There is plenty of inspiration to be found in the story of Roberto Luongo, the former Vancouver Canucks goaltender. Even people who could care less about hockey or sports can appreciate his accomplishments, many of them achieved under duress.
On Thursday night, Luongo led the Florida Panthers to a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Panthers had been in Vancouver since Monday to get used to Pacific time before their road trip through the Western Conference and Luongo had used the time to get caught up with former teammates, many still his friends, after his abrupt trade last February back to the Panthers, the team he started his career with.
Despite the ridiculous situation that went on around him for years, first with backup goalie Cory Schneider, who seemed to take the top spot from Luongo, only to be traded to the New Jersey Devils, and then with the next (and still current) backup Eddie Lack, who also seemed to take the top spot before it was Luongo who was finally traded, Bobby Lu still was one of the league's elite netminders.
Fans greeted him warmly Thursday night, calling out the customary "Loooooo" when he made a big save, cheering loudly when a video tribute was played on the scoreboard during a TV timeout in the first period and applauding in appreciation when he was named first star of the game, came out on the ice and handed over his goalie stick to a young fan, just like he always did as a Canuck.
Gracious. Didn't burn bridges with his colleagues when his employer didn't treat him well. Left said employer with kind words and pride in what he had accomplished. Did not let his performance or his effort slip because of constant criticism or negativity. Stayed positive and encouraging. Was honest about his shortcomings while praising those around him.
All of those attributes are essential to great athletes and they are the same attributes that make employees great and make people great.
Another attribute Luongo possesses is self-deprecation. At the start of the season, he Tweeted out a picture of himself in the fetal position with the following: "To all of those that drafted me on their fantasy hockey teams, rest assured, I've been working on some new techniques."
He has not had to use those techniques this year. At age 35, he is backstopping a young Panthers team loaded with talent towards a playoff spot, against the expectations of most pundits who thought they would be among the league's worst. He is putting up numbers that could make him a nominee for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the league's top goaltender.
The Globe article was actually about Luongo's prospects to be named to the Hockey Hall of Fame at the end of his career. Thursday's victory gave him at least one win over every team in the league, a rare accomplishment. It was the 389th victory of his career, tying him for 11th most wins all-time with Dominek Hasek, who is in the Hall of Fame.
If the Panthers continue to develop and stay on their winning ways over the next few years and Luongo remains healthy enough to play until he is 40, he could have more than 500 wins under his belt before he retires. That would automatically qualify him for the hall, since only two other goaltenders - Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur - have crossed that threshold.
There's another positive attribute Luongo possesses. He does not sulk or complain about being underappreciated.
Too many hockey fans think anybody could have played goal in 2010 in Vancouver for the Canadian men's team and won an Olympic gold medal. They ignore the incredible save Luongo made on Canucks teammate Pavol Demitra in the final seconds of the semi-final, with Canada nursing a 3-2 lead, (it's on YouTube) or that the gold-medal game against the U.S., which went to overtime and it was Ryan Miller, now the main man for the Canucks in net, who cracked first.
Too many hockey fans think Luongo cost the Canucks the Stanley Cup in 2011. The reality is the Canucks would not have made it Game 7 of the final without Luongo, who played brilliantly during most of the 2011 playoff run, particularly against the Nashville Predators and the San Jose Sharks.
The wins and the career stats are impressive enough but how he got there is what's truly impressive about Luongo, a goalie who just can't get no respect but doesn't let that stop him from being great.
