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SPORTS Thursday 27 June 2019
Goalie Roberto Luongo retires after 19 NHL seasons

By TIM REYNOLDS Stanley Cup, though his chise was giving its most
AP Sports Writer legacy is secure regardless. beloved player all the time
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Rober- His 489 career victories are he needed to make his de-
to Luongo wanted to keep third in NHL history behind cision.
playing and keep chasing only Martin Brodeur and “The impact that he has
the elusive Stanley Cup, Patrick Roy, and Brodeur had on the developing
largely because he be- is the only goalie to have core of our team, its culture
lieves the Florida Panthers appeared in more games and our community are un-
are finally in position to be or made more saves than deniable,” Tallon said. “He
a playoff contender. Luongo. has always approached
His body wanted otherwise. It could be argued that no everything with a determi-
And Luongo ultimately lis- one was better for longer nation and level of class
tened. than Luongo was. Among that was second to none.
The most popular player the seven goaltenders He leaves not only a leg-
in Panthers history an- to appear in at least 900 acy in South Florida, but a
nounced his retirement games, Luongo’s .919 save legacy in the game itself.” In this Sept. 13, 2018, file photo, Florida Panthers NHL hockey
Wednesday — doing so percentage is the best. Luongo was the fourth over- goalie Roberto Luongo answers questions from the media
via Twitter in two differ- “From the moment I was all pick in the 1997 draft by during the Panthers media day in Sunrise, Fla.
ent voices, one to support fortunate enough to share the New York Islanders, with Associated Press
each side of his personality. a locker room with him, whom he made his NHL that paid tribute to the vic- point where my body was
The first was in his usual self- Roberto has exemplified debut on Nov. 28, 1999. tims. telling me it just needed a
deprecating comic fash- leadership for me,” Pan- Luongo then spent five He’s moving now, to a new rest. It didn’t really want to
ion, saying he “decided to thers forward Vincent Tro- years with Florida, the next home — but still in Parkland. get going.”
take my talents to a South check said in a statement eight with Vancouver and He is never leaving there. Luongo was under con-
Beach retirement home.” distributed by the Panthers. returned to the Panthers “I’m building a home in tract for three more sea-
The other was a heartfelt “There isn’t a classier, more on March 14, 2014. His last Parkland and it’s going sons. He is giving up about
open letter to fans, where professional guy in this game was April 6, two days to be my family’s perma- $10 million in future salary.
he revealed that he cried league. He’s a great hock- after his 40th birthday. nent home for the rest of He is also giving up a
when he told his children ey player and somehow an “I’m in awe of the legacy our time on this earth,” Lu- chance to play for a Pan-
he was done. even better person.” that he left on this franchise ongo said. He went into thers team that has designs
“This is one of the tough- Luongo leaves as a five- and on the sport,” Panthers this offseason with an open on becoming a major con-
est decisions I’ve faced time All-Star and the Mon- captain Aleksander Bar- mind about coming back. tender. Florida hired Joel
in my life and it took me a treal native helped Can- kov said. One of the last- But when it was time in Quenneville as coach ear-
long time to make it,” Lu- ada win Olympic gold ing memories of Luongo’s May to resume offseason lier this offseason, and is
ongo wrote. “After think- in 2010 and 2014. Also in time in Florida won’t be workouts, the fire wasn’t believed to be a front-run-
ing about it a lot over the his collection: two world anything that happened there. And when he real- ner to sign top free agent
past two months and listen- championship gold med- in a game. Luongo lives in ized that he was dreading goalie Sergei Bobrovsky
ing to my body, I made up als, along with another one Parkland, Florida, the town getting back onto the ice along with Artemi Panerin
my mind. It just feels like the from the 2004 World Cup of that is still grieving the 17 next month, the decision — both of whom were in
right time for me to step Hockey. people who were shot and seemed academic.”For Florida earlier this week to
away from the game. I love The Panthers were pre- killed at Marjory Stoneman the first time in my career, meet with the Panthers in
the game so much, but the pared for the likelihood Douglas High School on I wasn’t excited about it,” advance of the signing
commitment I required to that Luongo may step Feb. 14, 2018. The Panthers’ Luongo said. “That was the period that starts Monday.
prepare, to keep my body away. General manager next home game was eight sign for me. It’s not that I Bobrovsky was a top prior-
ready, has become over- Dale Tallon said last week days later, and Luongo don’t love playing hockey ity for Florida even before
whelming.” Luongo’s career had been spoke for three minutes in a anymore, but I had to lis- Luongo let the team know
Luongo never hoisted the “illustrious” and the fran- pregame on-ice ceremony ten to my body. I’m at the that he was retiring. q

AIBA

Continued from Page 17 by Rakhimov leaving his ing one of Uzbekistan’s IOC president Thomas a deepening financial cri-
duties to an interim re- leading criminals and an Bach said: “We are all sis and protests about his
AIBA has an emergen- placement in March, important person involved concerned with the refer- often secretive leadership
cy meeting scheduled though he could choose in the heroin trade.” eeing.” style.
for Thursday in Geneva. to return at any time this The IOC had to avoid the Boxers’ lack of faith in AIBA Qualifying tournaments
Lalovic is expected to rep- year. consequences of fixed at each Olympics from for Tokyo are intended to
resent the IOC and meet “These risks don’t disap- bouts or suspect results 2008 to 2016 was raised by be held in four continents
AIBA executive commit- pear by the mere fact of in Tokyo, said Morinari Lalovic, who led a three- from January through
tee members aiming to Mr. Rakhimov ‘stepping Watanabe, who leads the member inquiry team. March, likely in London,
retain a role in the plan for aside,’” IOC board mem- Olympic panel overseeing Those doubts persisted China, Senegal and Ar-
Tokyo. ber Lalovic said, adding the Tokyo boxing compe- despite AIBA reviews after gentina. All are recent
“I hope the IOC does real- the Uzbek’s “level of influ- titions. each Olympics, he told an or future hosts of Olym-
ize there are many people ence and control remains “It’s not just losing trust audience that included pic boxing competitions.
in AIBA who are respect- uncertain.” in boxing. It’s lost trust in former AIBA president C.K. A final global qualifier is
ful, ethical and transpar- In December 2017, the the Olympic Games, it’s Wu, an IOC member for 31 expected to be held in
ent who can provide their U.S. Treasury Department lost trust in the IOC,” said years. Japan. That should give
expertise,” Bulgarian box- noted “Rakhimov has Watanabe, the Japanese Wu oversaw each post- each boxer at least two
ing official Emilia Grueva been described as hav- president of the Interna- Olympic integrity review. chances to qualify, in eight
said in a statement. ing moved from extortion tional Gymnastics Federa- He was ousted by AIBA of- weight classes for men
AIBA hoped for a reprieve and car theft to becom- tion. ficials two years ago amid and five for women.q