Player of the Week: Roberto Luongo

There's been a lot of speculation all summer about whether or not Luongo would be returning as Captain Canuck this season. After making himself unavailable to the media during the series against the Blackhawks in order to focus (which I feel is understandable), a lot of people thought he should be replaced. But the decision up to him and he made it yesterday and has stepped down as captain. He said that being a 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."

He has gotten a reputation as choking in big moments but he showed this past February that he can come up huge when it counts. In the (what would be first) huge game against the States, Brodeur came up short in net and Canada lost 3-5 against Team USA. Although Brodeur isn't solely to blame for the loss, he was replaced as starting goalie by Luongo, who stayed in net for the rest of the tournament and ultimately led the team to a gold medal.

 

I think he made the right move. He was a great captain but obviously couldn't do any of the on-ice responsibilities and then would be flooded with interviews after the game. I can see how that would break a goalie's concentration, especially during the playoffs.

He had a brutal second half of the season this past year but hopefully, without the pressure and responsibility of the captaincy, he can bounce back and focus on being a top goaltender - sorry to his backup... We all remember Florida...

He remembers too..