Vancouver Canucks 30 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=8600494 Decades from now, when people are recounting the Vancouver Canucks history, this will be one of the days they remember. Whether it's fondly or not, remains to be seen. Much of that will depend on Roberto Luongo, the deposed starter whose Canucks career was resurrected in the latest, and most-bizarre chapter of the Vancouver goaltending saga. Of this, there can be no debate: The Canucks turned an embarrassment of riches in their net into a flat-out embarrassment. Oh, this is a mess. A big one. Now, we wait to see how willing Luongo is to clean it up. Luongo turned down interview requests Sunday, still trying to collect his bearings at his home in Florida after shock rained down on him. Turns out, Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini was the rainmaker. Aquilini arrived in Florida sometime before the draft in an attempt to repair the burned bridge between Luongo and the Canucks. Having the owner fly across the continent to tell a player that he hasn't been traded is an unprecedented move. Even in the world of the Luongo Circus, which has been ongoing in Vancouver for years, this one stands out like an Miss Universe pageant with nothing but bearded ladies. Aquilini told Luongo the Canucks were making a U-turn on their goalies moments before Cory Schneider was traded. It was not news Luongo easily embraced. When he left Vancouver in April, he left it believing he would never play here again. He left saying this was Cory's team now. And he left believing the he'd be playing out the rest of his contract, which has nine years left, in some other city. Learning he's the chosen one all over again in the Lower Mainland may have been like learning Florida had traded him to Vancouver back in 2006 in the first place. Then, he said he felt shocked, saddened, betrayed and, finally excited. The Canucks can only hope he gets all the way to feeling excited again. Even Schneider wasn't sure Sunday that Luongo would be coming back to Vancouver, despite the trade that sent Schneider to the New Jersey Devils for the ninth overall pick. "You have to keep in mind how he felt about this, where he's at and whether he's comfortable assuming the role that he's had," Schneider said. "That's something you have to ask him. "But after (Sunday), anything can happen. You come to expect that." Luongo met with his agent, Gilles Lupien, to discuss his options. He doesn't have many. Basically, he can report to the Canucks for training camp or risk being suspended without pay. "He's been a resilient guy," Schneider said. "He's been a resilient guy. He's been through a lot. He's been counted out. He's been knocked down and he always gets back up. "I don't know what his intentions are, or his mindset right now, but having worked with him for three years now, I just know he's a great goalie. "Whether that's in Vancouver or anywhere else. I think he's going to play his hardest and be his best, and that's what everyone expects out of him." The past year was the most difficult of Luongo's career. He was relegated to being the backup and was benched for Schneider in the final two playoff games. This, even though Schneider wasn't yet fully recovered from a groin injury. Luongo labelled it a wasted season, and at 34 years old, you wonder how many he has left. He felt slighted in the playoffs and it wasn't the first time. In 2010, the Canucks fired goalie coach Ian Clark, and it took Luongo some time to get over that one. He even, reportedly, contemplated asking for a trade. That's not going to help now. The Canucks have been trying to trade Luongo for a year. As Luongo tweeted late Sunday: "#NOtradeclause" Sums it up perfectly. jbotchford@theprovince.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IIlIlIIllIlIIIlIl Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Botchford strikes again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightHawkSniper Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Used to be respectable...Toronto trash now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdeath Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Botch needs to tell us how he really feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Botchford is the real embarrassment here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naslund.is.king Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Botch can you shud up for once.... God i hope torts hates you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watermelon Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 ahahhah no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFrame14 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 You all hate botch But he is right on this one.. WTf hillis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Faulk Yourself Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 I saw Botchford and laughed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pears Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 It's gonna be fun seeing Torts destroy Botchford during pressers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IIlIlIIllIlIIIlIl Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Botchford is the Yete of Vancouver media Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 What part of one of the goalies needed to be traded does he not understand? If we had traded Luongo for nothing or bought him out he would be writing an article complaining about that. At least we got a valuable asset back. And last time I checked Lu is still a world class goaltender. Having Lack and Eriksson (two of the best goalies in the AHL and SEL respectively), isn't too sshaby either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JiffyPB Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Botchford is the Yete of Vancouver media Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Luongo admitted himself after the deadline that no teams out there wanted the contract. He had to have then thought that a trade might not ever be done. Esp. with that #NoTradeClaus More hyperbole, misremembering and hocus-pocus speculation, and that about sums up this article. He should just go to sleep earlier instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftmN Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 I saw Botchford and disregarded the rest of the article, the man's an idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blömqvist Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 It's gonna be fun seeing Torts destroy Botchford during pressers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
messier's_elbow Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 I value Botchfords opinion about as much as I value Cox's out in toronto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Botchford is an embarrassment to the media, that doesn't stop him from working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brocklovich Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Regardless of what happened this guy would be complaining Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuck nit Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 It's gonna be fun seeing Torts destroy Botchford during pressers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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