Gillis to meet with Luongo over captaincy
Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis is scheduled to meet with goaltender Roberto Luongo regarding the captaincy of the club at some point next week.
Last season Luongo was given the captain’s ‘C’ just before he signed a long-term deal with the franchise. The appointment made Luongo the first goaltender to be made captain since 1947-48 when Montreal Canadiens goaltender Bill Durnan was awarded the honour.
The appointment was mainly a ceremonial one, leaving many hockey pundits to believe that it was done to entice Luongo into signing an extension with the club. Luongo is unable to act as captain while on the ice because of a League rule that forbids goaltenders from assuming the captains duties during games.
Moreover, the added pressure of being team captain has been attributed to Luongo’s drop in numbers last season. All these factors have contributed to speculation that Luongo will be stripped of the ‘C’ after his meeting with Gillis.
In an interview on a Vancouver radio station Gillis mentioned that he would discuss the possibility with the net-minder but ultimately the decision was his to make, stating. “There will be a discussion and a debate, but at the end of the day it’s always my call if I want something done with this team or if I want a change made.”
Both Ryan Kesler and Henrik Sedin’s names have been thrown around in the media as possible replacements. Certainly giving the captaincy to a forward would make the most sense as he is able to discuss calls with the referees and keep players motivated on the bench. Both Kesler and Sedin are prime candidates to take over as team leader. Sedin is coming off of a Hart Trophy season as the League’s leading scorer, while Kesler is coming off a career year that saw him tally 75 points
Last season with Vancouver Luongo recorded 40 wins, four shutouts and a 2.57 goals-against-average.
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