NHL Previews
Notable new faces on Canadian teams
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Roberto Luongo – Goaltender, Vancouver Canucks
The start of the 2006-07 NHL campaign could spell the end of a familiar decade-long ritual for Vancouver Canucks fans. The popular yet agonizing habit of moaning and groaning about the team's goaltending situation may finally be a thing of the past.
Vancouver has seen a revolving door of potential netminding saviours in the nine years since former No. 1 Kirk McLean left the scene. Sean Burke, Felix Potvin, Arturs Irbe, Garth Snow, Kevin Weekes, Dan Cloutier and Alex Auld each came and went without being able to lead the Canucks to the promised land. The result helped Vancouver cement its status as a "goaltending graveyard."
Enter Roberto Luongo. The Canucks finally appear to have the legitimate top-drawer goaltender the club's fans have been craving for many years. Luongo’s resume and pedigree are impressive. The NHL all-star is a former No. 1 draft pick, a favourite choice to play with the Canadian national team, and an absolute workhorse who plays 70-plus games per season.
These were the type of qualities the Canucks sought when they acquired the 27-year-old Luongo from the Florida Panthers in an off-season mega-deal involving controversial forward Todd Bertuzzi.
Now it's up to Luongo to ensure he doesn't become yet another Vancouver headstone.
"Yes, I've heard it's a goalie graveyard but I can't help what happened here in the past," Luongo recently told the Vancouver Sun. "I know what I can do. I know what type of athlete I am and I am very serious about the way I work and the way I play.
"The trade was a shock at the beginning but I think it's a good move for my career. I'm very excited to be in Vancouver."