Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo steps down as team captain
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo has ended his run as captain of the hockey club. Luongo, who had been the first NHL goalie to be named captain of his team in 60 years, surrendered his captaincy on Monday.
Luongo had been agonizing over the decision since the Canucks’ season ended with a second round loss in the playoffs to the Chicago Blackhawks. Luongo had this to say about the decision, “I was fighting with the idea the whole way because I loved being captain. I enjoyed the experience. It was fun. I took a lot of pride in it, and that was one of the main reasons it was tough for me to come to this decision.”
NHL rules do not allow goaltenders to wear the captain’s “C” on their jersey. In lieu of the “C” on his jersey, Luongo had a “C” painted on the chin protector portion of his mask. The NHL also prohibits a goalie from acting as captain during game play, to compensate; the Canucks used three alternate captains while Luongo was team captain.
Luongo said that he would now put his focus on one thing: winning a Stanley Cup with the Canucks. "For me, taking a step back, putting my entire focus on that (the Stanley Cup) is more important. At the end of the day, winning a championship for this team (is more important) than being captain,” said the netminder.
Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis stated that the team would attempt to name a new captain before the start of the season. He also said that the organization would not rush into the decision and that a captain may not be named until the season begins.
Rumours of NHL MVP Henrik Sedin being named captain have been circulating since the end of the season. Gillis downplayed those rumours, “No one is a shoo-in. we’re going to take our time.”
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