent 2010 playoffs, the Canucks defeated the Los Angeles Kings in six games only to be defeated by the Chicago Blackhawks for the second year in a row.

In similar fashion to the previous year, he struggled in the second round series against Chicago, allowing 21 goals in six games including 5 in the deciding sixth game. Roberto finished the playoffs with a 3.22 GAA and .895 save percentage.

In the off-season, it was speculated by many in the media whether Roberto should remain Vancouver's captain, citing the added pressure of the goaltending position.

After the Canucks' 3–1 series deficit in the second round, he ceased to make himself available for pre-game interviews – a customary practice for goaltenders, but not for captains.

When asked after the Canucks' elimination whether he thought he should remain team captain, Roberto told reporters he did not think it was an issue. However, Gillis (who appointed him captain two seasons prior) asserted it was a topic to be addressed in the off-season.

On September 13, 2010, Roberto confirmed that he was stepping down, stating that "Serving as captain...in a Canadian city for a team with such passionate fans is a privilege and an experience I will always take pride in. I will continue to be a leader on this team and support my teammates the same way I always have while focusing on our ultimate goal."

Centre Henrik Sedin (who won the Hart Trophy for the 2009–10 season) was named Roberto's successor in a pre-game ceremony to the Canucks' season-opener.

Also in the off-season, Gillis fired Roberto's goaltending coach Ian Clark and hired Roland Melanson in his place.

Roberto had been a personal friend of Clark's and publicly stated being surprised and disappointed with the switch.

The decision to hire Melanson was largely precipitated on his willingness to work with Roberto on a full-time basis (something Clark was unable to do).

Despite the coaching change at the club level, Roberto retained Clark as his personal coach for his summer training.

He began working with Melanson leading up to the 2010–11 season and employed several changes in his playing style which included playing deeper into his crease instead of challenging shooters.

During the 2010 pre-season, Roberto sustained a groin injury, but recovered in time for the regular season. Midway through the campaign, he was named the NHL's Second Star of the Month for December 2010.

Roberto posted an 11–1–2 record with a 2.07 GAA, a .922 save percentage and one shutout.

During the month, he started a 21-game regulation unbeaten streak that lasted until a loss against the St. Louis Blues on February 14, 2011. Roberto's record in that span was 16 wins and 5 overtime or shootout losses.

Later in the campaign, Roberto recorded his 300th career win against the Los Angeles Kings on March 5, 2011, becoming the 6th-youngest goaltender to reach the milestone and the 25th overall.

The 2010–11 season constituted a decreased workload for Roberto, as he appeared in 60 games.

Team management had asserted at the beginning of the campaign that rookie backup Cory Schneider would be given the opportunity to play in 20 to 25 games.

Roberto finished the season with a league-leading 38 wins, along with 22 losses (15 in regulation and 7 in overtime or a shootout).

His career-high 2.11 GAA ranked second in the league, behind Tim Thomas' 2.00 and set a Canucks record, surpassing Dan Cloutier's 2.27 GAA, set in 2003–04.

While Roberto's .928 save percentage improved upon his team-record setting .921 in 2006–07, it was bettered by one-hundredth of a point by Schneider.

Together, Roberto and Schneider won the William M. Jennings Trophy for leading the Canucks to the lowest GAA in the league. Their combined 2.20 GAA was one-tenth better than the Boston Bruins's second-place goaltending tandem of Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask.

He helped the Canucks to their first Presidents' Trophy in team history with an NHL-best and franchise-record 54 wins and 117 points.

Roberto's efforts in the regular season earned him his third career Vezina Trophy nomination alongside the Boston Bruins' Tim Thomas and the Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne.

Entering the 2011 playoffs as the first seed in the West, the Canucks were matched against the Blackhawks for the third straight year. After opening the series with three straight wins, the Canucks lost the next three, forcing a seventh game.

After he was pulled in favour of Roberto during Games 4 and 5 (having allowed six and four goals, respectively), he started Game 6 on the bench.

During the third period, Schneider suffered an injury which forced Roberto to finish the game. He made 12 saves in relief of Schneider before Blackhawks forward Ben Smith scored in overtime.

Although Schneider was available to play for Game 7, Vigneault chose to start Roberto. He made 31 saves in the deciding game, helping the Canucks to a 2–1 overtime win.

Roberto's efforts included a cross-ice save on a one-timer from forward Patrick Sharp during a Blackhawks powerplay early on in the extra period.

Going head-to-head against fellow Vezina Trophy nominee Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators in round two, Roberto kept Nashville to 11 goals over 6 games to help the Canucks advance.

He maintained his performance in the Conference Finals against the San Jose Sharks, allowing 13 goals over 5 contests including 54 saves in the fifth and deciding match, a game that went to double overtime.

His efforts helped the Canucks reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 17 years.

Roberto's opened the series against the Boston Bruins stopping all 36 shots in a 1–0 win for his third shutout of the post-season.

As the series shifted to Boston's TD Garden with a two-games-to-none Canucks lead, Luongo surrendered eight goals in Game 3.

The following contest, he was pulled for the third time in the playoffs after allowing 4 goals on 20 shots.

Amidst heavy scrutiny from the media and Canucks fans, Roberto recovered for Game 5, stopping all 31 Bruins shots in a 1–0 win.

It was his 15th win and 4th shutout of the post-season, tying both of Kirk McLean's single-year playoff team records, previously set in 1994.

With an opportunity to clinch the Stanley Cup in Game 6, however, Roberto was pulled again after allowing three goals in less than three minutes in the first period; the game ended in a 5–2 loss.

Starting for the deciding seventh game, he allowed 3 goals on 20 shots, including one shorthanded goal, as the Canucks lost 4–0.

Nearly a month-and-a-half into the 2011–12 season, Roberto suffered an upper-body injury that sidelined him for two games.

The nature of the injury was unspecified, but was believed to have occurred during a game against the Islanders on November 13, 2011, when he appeared to be in discomfort.

Prior to the injury, he was struggling to perform with statistics near the bottom of the league.

Upon recovering, Schneider's play relegated Roberto to backup status for five games. By December, he resumed as the team's starter with improved performance.

The following month, Roberto reached a pair of milestones. On January 4, 2012, he became the 23rd goalie in league history to play in his 700th game (a contest in which he recorded a 3–0 shutout against the Wild).

With his 212th victory as a Canuck on January 21 (a 4–3 win against the Sharks), he surpassed Kirk McLean as the winningest goalie in team history. Luongo accomplished the feat in 364 games, 152 less than McLean.

Appearing in 55 games in 2011–12, Roberto recorded 31 wins, 14 losses and 8 overtime or shootout losses. He had a 2.41 GAA, .919 save percentage and five shutouts.

His efforts helped the Canucks to a second consecutive Presidents' Trophy for the regular season.

Facing the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings in the opening round of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, Roberto started the first two games and played well but his team lost both.

Vigneault opted to start Schneider for the rest of the series, in order to give the Canucks some momentum and Luongo remained on the bench for the remainder of the series as the Kings won four games to one.

Dressing as a backup for the Canucks' final three playoff games led many in the media to believe that Roberto would be traded in the off-season in favor of Schneider, who recorded better regular season and playoff statistics than him in 2011–12.

Asked about his role with the Canucks following the defeat, Roberto told reporters that he would waive his no-trade clause if management asked him to.

In June of 2012, Schneider was signed to a three-year $12 million contract, which made Roberto expendable, but general manager Mike Gillis' efforts to trade him were unsuccessful.

In the lockout-shortened 2012–13 NHL season, both goaltenders split the playing duties although Schneider was the number one goalie.

Roberto handled his demotion with class and remained supportive of Schneider, soon calling the Canucks "Cory's team."

Head coach Alain Vigneault said: "Cory is our MVP and one of reasons why we got into playoffs. I've got a lot of faith in him and that's why we're going with him."

In the opening playoff round facing the San Jose Sharks, as Schneider had been injured near the end of the regular season, Roberto started the first two games and played well but his team lost both.

Roberto came off the bench in game three after Schneider was pulled in the third period.

He was the backup in game four as the Canucks lost in overtime, ending his team's postseason in four straight games.

Roberto put his penthouse up for sale as it was accepted that he had played his final game as a Canuck.

Although he had nine years left on a 12-year, $64-million contract, which represented a $5.33 million salary cap hit, general manager Mike Gillis remained confident of making a deal in the summer.

Ultimately, Schneider was traded to the New Jersey Devils on June 30, 2013 which reinstated Roberto in the starting position for the 2013–14 NHL season.

Career Statistics

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	OTL	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1994–95	Montreal-Bourassa	QAAA		25	10	14	0	—	—	94	—	3.85	—
1995–96	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		23	6	11	4	—	1201	74	0	3.70	.878
1996–97	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		60	32	21	2	—	3302	171	2	3.10	.902
1997–98	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		54	33	19	0	—	3043	157	7	3.09	.899
1998–99	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		21	6	10	2	—	1476	77	1	3.93	.902
1998–99	Acadie-Bathurst Titan	QMJHL		22	14	7	1	—	1342	74	0	3.31	.914
1999–00	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		26	10	12	4	—	1517	74	1	2.93	.908
1999–00	New York Islanders	NHL		24	7	14	1	—	1292	70	1	3.24	.908
2000–01	Louisville Panthers	AHL		3	1	2	0	—	178	10	0	3.38	.917
2000–01	Florida Panthers	NHL		47	12	24	7	—	2628	107	5	2.44	.920
2001–02	Florida Panthers	NHL		58	16	33	4	—	3030	140	4	2.77	.915
2002–03	Florida Panthers	NHL		65	20	34	7	—	3627	164	6	2.71	.918
2003–04	Florida Panthers	NHL		73	25	33	14	—	4252	172	7	2.43	.931
2005–06	Florida Panthers	NHL		75	35	30	—	9	4305	213	4	2.97	.914
2006–07	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		76	47	22	—	6	4490	171	5	2.29	.921
2007–08	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		73	35	29	—	9	4232	168	6	2.38	.917
2008–09	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		54	33	13	—	7	3181	124	9	2.34	.920
2009–10	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		68	40	22	—	4	3899	167	4	2.57	.913
2010–11	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		60	38	15	—	7	3590	126	4	2.11	.928
2011–12	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		55	31	14	—	8	3162	127	5	2.41	.919
2012–13	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		20	9	6	—	3	1197	51	2	2.56	.907
NHL totals				747	348	289	33	53	42887	1800	62	2.52	.919
QMJHL totals				180	85	70	9	—	8892	554	10	3.30	—

Playoff Statistics

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SA	SV%
1996	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		3	0	1	68	5	0	4.41	—	—
1997	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		13	8	5	777	44	0	3.39	—	—
1998	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		17	14	3	1019	37	2	2.17	—	—
1998 MC	Val-d'Or Foreurs	QMJHL		3	0	3	180	19	0	6.33	—	—
1999	Acadie-Bathurst Titan	QMJHL		23	16	6	1400	64	0	2.74	—	—
1999 MC	Acadie-Bathurst Titan	QMJHL		3	0	3	180	11	0	3.67	—	—
2000	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		6	3	3	359	18	0	3.00	222	.919
2007	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		12	5	7	847	25	0	1.77	427	.941
2009	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		10	6	4	618	26	1	2.52	304	.914
2010	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		12	6	6	707	38	0	3.22	362	.895
2011	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		25	15	10	1427	61	4	2.56	711	.914
2012	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		2	0	2	117	7	0	3.59	64	.891
2013	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		3	0	2	140	6	0	2.57	71	.915
NHL totals				64	32	31	3856	163	5	2.54	1939	.916
QMJHL totals				56	38	15	3264	150	2	2.75	—	—

International Statistics

Year	Team	Event		GP	W	L	T	SO	GAA
1995	Québec	U17		Stats unavailable
1998	Canada	WJC		3	0	0	0	0	2.89
1999	Canada	WJC		7	4	2	1	0	1.93
2001	Canada	WC		2	1	0	0	0	1.44
2003	Canada	WC		4	3	0	1	1	1.98
2004	Canada	WC		7	5	1	1	1	2.32
2004	Canada	WCH		1	1	0	0	0	2.82
2005	Canada	WC		2	1	0	1	1	1.50
2006	Canada	Oly		2	1	1	0	0	1.51
2010	Canada	Oly		5	5	0	0	1	1.76
Junior int'l totals				10	4	2	1	0	2.22
Senior int'l totals				23	17	2	3	4	1.94

Awards & Achievements

QMJHL Awards

• Mike Bossy Trophy (1997)
• President's Cup championship (Val-d'Or Foreurs, Acadie-Bathurst Titan) (1998 and 1999)

NHL Awards

• NHL YoungStars Game (2002)
• NHL Second All-Star Team (2004 and 2007)
• Mark Messier Leadership Award (March 2007)
• NHL All-Star Game (2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009)
• Scotiabank Fan Fav Award (2009)
• William M. Jennings Trophy (2011)

Vancouver Canucks

• Most Exciting Player Award (2007)
• Cyclone Taylor Award (2007 and 2008)
• Molson Cup (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011)
• Team Captain (2008–2010)

International Awards

• World Junior Best Goalie (1999)
• World Junior All-Star Team (1999)
• IIHF World Championship gold medallist (2003 and 2004)
• World Cup champion (2004)
• Winter Olympic gold medallist (2010)

Records

Val-d'Or Foreurs Records

• Most wins in a season: 32 in 1996–97

QMJHL Records

• Most shutouts in a season: 7 in 1997–98 (tied with Nick Sanza, 1974–75; Adam Russo, 2002–03; Kevin Poulin, 2009–10)
• Most wins in a single playoffs: 16 in 1999 (tied with Michel Morisette, 1982; Eric Fichaud, 1994; Eric Lafrance, 2003; Jonathan Bernier, 2007; Ryan Mior, 2008; Nicola Riopel, 2010)
• Most games played all-time, playoffs: 56 from 1995–99 (surpassed Marc Denis, 43 games played, 1994–97)
• Most minutes played all-time, playoffs: 3,264:22 from 1995–99 (surpassed Marc Denis, 2,518:07, 1994–97)
• Most wins all-time, playoffs: 38 from 1995–99 (surpassed Robert Desjardins, 30, 1984–87)
• Most shots faced all-time, playoffs: 1,808 from 1995–99 (surpassed Manny Fernandez, 1,351, 1991–94)

NHL Records

• Most saves in a single season: 2,303 in 2003–04 (surpassed Felix Potvin, 2,214 in 1996–97)
• Most shots faced in a single season: 2,488 in 2005–06 (surpassed himself, 2,475 in 2003–04)
• Most shots faced in a single playoff game: 76 on April 11, 2007
• Most home games played in a single season: 41 in 2006–07
• Most regular season overtime wins, all-time: 49 (as of 2008–09)

Florida Panthers Records

• Longest shutout streak: 144:51 minutes in 2002–03
• Most shutouts in a season: 7 in 2003–04 (surpassed himself, six shutouts in 2002–03; tied with Tomas Vokoun, 2009–10)
• Most wins in a season: 35 in 2005–06 (surpassed John Vanbiesbrouck; 27 wins in 1996–97)
• Most games played in a season: 75 in 2005–06 (surpassed himself, 72 games played in 2003–04)
• Most games played all-time: 318
• Most wins all-time: 108 (surpassed John Vanbiesbrouck; 106 wins)
• Most shutouts all-time: 26 (surpassed John Vanbiesbrouck; 13 shutouts)

Vancouver Canucks Records

• Most saves in a single game: 72 on April 11, 2007
• Longest shutout streak: 242:36 minutes (2008–09) (surpassed himself, 184:20 minutes in 2007–08)
• Most wins in a season: 47 in 2006–07 (surpassed Kirk McLean; 38 in 1991–92)
• Most games played in a season: 75 in 2006–07 (surpassed Gary Smith; 72 in 1974–75)
• Most shutouts in a season: 9 in 2008–09 (surpassed Dan Cloutier; 7 in 2001–02)
• Lowest GAA in a season: 2.11 in 2010–11 (surpassed Dan Cloutier; 2.27 in 2003–04)
• Most shutouts all-time: 33 (surpassed Kirk McLean, 20)
• Most wins all-time: 224 (after end of 2011-2012 season; surpassed Kirk McLean, 211)

International Play

Medal record
Competitor for Canada
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Gold	2010 Vancouver
World Championships
Silver	2005 Austria
Gold	2004 Czech Republic
Gold	2003 Finland
World Cup
Gold	2004 Canada
World Junior Championships
Silver	1999 Canada
Competitor for Template:Country data Quebec
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Bronze	1995 Canada

Roberto made his international debut at the 1995 World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Moncton, New Brunswick with Team Québec winning bronze.

Three years later, he was named to the Canadian national junior team for the 1998 World Junior Championships in Finland.

He played backup to Victoriaville Tigres goaltender Mathieu Garon, going winless in three appearances with a 3.70 GAA, as Canada finished in eighth place.

Roberto became the starting goaltender the following year at the 1999 World Junior Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba, appearing in seven of Canada's eight games.

He recorded a shutout in the first game of the tournament against the Czech Republic, making 36 saves in a 0–0 tie.

Roberto went on to help Team Canada to the gold medal game against Russia, but lost in overtime, surrendering a goal to Artem Chubarov.

With a 1.92 GAA and two shutouts, Roberto was given Best Goaltender and All-Star Team honours.

He made his first appearance with the Canadian men's team at the 2001 World Championships in Germany.

Roberto played backup to Fred Brathwaite of the Calgary Flames before injuring his finger during the first game of the qualification round against Switzerland on May 4, 2001.

Roberto returned home to Florida as Vancouver Canucks goaltender Dan Cloutier replaced him which ended his tournament debut with a 1.44 GAA in two games. Canada finished in fifth place.

During Roberto's next appearance at the 2003 World Championships in Finland, Luongo began the tournament as backup to the Phoenix Coyotes' Sean Burke. He earned wins against Latvia in the preliminaries and Switzerland in the qualifying round.

During the semifinals against the Czech Republic, Roberto replaced Burke after he left the game with a lower-body injury eight minutes into the second period. He allowed four goals in relief, but earned the win as Canada defeated the Czechs 8–4.

With Burke still out for the gold medal game, Roberto made 49 saves against Sweden in a 3–2 overtime win. Despite his medal round efforts, Burke was named the Best Goaltender for the tournament as he played in the majority of Team Canada's games.

The gold-medal winning 2003 team was later named the Canadian Press national sports team of the year on January 2, 2004.

Roberto made his third appearance at the World Championships in 2004 in the Czech Republic.

He played in seven games as the starting goaltender, recording a 2.32 GAA and one shutout, as Canada captured its second straight gold medal at the tournament, beating Sweden 5–3 in the final.

Several months later, Roberto competed for Team Canada in the 2004 World Cup as backup to Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils.

It marked his first international tournament in which all NHL players were eligible as the annual World Championships conflict with the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Roberto had another opportunity to step in for the starting goalie when Brodeur pulled himself out prior to the semi-final game against the Czech Republic due to a sprained wrist.

Filling in for Brodeur, Roberto made 37 of 40 stops in a 4–3 overtime victory to put Team Canada into the finals against Finland. Brodeur returned for the championship game to backstop Team Canada to a 3–2 win.

Roberto appeared in his fourth World Championships in 2005. Due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout, all NHL players were available for the tournament in Austria and he played backup to Brodeur.

Roberto appeared in two games, including a shutout win against Slovenia in the round-robin. He earned a silver medal as Team Canada was shut out by the Czech Republic 3–0 in the final.

Roberto was named to his first Winter Olympics in 2006. The tournament was held in Turin, Italy, his country of cultural origin. Again, He played behind Brodeur and appeared in two games.

He made his Olympic debut in the second game of the round-robin with a 5–1 win against Germany. Roberto's second appearance of the tournament was a loss to Finland, also in the round-robin.

Team Canada had entered the tournament as the defending gold medal champions from the 2002 Winter Olympics, but they were eliminated facing Russia in the quarter-finals and finished in seventh place.

Leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, to be held in Roberto's NHL hometown of Vancouver, he and Brodeur were considered locks to be named to the national team heading into the summer orientation camp in August of 2009 and speculation began as to who would be appointed the starting position.

On December 31, 2009, Roberto was selected to Team Canada, along with Brodeur and Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins as the three goaltenders. He was given the start for the first game against Norway.

He recorded his first Olympic shutout, making 15 saves in an 8–0 win to open the tournament.

After Brodeur surrendered four goals in a 5–3 loss to the United States in their final preliminary game, Roberto replaced him as the starting goalie.

He helped Canada to four consecutive single-elimination game wins against Germany, Russia, Slovakia and the United States to capture the gold medal.

During the semifinal against Slovakia, Roberto made a game-saving stop against Canucks teammate Pavol Demitra with nine seconds to go in regulation.

With Slovakia's goaltender pulled and down by a goal, the puck bounced to Demitra by the side of the net.

Out of position, Roberto managed to get his glove on the puck, deflecting it away from the net and preserving the win.

In the subsequent gold medal game, he made 34 saves in Canada's overtime win against the United States.

On March 11, 2010, Roberto carried the torch into Robson Square in Downtown Vancouver for the 2010 Paralympics.

Career Transactions

• June 21, 1997: Selected by the New York Islanders in the first round (fourth overall) in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
• January 8, 1999: Signed by the New York Islanders to a three-year, $2.775 million contract.
• June 24, 2001: Traded to the Florida Panthers along with Olli Jokinen in exchange for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha.
• August 25, 2005: Granted a one-year, $3.2 million contract with the Florida Panthers by arbitration.
• June 23, 2006: Traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with Lukáš Krajíček and a sixth-round selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft (Sergei Shirokov) in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld.
• June 29, 2006: Signed a four-year, $27 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
• September 2, 2009: Signed a 12-year, $64 million contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks.

Playing Style

Roberto plays in the butterfly style of goaltending, dropping to his knees with his skates pointing outwards and his pads meeting in the middle in order to cover the bottom portion of the net.

Due to the style of play, groin injuries are common for butterfly goalies and Roberto suffered one during the 2008–09 season and missed 24 games.

An athletic goaltender, Roberto is known for having quick reflexes, particularly with his glove.

One of his early goaltending coaches, François Allaire has remembered Roberto to have had the "best catching glove [he'd] ever seen in a kid" when he first came to his goaltending school in Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé, Québec, Canada when he was 14 years old.

Allaire is known to be a strong proponent of the butterfly style. At 6 feet and 3 inches, Roberto is able to cover a lot of net with his size.

Observers also note the strong concentration, competitiveness and mental aspects of Roberto's game. On the other hand, his puck-handling skills have been described as a weakness.

Roberto's style began to be directed during his midget years with Allaire and Montreal-Bourassa goaltending coach Mario Baril.

He sent tapes of his play to Allaire during his rookie season in the QMJHL and his former goaltending coach advised Roberto to be more aggressive and come out of the net more to cut off angles and challenge shooters.

Later in Roberto's NHL career, the Canucks hired a new goaltending coach, Roland Melanson, prior to the 2010–11 season.

Working with Melanson, he began playing deeper in his crease against Allaire's original advice which allowed him to maintain positioning for rebounds.

The following season, Melanson further tweaked Roberto's style, encouraging him to extend and elevate his glove after his hand's usual low positioning was interpreted to have become a weakness.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault has said that Luongo plays best with more playing time over the length of the season.

Throughout Roberto's career, he has garnered lots of playing time, including four consecutive 70-game seasons from 2003–04 to 2007–08 between the Florida Panthers and Canucks.

He has been known to suffer from slow starts to the season, usually in the first month of October.

In Roberto's first three Octobers with the Canucks, he posted a combined 10–13–0 record and a .899 save percentage (numbers that are well below his career pace.)

He is also known for his leadership qualities. He received the Mark Messier Leadership Award in his first season with the Canucks for the month of March 2007.

Prior to his third season with Vancouver, he was named Markus Näslund's successor as team captain and the first goaltender to be named a captain in 59 years.

Teammate Mattias Ohlund (who served as alternate captain to Roberto for one season) described him as a vocal leader while he has also identified that quality in himself.

General manager Mike Gillis described Roberto's commitment level as "unprecedented", adding that "he'd be a great example for our younger guys" at the time of the captaincy announcement.

Roberto served in that capacity for two seasons before stepping down prior to the 2010–11 season.

Personal Life

Roberto was born to Pasqualina and Antonio Luongo in Montreal, Quebec.

His father is an Italian immigrant born in Santa Paolina, Avellino. He worked in the construction and delivery of furniture.

His mother (an Irish-Canadian) worked in marketing with Air Canada. Antonio and Pasqualina married in Montreal after Antonio emigrated there in 1976.

He has two younger brothers, Leo and Fabio, who were also aspiring goaltenders. Fabio made it the further out of the two, playing Junior A in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the Williams Lake Timberwolves in 2004–05 before succumbing to injuries.

Fabio has since become a Junior AAA coach while Leo is a goaltending coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

Roberto and his family lived in St. Leonard, Quebec, a borough north of Montreal with a strong Italian community (just four blocks away from Martin Brodeur who became the goaltender for the New Jersey Devils six years before Roberto entered the NHL).

Roberto is fluent in English, French and Italian. His father spoke Italian and his mother spoke English with a little French at home.

He graduated from Antoine de St-Exupéry in Montreal (a Francophone high school) in 1996.

While playing with the Florida Panthers, Roberto met his wife, Gina Cerbone, at a team hangout called the Pizza Time Trattoria.

Gina is the daughter of the Italian restaurant owner, Umberto Cerbone who is originally from Naples while Gina's mother is from Palermo. Roberto proposed to her under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice in 2004.

They lived in Broward County, Florida during Roberto's tenure with the Panthers, however within a month of moving into a new home in Florida, Roberto was traded to Vancouver.

They subsequently moved into the Vancouver neighbourhood of Yaletown while spending Roberto's off-seasons in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Their first child, Gabriella, was born on March 27, 2008.

Roberto had been chosen as a starting goaltender for the 2008 NHL All-Star Game, but he chose not to attend in order to be with Gina, who was pregnant with Gabriella at the time and had returned to Florida.

On December 27, 2010, Gina gave birth to the couple's second child, Gianni Antonio.

Luongo is involved with several charities. Like many Canucks players, Roberto has spent time with Canuck Place, a children's hospice in Vancouver. He also sponsors a spectator's box in Rogers Arena that is reserved for underprivileged children to attend Canucks games.

At the end of games in which he has been named one of the three stars, Roberto has been known to give away his goalie stick to a fan in the crowd.

In the summer of 2009, he hosted the Roberto Luongo Golf Open to benefit Montreal Children's Hospital, Sainte-Justine Hospital and a seniors centre network in Saint-Léonard.

In addition to being an avid golfer, Roberto also enjoys playing poker.

In September of 2011, Roberto was inducted into the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.