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Roberto Luongo never did win a Stanley Cup during his 19-year NHL career. But he came pretty close.
He might have come even closer had he decided to sign an offer sheet with the Detroit Red Wings rather than accept a four-year, $27-million deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The what-could-have-been scenario unfolded in the summer of 2006.
Back then, the Red Wings and Canucks were both looking for a No. 1 goalie. And both teams reportedly had their sights set on Luongo, whose time in Florida was coming to an end after formally turning down a five-year, $30-million extension. With free agency looming, the Panthers then traded Luongo to the Canucks as part of a package that included Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan Allen and Alex Auld.
But before they could re-sign Luongo to an extension, Detroit reportedly swooped in with a last-minute — and lucrative — offer sheet.
“I don’t think anybody knows this, but when I was traded to Van (Vancouver), I didn’t have a signed contract yet, and I actually got offer-sheeted by Detroit,” Luongo told Spittin’ Chiclets. “I didn’t accept it, though.”
Roberto Luongo was offer sheeted by the RED WINGS when he got traded to the Canucks in ‘06 but he declined 🤯https://t.co/H2asmmniJU pic.twitter.com/SiizrmJAt5
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) November 14, 2024
“It was a pretty quick ‘no’,” said Luongo. “I just got traded to Van. I wanted to be there – I didn’t want to go to another team.”
Would Luongo have been better off in Detroit than Vancouver?
Well, that’s not entirely clear.
The Red Wings, who had Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, were a perennial contender in the midst of a 25-run playoff streak. But the Canucks, who had the Sedin twins and a young Ryan Kesler, were proving to be just as dominant. And in 2011, Luongo led Vancouver to the Stanley Cup final, losing in Game 7 to Boston.
It would be the closest he would get until winning a Cup with the Panthers this past season as part of the team’s executive staff.
Related: ‘Will Have To Work Rest Of My Life To Pay It Off’: Roberto Luongo Attends Another Taylor Swift Concert
Looking back, however, Luongo might have given up a chance at multiple championships.
With Luongo no longer an option, the Red Wings went to Plan B, which was convincing Dominik Hasek to put off retirement and come back for a couple more years. In 2006-07, Hasek led the Red Wings to the conference final. A year later, he helped them win a championship. Detroit would reach the final again in 2009 — this time without Hasek — losing in seven games to Pittsburgh.
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News Summary:
- How Many Cups Could Roberto Luongo Have Won Had He Signed An Offer Sheet With The Red Wings Over The Canucks?
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