Roberto Luongo is back in Vancouver to be honoured by the Canucks. Here's a look at his legacy (and tweets)

Canucks fans can expect to see Roberto Luongo walking around Vancouver over the next day or two.

The team's former goaltender — who holds the franchise's all-time record for wins and shutouts — says he plans to do a lot of reminiscing while he's back in the city to be inducted into the Canucks' Ring of Honour on Thursday night.

But for the Montreal native, Vancouver is more than just the place where he played 448 regular season and 64 playoff games over eight seasons.

"It's a huge, huge part of my life [and] always will be," Luongo told reporters gathered to hear him speak Thursday morning.

"My daughter started school here ... this city holds a special place for me."

WATCH | Luongo talks about his social media presence, how it changed his relationship to fans: 

Roberto Luongo says Twitter was an important outlet while he was with Canucks

12 months ago

Duration 1:26

On a return visit to Vancouver, the former Canucks goalie reflected on how his social media feed helped him drop his guard and connect directly with fans.

And the feeling is mutual.

Joel Ali, a coach with the Lower Mainland's Pro-Formance Goalie School and Development Centre, said Luongo's arrival in Vancouver "really changed the vibes" for hockey fans when he arrived in 2006.

"Getting arguably the world's best goaltender ... I couldn't believe it," he said.

Ali said he also witnessed "the Luongo effect" as a coach, as more kids than ever before wanted to sign up to be goaltenders.

"Kids look up to the very best, and he was ... he definitely touched a generation."

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In addition to setting franchise records, Luongo backstopped the Canucks to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final and was in net when Canada's men's hockey team won gold at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

"Roberto has long been a franchise icon for the Vancouver Canucks," team president Michael Doyle said in a release. "He is one of the best players in the history of the franchise."

But while Luongo won over many fans, he sometimes alienated others, especially when his relationship with the Canucks turned sour toward the end of his time with the organization.

Much of this was documented in his humorous and sometimes acerbic Twitter (now X) account, @strombone1.

But Luongo insisted Thursday that he never felt unhappy with the team, even toward the end. 

"It was the most important stretch of my career," he said.

As for his use of social media to commentate on some of the tougher moments, he said having the account — especially when it was anonymous — was a way for him to let his guard down.

"It was just a way for me to by myself," he said. "It helped me deal with a lot of these things and people took a liking to it."

Humour and disputes

Originally drafted fourth overall by the New York Islanders in 1997, Luongo spent eight seasons with the Canucks.

In 2008, the Canucks named him their captain. NHL rules prevented Luongo from wearing the "C" on his jersey because he was a goalie, but the club was permitted to designate the netminder as their captain.

WATCH | Luongo on being named team captain for the Canucks: 

In 2009, the Canucks signed Luongo to a 12-year contract extension worth $64 million US. That was followed by Olympic glory on home ice in 2010 and a run to the Stanley Cup final in 2011, which the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

In the years that followed, the relationship between Luongo and the Canucks soured as new goalie Cory Schneider seemed poised to replace him.

In 2013, Luongo shared his thoughts on why he wasn't moved to another team ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

He said his contract "sucks," adding it prevented any potential move from Vancouver.

Schneider was later dealt to the New Jersey Devils.

Luongo's time with the Canucks ended shortly after the Heritage Classic at B.C. Place on March 2, 2014.

In that game, head coach John Tortorella started backup goalie Eddie Lack over Luongo in a game that saw the Canucks lose 4–2 to the Ottawa Senators.

Two days later, Luongo was traded back to the Florida Panthers.

On a return visit to Vancouver in January 2015, Luongo said he might have stuck with the Canucks had he been put on the ice for the outdoor showcase game.

"There's no hiding it. I did want to play that game," Luongo told reporters. "I mean that goes without saying, and if I would have played I probably would maybe still be here. Who knows?"

WATCH | Canucks tribute to Roberto Luongo:

Canucks honour Roberto Luongo in video tribute

10 years ago

Duration 1:00

Panthers goalie playing in Vancouver for the first time since being traded.

During that same return visit, Luongo was honoured by the Canucks with a video tribute that showed some highlights of Luongo with Vancouver, including the series-clinching game that propelled the Canucks to the 2011 Stanley Cup final.

An emotional Luongo headed straight to the bench, didn't watch the tribute, but waved to the crowd after skating back to the Panthers' net. 

"I just wanted to give my thanks, my appreciation for not only the welcome, but for the eight years," Luongo said of the first-period salute. "There's a lot of memories in those eight years and it was just my way to thank the fans."

The hunt for Stanley

Luongo finished his career with the Panthers, continuing his hunt for the Stanley Cup — a goal that would remain elusive.

He announced his retirement in June 2019.

He said he wanted to keep playing until he won a Stanley Cup but didn't feel like he could continue — something he announced with his familiar Twitter humour.

More seriously, he also used the platform to write that he realized it was the "right time for me to step away from the game."

"I love the game so much, but the commitment I required to prepare, to keep my body ready, has become overwhelming," he wrote.

Last year, Luongo became the seventh goaltender to ever be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The Ring of Honour consists of displays in Rogers Arena celebrating some of the most important players in Canucks history. Inductees include the team's first captain Orland Kurtenbach, former defenceman and head coach Pat Quinn, and goaltender Kirk McLean.

Ali says he is happy Luongo is getting the honour but argues the team should go one step further and retire his jersey, too.

"He accomplished so much for the city while he was here," he said.