Luongo is “relieved” that the Panthers won the Stanley Cup.
Played 11 of his 19 NHL seasons with Florida, the former goalkeeper is the GM’s special adviser.
SUNRISE, Fla. — Roberto Luongo got a second chance at a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final on Monday.
He took full advantage of this opportunity.
Luongo was on the wrong end of the Vancouver Canucks’ loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. But at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday, he was charged with getting the home crowd fired up by banging the drum before the Florida Panthers’ 2-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7.
Luongo has worked in the Panthers front office since his retirement in 2019 and is currently a special adviser to general manager Bill Zito. He looked ready to suit up as he almost tore a hole into the bass drum.
The Game 7 win followed three straight losses by the Panthers, who won the Stanley Cup for the first time.
Luongo noted after the win, “I had a lot of pent-up emotion from the past week.” I needed to let out a lot of my emotions.
The feeling of relief and having a weight lifted off your shoulders is the closest thing this can be compared to—the 2010 Olympic gold medal game. Although you are pleased with your victory, it is primarily a relief.
Luongo played with the New York Islanders, Panthers, and Canucks for 19 seasons before being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022. Florida was the team for eleven of those seasons.
One of the greatest players in NHL history to have never won the Stanley Cup, the victory Monday allowed Luongo to hoist it over his head and ensures his name will finally be engraved on it.
