Roberto Luongo can arguably be categorized as the face of the Florida Panthers franchise.
On Monday, the Panthers announced that the team plans to retire the legendary goaltender's No. 1 sweater this season. The ceremony is set to take place prior to a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 7, 2020.
"Roberto is a cornerstone of Panthers history and an icon of the game," Panthers Owner & Governor Vincent J. Viola said in a release. "He has represented himself and the Panthers with tremendous dignity, determination and a standard of excellence throughout his career. Roberto exemplifies what it means to be a Florida Panther. His level of commitment to this franchise, his teammates, his family and the South Florida community is second to none. There is no player more deserving to be the first Florida Panther to have his jersey number retired."
The Panthers have been an NHL franchise since the 1993-94.
"I want to thank the entire Panthers organization for this incredible recognition," Luongo said. "It's quite an honor to be the first player to have his number retired by the Panthers. I'm truly looking forward to sharing this special night with my friends, family, teammates and the Panthers fans."
The star goaltender played 20 NHL seasons for the Panthers, New York Islanders, and Vancouver Canucks. Luongo was selected with the No. 4 pick in the 1997 NHL Draft by the Islanders, but was traded to the Panthers just one year into his Islanders tenure after the franchise drafted Rick DiPietro.
Luongo spent 11 seasons in two different stints with Florida in which he won a franchise record 230 games. In addition, Luongo also recorded 38 shutouts during his Panthers tenure.
The Panthers legend spent his final six NHL seasons with the franchise.
