Editing Roberto Luongo (section)

==Early life==
Luongo was born to Pasqualina and Antonio Luongo in [[Montreal]], Quebec.<ref name=fuhr/> His father is an Italian immigrant, born in [[Santa Paolina]], Avellino.<ref name=stampa>{{vcite news|title=Stasera la finale di hockey, Luongo: "Battero gli Usa sentendomi Buffon |url=http://www.lastampa.it/sport/cmsSezioni/vancouver2010/201002articoli/25533girata.asp |date=February 28, 2010 |work=La Stampa |author=Brusorio, Paolo |language=Italian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303215546/http://www.lastampa.it/sport/cmsSezioni/vancouver2010/201002articoli/25533girata.asp |archive-date=March 3, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He worked in the construction and delivery of furniture,<ref name=fuhr/> while Luongo's mother, an Irish-Canadian,<!--DO NOT CHANGE! There are two references, one of which is an interview with Luongo himself, stating that his mother is of Irish descent. See talk page for more details.--><ref name=alive>{{vcite journal|title=Roberto Luongo Setting a gold standard |url=http://www.aliveonline.ca/7544a20a2.php |access-date=March 2, 2010 |date=February 2010 |author=Niemer, Ellen |journal=[[Alive Magazine]] |issue=328 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221202918/http://www.aliveonline.ca/7544a20a2.php |archive-date=February 21, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=NYTimes/><ref name=espresso/> worked in [[marketing]] with [[Air Canada]].<ref name=fuhr/> Antonio and Pasqualina married in Montreal after Antonio immigrated there in 1976.<ref name=stampa/>

Luongo has two younger brothers, Leo and Fabio, who also aspired to be goaltenders.<ref name=fuhr/> Fabio progressed the further of the two, playing Junior A in the [[British Columbia Hockey League]] (BCHL) with the [[Williams Lake Timberwolves]] in 2004–05 before injuries ended his career.<ref name=curse/> He has since become a Junior AAA coach, while Leo is a goaltending coach with [[HC Lugano]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hclugano.ch/index.cfm?u=staff_en&lan=en|title=Hockey Club Lugano|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140812002300/http://www.hclugano.ch/index.cfm?u=staff_en&lan=en|archive-date=August 12, 2014}}</ref> Luongo and his family lived in [[Saint-Leonard, Quebec]], a [[borough]] north of Montreal with a strong Italian community,<ref name=fuhr/><ref name=NYTimes/> just four blocks away from [[Martin Brodeur]],<ref name="Early life">{{vcite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=406018 |title=Return to Montreal as All-Star special to "Bobby Lu" |access-date=January 24, 2009 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |date=January 23, 2009 |author=Dan Rosen |accessdate=January 24, 2009 |archive-date=February 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203122633/http://nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=406018 }}</ref> who became the goaltender for the [[New Jersey Devils]] six years before Luongo entered the NHL. Luongo is fluent in English, French and Italian.<ref name=fuhr/><ref name=NYTimes/> His father spoke Italian and his mother spoke English with a little French at home.<ref name=curse/>

Luongo graduated from Montreal [[Francophone]] [[high school]] Antoine de St-Exupéry in 1996.<ref name=curse>{{vcite news |title=Luongo looks to lift the curse |url=https://www.straight.com/article/luongo-looks-to-lift-the-curse |access-date=December 21, 2009 |date=September 28, 2006 |work=[[Georgia Straight]] |accessdate=September 10, 2017 |archive-date=October 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181029065802/https://www.straight.com/article/luongo-looks-to-lift-the-curse }}</ref><ref>{{vcite web |title=Association des anciens de l'école secondaire Antoine-de-St-Exupéry |url=http://www.anciens-de-st-ex.org/?page=membres/anciens_honneur.html |access-date=March 1, 2010 |date=February 2, 2010 |publisher=Antoine de St-Exupéry |language=French |accessdate=March 1, 2010 |archive-date=April 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408035242/http://www.anciens-de-st-ex.org/?page=membres/anciens_honneur.html }}</ref> He began playing organized hockey at the age of eight as a [[forward (ice hockey)|forward]].<ref name=NYTimes/> His father taught all his sons [[soccer]] and Luongo played until he was 14, at which point he decided to concentrate on hockey.<ref name=fuhr/> Although he initially had the desire to play in net, his parents wanted him to develop his skating first.<ref name=NYTimes/> Several years later, after Luongo was cut from a peewee team, he made the switch to goaltender.<ref name=NYTimes/> At 11 years old, his team's usual goaltender did not show up and after begging his mother, still hesitant about Luongo playing the position, he went in net and posted a [[shutout]].<ref name=arena>{{vcite web |title=Roberto Luongo joins Martin Brodeur after arena named in his honour |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=480116 |access-date=September 8, 2009 |date=August 22, 2009 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |accessdate=September 9, 2009 |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604115944/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=480116 }}</ref> In August 2009, the arena in which Luongo played his minor hockey in St. Leonard was named after him as the Roberto Luongo Arena. It is the second arena in the community to be named after an NHL goaltender after the Martin Brodeur Arena was renamed as such in 2000.<ref name=arena/>

By 15, Luongo was playing midget with Montreal-Bourassa, the same team that produced NHL Quebecer goaltenders Brodeur and [[Félix Potvin]].<ref name=NYTimes/> Luongo has credited [[Hockey Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] goaltender [[Grant Fuhr]] as his inspiration growing up, citing an admiration for his "spectacular glove saves".<ref name=NYTimes/> He had the opportunity to first meet Fuhr before a game against the [[Calgary Flames]] during his rookie season with the Islanders.<ref name=fuhr>{{vcite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/1999/12/26/1999-12-26_luongo_has_reached_goal_fuhr.html |title=Luongo has reached goal: Fuhr inspired Isles' rookie to pursue career in the net |access-date=August 24, 2008 |date=December 26, 1999 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110109003549/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/sports/1999/12/26/1999-12-26_luongo_has_reached_goal_fuhr.html |archive-date=January 9, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=NYTimes/>