Veteran NHL goalie Roberto Luongo is on to the next one. He recently terminated his agency contract with Gilles Lupien and signed with J.P. Barry and Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey.
The timing of the switch of agents (and the fact that Luongo changed agents at all prior to eventual retirement — he is 34-years-old) has led to questions concerning his happiness with the Vancouver Canucks. On September 2, 2009, Luongo signed a whopping 12-year, $64 million contract with the club, which means that Luongo will not become an unrestricted free agent until the 2020-21 NHL season. Further, Luongo formerly agreed to a no-trade clause.
Maybe now Luongo is second-guessing his decision concerning the no-trade clause and thinks that the addition of high-profile agents will help him either find a new home or renegotiate his current very long deal. Luongo is due to make $6.714 million this coming season, so it is not as if the long term contract poses a pressing concern to the goalie.
The following quotes were contained in an article from The Province:
“We’ve got a bit of work to do to get up to speed and listen to Roberto and then talk to Mike (Canucks general manager Gillis) and Laurence (assistant GM Gilman),” said Barry, who also represents Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Barry said he would leave it to Luongo to comment on his reasons for changing agents, and his intentions for camp.
“He’s under contract,” said Barry. “We have to give him advice about his contract.”
