Vancouver Canucks' goalie Roberto Luongo reacts after Boston Bruins' Jordan Caron's stick struck him in the throat during third period NHL hockey action in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday, December 14, 2013. The Canucks have traded Luongo to the Florida Panthers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
March 04, 2014 - 1:53 PM
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Canucks have traded goaltender Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers.
A source confirmed to The Canadian Press that Luongo was headed back to his former team.
Luongo, whose unhappiness in Vancouver led to Cory Schneider being traded last season, has eight years left on his US$64-million, 12-year contract.
The Canucks reportedly received goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias from Florida in the deal.
The 34-year-old is 19-16-6 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .917 save percentage this season for the Canucks. He expressed some displeasure with not starting the Heritage Classic this weekend, as coach John Tortorella went instead with backup Eddie Lack.
Luongo — at least temporarily — joins Tim Thomas, the goalie who beat him in the 2011 Stanley Cup final while with the Boston Bruins, with the Panthers. Thomas is on a one-year contract and his name has been involved in trade rumours leading up to Wednesday's trade deadline.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014