"Thank you guys": Luongo shows love to Canucks fans in Ring of Honour speech
Roberto Luongo hit all the right notes in his acceptance speech as he was inducted into the Vancouver Canucks’ Ring of Honour on Thursday night.
He had moments of reflection and insightful stories, all mixed with that classic lightheartedness he’s known so well for. Most of all, he came across as appreciative of his time in Vancouver, especially when it comes to the connection with the fan base.
“The last thing that I just want to mention, and this is very dear to my heart, very serious, I want to thank you guys,” Luongo said near the end of his acceptance speech.
“It was a great eight years. I know it wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies, there were harder times, but I think those are the times that made me who I am today and I thank you guys for that because you pushed me to be a better person, a better goalie, and I really took that and I appreciate it and I stand here today and I want to really thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it.”
Luongo, who was joined by his family on the ice, also talked about many of the amazing moments he got to experience at Rogers Arena, including the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the Canucks’ various playoff runs.
“In the playoffs, we were playing Chicago in the first round,” the goalie recounted about the Canucks’ 2011 postseason. “We know how that story goes but, and I’m sure you guys have all seen the video, when Burr scores the goal, there was a mosh pit in the corner here and I skated so fast from the net and it was just pure euphoria. That was the most excited I’ve ever been after any game in my whole career.”
The moving ceremony started with the Sedin twins and Cory Schneider coming out onto the ice. What followed was a tribute video narrated by Luongo’s longtime teammate Kevin Bieksa. As per usual, the former defenceman did a great job.
“You were more than a goalie. You were our confidence, our edge, our pocket aces, and our hope that we could reach our goals.”
Celebrating you tonight, Roberto Luongo. pic.twitter.com/x60ZYtNpTf
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 15, 2023
Luongo, who appeared to be fighting through tears at times, ended his time in the spotlight with a lighter topic, as many could have predicted, voicing his support for the team’s popular black skate jersey.
“The last thing I’ll say is let’s free the skate jersey,” the former captain said.
“LET’S FREE THE SKATE JERSEY.” ⛸️
-Roberto Luongo pic.twitter.com/1Y5LmlDtdB
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 15, 2023
Luongo is the eighth person to join the Canucks’ Ring of Honour after Orland Kurtenbach, Kirk McLean, Thomas Gradin, Harold Snepsts, Pat Quinn, Mattias Ohlund, and Alex Burrows.