How To Win!!! Roberto Luongo's Roadmap to Winning! Gold Medals, Stanley Cups, World Championships & LIFE!!

Dave Scatchard 0:05

ers, the Vancouver Canucks in: 2022

Roberto Luongo 2:12

Yeah. I mean, I was born in Montreal. I lived in st Leonard, which is like a little Italian community on the east end of Montreal. And my dad was born in Italy. My mom is Italian, but she was born in Canada. Her parents were born in Italy. So growing up, I was, you know, in that Italian family upbringing, and, you know, very strict, you know, things like that. And of course, my dad was into soccer a lot, and would watch soccer every Sunday with him on TV. And growing up loving soccer. And, you know, I started out actually playing soccer as a kid, you know, in the backyard with him and with some friends in the neighborhood. And of course, you know, as you get a little bit older, you know, he started more curious. And hockey is a big part of the heritage up in Canada and Montreal, of course, with the Montreal Canadiens there. So, you know, you get the seat on TV, and it's a very similar sport, you know, with with, you know, ball trying to score on a net and a goalie and all that kind of stuff. So, I mean, it was very similar, and I really got into it, you know, just by watching it on TV. And as I started, you know, school and five, six years old, I was into, really both sports, but I was not playing for in any any teams or anything like that. It was just with friends on the street or in the backyard or at the park.

Dave Scatchard 3:34

So what was minor hockey like for you as little guy?

Roberto Luongo 3:39

Well, I was, I would play street hockey every day, like, from like five years old all the way to about, you know, obviously my teenage years. But I didn't start playing for a team till I was eight years old, which is pretty late, you know, considering. And I remember my first, my first day tryouts. I was a forward, of course, and I couldn't skate, and every other kid in the child was able to skate. I couldn't even stand on my two feet. So that was a tough day. You know my parents, you know my mom, my mom was crying in the stands, looking at me falling over the place. So it was tough. But I never taken any lessons before. And like I said, I was always I would only play street hockey, so I had no idea what I was, what I was doing on skates, and how hard it would be. And it took a while, took a full year, to kind of get my balance going and stuff like that. But just moving away from that store a little bit the reason I wanted to be a goalie in the first place, because, you know, when I would play street hockey, all the kids in my neighborhood were older than me, and just watching hockey on TV, the position is the one that fascinated me the most, and I found it spectacular watching goalies make love saves, and that's what really like got me excited, and so I would always play a goal in street hockey. But when I when I my my parents signed me up for ice. I. Hockey. I want to be a goalie. My parents are like, no, we want you to get some exercise. We want you to skid around. We don't want you to just stand there in front of that and do it and do nothing. So so I kind of was a little bit disappointed that, but I was like, okay, you know, I love hockey anyway. Didn't matter, really. And so I was a forward for my first three years.

Dave Scatchard 5:20

You don't become a goalie till you're 11. Yeah. So this is a story that I want to hear is, and I think I read that you got to shut out your game, or something like that. So I like to hear that story, but I also like to hear, I guess we're getting a little background, because I played as a street hockey goalie, but you at 11 years old, you start goalie, and then six years old later, you're drafted in the first round as a goalie, fourth overall. Like, that's an amazing story. I want to know kind of what you think got you there that quickly as a goalie.

Roberto Luongo 5:55

Well, first of all, when I was 11 years old, I was didn't start the year as a goalie. I was a forward still, and what happened was, it was the beginning of the year. I can't even remember exactly the time frame, but our goalie for the team, he was sick, and he wasn't there that game. So I went up to the stands. I was like, Mom, please, can I just, like, for this one game? Like, can I just try it? You know, whatever. And she's like, all right. She gave in finally. So I played, and I got a shut out, and that was it. I mean, just never went back. And I was like, you know, that was it. I couldn't pull me out. I mean, the coaches were like, you know, they love me, and they're like, you know, so I was, I just loved, that was my passion the whole time, even though I enjoyed being a forward and and scoring goals and all that kind of stuff. But, you know, just stopping the puck was, was my main passion.

Dave Scatchard 6:45

Remember, I used to love playing sweet hockey gold and I cut foam

Roberto Luongo 6:49

pads couches. Same thing. I put this laser, yeah,

Dave Scatchard 6:53

exact same. The Oilers, I think, grab your DNR pads or something.

Roberto Luongo 6:58

Yeah, I never painted it, but I did the same thing. I put the laces through, and then for the blocker, I cut another little piece and I put it on top of a player glove and tied it, and that was my block. And then I just use a baseball glove for

Dave Scatchard 7:12

those were some of my I get goosebumps and think about because those are some of my favorite memories of hockey. Is just mom because for dinner and have to, like, we wouldn't even stop, we just keep playing. Well,

Roberto Luongo 7:24

I mean, it wasn't, they weren't too happy when they come home and there was a big piece of the couch missing. Just kidding, that's funny.

Dave Scatchard 7:32

Okay, as a young guy, did you always want to be a pro hockey player when you grew up? Or did that come later? Yeah,

Roberto Luongo 7:38

well, I think my first couple years till I was about 13, there wasn't much going on other than practicing, playing with my teammates and going back home and playing more street hockey and going to the park during the winter time when there was ice the ice rinks at the Parks, and going to play there. So pretty much Technically, there was no technique there. It was just stop and park, you know, and just having fun and and just whatever talent I had at that point and and mimicking, you know, I used to. I remember watching grand fior because the older the others were my favorite team, because grand fewer was my favorite goalie, even though I loved the Montreal, which is weird, so I used to just mimic his saves on my own. Sometimes, if I didn't have anybody to play with, I grab a ball and just throw it at me and just save it, or throw it off the wall and try to catch it. And I remember one time this is gonna sound weird, like in Montreal, we have, like, the driveways, they go down so they go down right if I didn't have anybody play with I just set a net up at the bottom of the driveway, and then put the ball on the top, let it roll down, and then there was always, there was a patch of the driveway that had a hole in it, so the ball would hit it and jump up. So I had to hit that and try to make a save. Like, that's, that's how much I love the sport. Like I didn't really have need anybody to play with. I would just play on my own. But thankfully, a little bit later on, my brothers came along and want to play with them, but

Dave Scatchard 9:04

I love it, yeah, that's what we did as young hockey players. I remember, I love goalie so much. I throw it against the stairs, Ricochet a weird way, and I try to make exactly

Roberto Luongo 9:12

n your story, once I got into: 1314

Dave Scatchard: 11:06

What would you say to young players when they ask you when they should get an agent and how they find the right one? Yeah,

Roberto Luongo: 11:12

I don't know. It's a good question, like you said, for us, it was kind of like a blur that 15, 1415, years old, 16 years old, that happened. Everything was happening so quick. And, you know, once I had made the team, the middle triple A team, you know, we were all happy and stuff. But I think it might have been halfway through the season where my agent, at the time, approached my parents and kind of like, surprised, like we lived there. Like, oh, your son, you know, he's gonna get ready, he's gonna leave home. And my parents, like, What are you talking about, right? So once, once I was approached by him, we just, you know, obviously, took a step back and we, we decided, like, we're not gonna rush into it. We want to make sure that, you know, even though he was the first agent that approached us, his name was jealous. We wanted to make sure we interviewed a couple other ones because we wanted to make the right decision for myself and for my career. And afterwards, we interviewed a couple more, but we ended up going back to the first one, because he's the one that showed the original interest and that are the best, best things to offer, which was, you know, Francois there, they worked together, and I was able to attend this camp every summer.

Dave Scatchard: 12:28

So now you have to decide, you know, I'm gonna go to junior or whatever. How was that for you, and how difficult was that, you know, being away from home? Or were you homesick? Or anything same by your mom,

Roberto Luongo: 12:42

it was, it was tough. You know, I remember being at the junior draft, and there's a lot of teams that that are close to Montreal. So, you know, the only far team that was far the time was Val door, which is a six hour drive from Montreal, and they had the second pick over on the draft. So my mom was praying that it was not going to be them, and wouldn't you know it, I got picked by them, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought I was going to have a tough time with it. But to be honest with you, once I got there and I got with a family, with an Italian family, so it was an easier transition than I thought it would be, even though I was homesick a little bit, it's not something that I thought about every day and that affected me or made me sad. I think the progression happened a lot more natural than I thought it would, and which made in return, you know, focusing on hockey a lot easier for me.

Dave Scatchard: 13:42

Awesome. So what was going to the NHL Draft like for you? Did you know where you were going to go? Were you nervous? Did you have to meet with the teams? How was all that well,

Roberto Luongo: 13:53

I think my first year, my first year junior, I was 16, so it was not my draft year, and I was the backup that year, I didn't really play much, so there wasn't really any expectations at all, right? But the second year the starter, he was 20, so he was moving on, he was going pro, and it was my turn to be the goal, either the guy and the beginning of the year. And really there was no expectations, right? We didn't know how things were going to go. And I think once I started the year, and I started had a good start, by the time the holidays rolled around, that's when I think the buzz started to happen. And I remember there was a there was a prospects game, I think at the time, was at the Maple Leaf Gardens. And I can't remember exactly what time. I think it might have been, January, February. I don't remember you might, if you want to look but I had a really good game, and that's that's really when people started talking about me more and more, and there was some buzz about first round and all that kind of stuff. So I don't remember exactly when it happened, as. Far as, like, you know, being in the top five. And potentially, maybe, I remember one point saying maybe a first overall. But it was all, it all happened in the span of two, three months towards the end of the season. So by that point, you know, we were in the playoffs. And obviously that was taking precedence over anything.

Dave Scatchard: 15:21

Well, interview process, oh

Roberto Luongo: 15:23

yeah, that was, yeah, that's nerve wracking. I think the funny thing is, I only remember the one, the the one I know I didn't. I did a few, but only remember the one that from the the honors with the team which I got drafted by. So it's very intimidating, of course, because it's, it's, there's, there's a bunch of people there, and they're all like, you know, either ex hockey players or, like, you know, general managers and all the coaches and all that kind of stuff. So it's, it's pretty intimidating. And you're like, 17 years old, like 18. Just turned 18, so you're very nervous. And at the time, I, when I was that young, I was very reserved and not as outgoing as I am now. So it's it was, it was tough for me to be in that room and say the right things because I was so shy and reserved. But you know, at the end of the day, you're just yourself, and that's the secret you know, just be yourself, and people will understand who you are and what you stand for and what you believe in, and most of the time, that's good enough.

Dave Scatchard: 16:28

So tell me about your first NHL training camp, or training camps, and how that went, and sort of how your journey into the NHL started to take place. Well,

Roberto Luongo: 16:38

obviously, of course, it was exciting. It was nerve wracking. I mean, this was a dream coming true, right, to be a part of an NHL team and going on the ice and practice with NHL players and play some exhibition games with NHL guys. And I think the best piece of advice I could give is, and it still hold true to myself to this day, is whenever you're nervous about something and you're scared, you always have to remember to enjoy the moment, because this that's what it's all about, right? That's where as a kid, you're growing up dreaming to be in these moments. And you don't want to waste that by just being scared and too nervous about it. You want to make sure that even though butterflies are good, there's they're good because they get you going. You always want to make sure that you're enjoying the moment. No, I didn't on the first the first two training camps, I got sent back to Junior. So it wasn't it was expected. It was not something that where I was coming in to make a team or anything like that. I knew that that it was more of an experience, and just to get my feet wet as far as that level, and maybe get a one or two exhibition games in. And to be honest, I don't even remember how training camp went. I don't think when they went great. I just think it was just a first experience for me, and that's that's what mattered. So 18, I got sent back to junior for the season, 19 years old, the same thing. And then when I turned pro at 20, that was the training camp, obviously, that where I came in, where I was trying to make the team. And at the time, I think the goalies were Felix, podbane and Wade Flaherty, they were there. So even though I had a pretty decent camp. I got sent to the American League for the first month of the season, and then I remember that wave Flaherty got hurt, hurt his shoulder, season ending injury, and that's when I got the call and my break so

Dave Scatchard: 18:35

flats gets hurt, and then what happens you get called up? Or how does that game go? And what were you what were the emotions you were feeling?

Roberto Luongo: 18:46

The coach, my American league coach, was Bruce Woodrow, at the time, called me in his office to let me know that I was getting called up. So obviously, very excited. And we were playing in Boston, I think I got called up on, I don't remember the day exactly, was a Saturday, and I think we were playing Boston an afternoon game on Sunday, so I didn't think I was starting. So I get to the hotel in the morning, and the morning of the game, they're telling me that that I'm starting in the afternoon game. So not a lot of time for preparation, and obviously not enough time for my parents to come down to watch, to watch me play, but which, in a way, when I think about it now, might have been a good thing that I had short notice like that, so didn't have too much time to sit on it and think about it and just go out there and play. And it was everything I could have imagined it would be. And I think we won two one, and I had like, 40 something shots, so I was it was quite the quite the first game and quite the memory.

Dave Scatchard: 19:47

So why don't you tell the listeners a little bit about the trade from New York down to Florida? I was there. We were all shocked. Why don't you tell everybody, kind of what went down and how that. Was for you specifically. You know,

Roberto Luongo: 20:02

that's so that's a that's a weird, interesting story. Obviously, after the season was over, me and weeks, you were the two guys, and I think that that year the draft was in, want to say Calgary, if I'm not mistaken. But so I get up in the morning, I was home in Montreal, and I get up in the morning and I get a call maybe an hour or two before the draft. And no, sorry, I was watching TV, and I see on the ticker that they traded Kevin weeks away. And I was like, wow, that's, that's pretty crazy. So in my head, I'm like, Man, I think I'm gonna have a chance to be the starter this year. Like, that's pretty cool, right? I was so super excited about it. About an hour later, I get a phone call from, I can't remember if it was Millbury or Butch Goring, to call me. Butch was the coach at the time. I want to say Butch. So when he called me, I thought he was to let me know, hey, listen, we traded Kevin away. You're going to be the guy. So I was like, hey, Butch, what's up? What's going on? And the next thing, you know, he's telling me that they traded me to Florida. And I was like, I didn't understand. Like, why? What happened? Like, why? Like, that was my first year with a team. Why would they would just trade me to Florida? You know, it didn't make sense to me, in my mind. And then, wouldn't, you know, the draft starts, in the island there's drafted Rick DiPietro first overall, and Mike Miller is on TV saying they wanted a goalie that can handle the puck and play the puck behind the net and all that kind of stuff. So, which was something that wasn't very good at at the time, which I'm still not great at, but I'm, you know, okay now, but so I was, like, really upset about it. I mean, you know, it's, it was upsetting, because I didn't, I didn't feel like I got a fair shot to, you know, to prove who I was as a goalie in the NHL, and before getting traded. And you know, you don't, you never want to get traded, especially at that age. You don't, you don't understand, like, how things work like that. But obviously, I was excited to be a part of a new team and to be going to Florida and starting a new chapter, even though I thought that my original chapter was was not closed.

Dave Scatchard: 22:07

Yeah, and us as players, we're trying to figure out I'm your teammate and I'm going, what's going on

with this? Yeah, Rick dibbie Outro is no offense. Yeah, he's my friend in the end. But

you were doing great you weren't. There was nothing wrong with the way you're playing. So it came to shock to all of us, and obviously it was all meant to be, and you ended up having so obviously we all get traded. Do you have any advice for anybody that gets traded and wants to fit in with the new team or establish themselves as a integral part of that team. You got any good advice for somebody that's going through something like that? Well, I

Roberto Luongo: 22:48

think the great thing about it is, is, well, the first thing is, obviously be, just be yourself, right? Don't try to be somebody or you're not or, or try to get go out of your way to do something that's not you. But on the other flip side of it, usually, you know, 99% of the guys in the NHL, they're great guys, and when somebody new comes to the team, they're awesome and making you feel welcome and making you feel part of the group. So that those are, those are things that are that are easy, that you know, as long as you're yourself and a good guy and your heart's in the right place, that that stuff all usually goes smoothly, as far as you know, getting to know your teammates, and you know, you're on the road a lot, so you're always together and going out to dinners and stuff like that. So, you know, at the end of the day is, and this goes back to when you're a kid, all the way growing up, is like, just be yourself. Man, don't, don't try to be somebody that you're not. And people see that. You know, when somebody's genuine, they see it, and when somebody's trying to be fake or or too much, you know, usually that's when bad things happen.

Dave Scatchard: 23:57

So do you have any good advice for parents that want to, you know, when do you start your kid in hockey? When do you put your kid in a competitive sport? You know, what are your thoughts on this? And where do you stand on it?

Roberto Luongo: 24:13

Super late to, you know, eight years old. But, and I'm going through the same thing a little bit with my son. He just turned six last year. And a lot of people were like, Oh, your son started skating, and he just started skating about a year ago. So, you know, some parents have their kids on the edge at three, four years old, and you know, which is fine to each their own. But to me, you know, there's a certain you don't want to push a kid too hard, you know, I think he started enjoying, I could see that he started enjoying hockey and liking and watching on TV, and it's like, you know what, I'm going to put him on skates? And he learned, and that's, you know, you could tell by his interest in the game how hard to push him. And if he's somebody that's always at home trying to play hockey, then, you know, he loves it, right? And if. Somebody that doesn't take to it as much, then you just let them be. And to me, that's important, because you see a lot of parents sometimes trying to push kids to something that they're not really into. And that's that's the first mistake in the first place.

Dave Scatchard: 25:16

You know, one of the things that we focus here in all star success codes podcast is to try to help our listeners or athletes or business owners get into the zone. What's your thoughts on getting into the zone? What does that mean to you? How do you do it? What advice would you have for somebody that wants to get into the zone more and to live in that space. Can you describe that?

Roberto Luongo: 25:44

Yeah, it's easy. I think to me, when I'm playing my best is when I'm having the most fun on the ice. It's plain and simple. If I'm enjoying myself on the ice, I'm playing great if as soon as I start thinking about things and what could potentially go wrong, or things of that nature. That's when I start getting frustrated. My game seems to start deteriorating. You feel like you're getting bad bounces all the time, which is weird, because when you're having fun and you're confident and you're sharp, you for some reason those bad bounces never happen. So it's a mindset to and it's not easy, because sometimes you know things go in a certain way where it's hard to keep that mindset going, but at the end of the day, you always have to remind yourself, listen, you're playing in the NHL and you're living out your life long dream. So yeah, there's going to be bad days, but you know, if you, if you keep that in the back your mind that you're you're living out a childhood dream, and just enjoy it when you're out there and have fun, that's when you're going to be at your best. And for me, unfortunately, I learned that a little bit later on in my career. You know, when I was a little bit younger and not as mature, those things are a little bit more difficult for me to process, and sometimes I had a tough time with them, and they would linger with me for a while, and it took me a long time to get over them.

Dave Scatchard: 27:12

So after your first year in Vancouver, you get asked to be captain as a goalie. What did that feel like and, you know, as a sign of respect or admiration from the coaching staff to ask you the goalie to become the captain of the Vancouver Canucks,

Roberto Luongo: 27:30

it was amazing. I think, I remember having the meeting with the LA vino in his office, and he was going through, I think, I think Trevor, if you would, honestly, Trevor Linden had retired, if I'm not mistaken, and they were looking for a new captain, and he was going through, you know, what type of person he wanted a captain to be, and all that kind of stuff. And, you know, at the end of the day, he asked me, like, Who do you think fits that persona, or that bill? And I was trying to go through the room, and I mentioned a couple of guys, and he was shaking his head. And at the end of the, you know, then he gave me that kind of smirk, half smirk smile. So I kind of realized that he was talking about me, which was incredibly flattering and honor, and I was really excited to do it, and I think it was a great role and responsibility that I enjoyed having. And I know when, when a lot of people look back on it, they laugh about it, and they think it's silly. But to me, I thought it was amazing experience, and I don't regret it for at all. I think if I had a little bit bit more maturity at that age, like if I was the way I am now, back then I could have handled it a bit better. But if I had a chance to do it all over again, I would 100% I think it was a great experience, and I

Dave Scatchard: 28:48

loved it. So you win the mark Messier Leadership Award as the captain of the Vancouver conducts, which is an amazing honor. But let's take a step back and ask you, what do you think is the key to being a top player in the league, or a top player in life or business. What do you think the best do that other people don't do? They're

Roberto Luongo: 29:11

just, they're just at another level. Right? As far as everything, whether that's preparation, working out what they do on the ice, it's everything is such, at a high speed, at a high level, you know, and they, they work for it. It's not something that they, you know, Sydney cross just doesn't go on the ice and plays games and plays like that. It's something that he works out every single day. And you see it, you know firsthand, even in practice. You know, practice every day for a whole year, but when you're on the ice, he's giving it his all, you know, he's not going he's not going half speed, he's going full out. And that's, that's the way that it translated into the game, and that's how you improve yourself as a player. And I'm a firm believer that the more work you put into practice, the better player. Or you become, and the better you perform when real life situations occur, that

Dave Scatchard: 30:06

helps, you know, what's your

Roberto Luongo: 30:07

Yeah, I mean, everybody's different, right? And some, some, some kids coming into the league, they're they still don't know. They got to learn it, right? They got to learn it. Some people have it, you know, growing up. And even myself, even though I always consider myself a hard worker. Sometimes I watch some of these guys and I'm like, Wow, these guys are like, non stop, like, it's crazy. So there's always another level, right? There's always, even though you think you're working hard, there's always another level where you can take it and and these guys have, I've had that for many years.

Dave Scatchard: 30:38

Do you ever think that you played 1000s? Never,

Roberto Luongo: 30:40

I didn't even never thought about that before. Like, it's crazy, like, all the stuff that's, that's, that's around the corner, as far as, like, accomplishments and the all time leaderboards and stuff. But the funny thing is, is, like, I don't really want to pay attention to it, because that's not what I care about. You know, I care about, like, getting in the playoffs and playing playoff games and then trying to make another run out of Stanley Cup. I mean, that's why I play the game, right? And all those other stuffs are great. And they're, they're awesome. And, you know, once, once my career is over, they're gonna be great to look at and realize that it was quite a career. But, you know, for me, the ultimate goal is obviously to win a cup and be part of the playoffs, which is most exciting type of hockey that there is

Dave Scatchard: 31:23

awesome. So what does it take to make the NHL?

Roberto Luongo: 31:30

Well, it takes a lot of things. You know, I think, obviously you need talent, right? That's, that's the first, first thing. But if you just have talent alone, it's not going to be enough. So with the talent you need, the work ethic, and with all that, you have to be lucky and you have to catch the CO the right Coach's Eye at the right time. Because if I look back as when I was a kid, if one of those coaches didn't have confidence in me, I probably wouldn't be in the NHL right and I'm grateful to them to have the confidence in me and to have chosen me for those teams, whether that was P, double A or Bantam double, and then when I made the jump the major triple A, those three coaches right there, if they didn't have the confidence or see something in me at that time, I probably wouldn't be here. So, you know, you do have to have a little bit of luck and then catch the right person's eye at the right time, because there's a lot of talented kids out there that work just as hard as we do, but they never have a chance to make it because you don't catch that break.

Dave Scatchard: 32:29

Wow, you're so humble. I just want you to know I'm proud of you as a friend and former teammate, and I think you're one of the best guys on the planet. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Our listeners are gonna gobble up every word that you said. And you know, I look forward to, you know, repaying you in some way at some point for your generosity. So once again, thanks. Thanks a lot. And this is wrap on. Roberta Luongo, all star success codes. One last note from our podcast team. Roberto ended up winning his Stanley Cup as a in a management or coaching position for the Florida Panthers after he retired, he was nominated into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He did get over 1000 games. Like we said earlier, he finished, I believe it was second all time in games played, and fourth all time in goals against average. So absolutely amazing that we got this guy on the podcast, and I'm eternally grateful. Congratulations, Roberto.