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VANCOUVER — It is the scenario all of British Columbia fears.
The Vancouver Canucks could be fighting for their playoff lives during the final week of the NHL regular season and star goaltender Roberto Luongo may be unavailable because his wife is giving birth. Whether that is one of the scenarios being contemplated cannot be known for certain because the goalie isn't prepared to discuss how he will handle the situation.
Yesterday, Luongo addressed the potential clash of priorities for the first time, but shone little light on his plans.
"I don't think I'm ready to discuss that right now," he said. "I think there are more important things in hand over the next few days and we'll take it from there.
"There are a million different scenarios that could happen and I can't start worrying about everything that can happen."
What is known is that Gina Luongo is due to give birth to the couple's first child during the first week of April, which happens to coincide with Vancouver's final four games. All those games are at home, which, in NHL geography, could not be farther from the couple's residence in South Florida.
It is also clear that Luongo intends to be with his wife for the birth, though how he will get there and how long he will spend with her before rejoining the team remains a mystery.
"When it's time for him to go and be with his wife, he's going to go," head coach Alain Vigneault said. "That's the No. 1 priority and that's the way it is."
Luongo skipped the all-star game in January and a Canucks home game to spend time with his wife, who has been unable to travel to Vancouver this year because of a pregnancy that has been described as "not normal."
