RAPID FIRE
WITH FLORIDA PANTHERS GOALIE ROBERTO LUONGO
Who did you model your game after growing up?
I idolized Grant Fuhr growing up because of his glove saves. I always was fascinated by them. As I got older and learned about the position more, I modelled my game after Patrick Roy’s.
Who was your main hockey mentor?
The one that knows the most about goaltending is Francois Allaire. He used to work with my agent back in the day, so I used to go to his camp every summer as a teen. That’s where I learned most of my technique.
Why do you wear No. 1?
I’ve always said No. 1 means everything. No. 1 in your programs is No. 1 in your hearts.
What was the first thing you splurged on with your first contract?
A truck. I bought a Jeep Cherokee Laredo. I didn’t do anything fancy with it. I was a much quieter kid back in the day. I was very quiet, not flashy at all.
What was your ‘welcome to the NHL’ moment?
It was a game in Pittsburgh. We lost 9-3 and I was in net for all nine goals. So that was a welcome to the NHL for me. It’s funny, because ‘Jags’ (Jaromir Jagr) was on Pittsburgh back then, so he always reminds me in the locker room that he had seven points that night. He likes to make fun of me.
What’s your favorite kind of save?
Flashing the glove. That’s why I became a goalie in the first place, just watching Grant Fuhr making those saves. That’s always been my favorite save to make, and that’s why a lot of times I like to put a little mustard on it for the fans.
What’s your craziest fan interaction?
To be honest, 99 percent of the interactions are always normal athlete-fan interaction. It’s always been courteous. I’ve never really encountered a negative interaction. That’s more for Twitter and the Internet. In Buffalo last year, I signed a guy’s arm that had a tattoo of my face with the mask on. He had four goalies on his arm. I think it was me and (Carey) Price. I can’t remember the other two. He wanted me to sign his arm so he could tattoo the signature on there.
What’s your favorite thing about being an NHLer?
There are a lot of things I love about it. Just being around the guys, the locker room banter, is something that’s always fun and something that once I’m done playing I’m really going to miss.
What’s the hardest thing about being an NHLer?
It’s the travel and being away from your family during the season. There’s a lot of time commitment. It’s probably the hardest part for me.
What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
I think I would say, “Don’t take everything so seriously.” And what I mean by that is, the first part of my career, a lot of times I was very upset over losing or what people said about me. And over the years, and you guys know this, once Twitter rolled around, I was able to laugh at myself more and take things more lightheartedly and not so personally all the time.