Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo announces retirement

June 26 (UPI) -- Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo is hanging up his skates after 19 seasons in the NHL.

Luongo made the announcement Wednesday on the Panthers' official website. He had three seasons remaining on his contract.

"So I've decided to retire, and it's been really tough," Luongo said on the Panthers site.

"One of the hardest things I've gone through in making this decision was when I told Gianni and Gabriella, my kids. Seeing them cry when I told them about it because they loved coming to the games and watching me play so much, it really broke my heart. We cried together. It was hard, it was really sad."

In his career, Luongo played 1,044 games with the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks and the Panthers. He won 489 games and lost 392, with a .919 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average.

The closest that Luongo came to winning a Stanley Cup was in 2011 when he helped Canucks make it to Game 7 before losing to the Boston Bruins.

He won Olympic gold twice, in 2010 and 2014, and gold medals at the world championship (2003, 2004) and the World Cup of Hockey (2004).

Luongo's career ends as a three-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy for the NHL's top goalie. His only award was the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2011 for his team having had the fewest goals scored against it in the NHL.