Roberto Luongo’s eyes matched the color of his red jersey when he took the ice to address the Parkland high school shooting last week that rattled him and his Florida teammates.
Luongo, a Panthers goaltender who has lived in Parkland over the last 12 years with his wife, 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, delivered an emotional yet empowering message for the community affected by the tragedy, which left 17 people dead after a former student opened fire at Stoneman Douglas high school last week.
The NHL veteran and his teammates were out of the country when panic struck the city, playing his former team, the Canucks, in Vancouver that Wednesday.
“Last week it was Valentine’s Day, I was in Vancouver and obviously we all know what happened and it was hard for me to be on the West Coast and not be home and protect my family,” Luongo said to a crowd of fans, players and coaches hanging on to his every word. “No child should ever have to go through that, it’s terrible.”
The packed arena erupted in cheers when Luongo called for change, which has consumed the national discourse this week in the form of tightening gun laws.
“It’s time for us as a community to take action,” Luongo said firmly, all while appearing to choke back tears. “It’s enough. Enough is enough. We’ve gotta take action.”
Luongo, who rose to prominence with the Panthers from 2000-6 and returned in a trade in 2014, recognized the families of the victims before praising the Stoneman Douglas teachers for their bravery and the students for using their voices to turn the tragedy into progress toward a safer country.
“To the teachers at the school, you guys are heroes,” the 38-year-old said. “Some of them didn’t make it trying to protect children and that is truly what a hero is and they need to be put on a pedestal for the rest of their lives.
“The last thing I wanna say is since last Wednesday, I’ve been watching the news and I’ve been seeing what the kids from [Stoneman Douglas] have been doing and I am very, very proud of you guys. You guys are brave. You guys are an inspiration to all of us. And at the end of the day, you’re giving us hope for the future.”
Despite the week’s events, a proud Luongo has no plans to leave his city.
“My wife was born and raised in that area, my kids go to school in Parkland,” he said. “When I’m done playing hockey, I want to spend the rest of my life in Parkland. I love that city.”