Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo fills in for beer league team
Well, here is something you don’t see every day.
A recreational men’s league team was in need of a goaltender for its playoffs. Seeking desperation, the group posted a “goalie needed” ad on Facebook. While I’m sure there might have been a few responses, one name apparently stood out.
Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo responded to the call, joining the team for a game apparently against the reigning league champions. The former Florida Panther backstop shook off the rust, helping his team win, 4-2.
Roberto Luongo responded to a “goalie needed” ad on Facebook and helped a beer league team defeat the 5-time defending champions in their playoff game 4-2 😂🔥
(via IG/bryceshockeylife) pic.twitter.com/OkNdjvPUXY
In a video posted on Instagram, a few of the players were rather surprised to see the Olympic gold medalist step into their locker room. Luongo, gray beard and all, asked his temporary teammates to play good defense in front of him.
It is quite a humorous sight to see the former Vancouver Canuck in a public rink, but sometimes even the greatest in our sport are unable to shake off the itch to get back on the ice.
It is a bit different from a story we saw several years ago involving a masked man. On March 29, 2018, Scott Foster was called into action for the Chicago Blackhawks in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Foster, a former Western Michigan University product, made a few saves, securing a 6-2 win for the Blackhawks. At the time, Foster was playing men’s league at Johnny’s Icehouse, a public rink in the Windy City.
I guess the puck bounces both ways.
Luongo was last seen between the pipes at the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which was held in the Panthers’ home rink in Sunrise. The Montreal native was a celebrity goaltender during the breakaway challenge.
Luongo is one of the best goaltenders ever to play the game. He played 19 seasons in the NHL, playing in 1,044 games, posting a record of 489-392-33-91 with a 2.52 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and 77 shutouts. He is second all-time in games played behind Martin Brodeur and is fourth in wins, second in losses, and third in overtime/shootout losses.