Roberto Luongo calls it quits after 19 NHL seasons

One of the best goaltenders in NHL history has decided to retire.

Veteran netminder Roberto Luongo announced Wednesday that he is riding off into the sunset and calling it quits after 19 seasons in the NHL.

“This is one of the toughest decisions I’ve faced in my life and it took me a long time to make it,” Luongo wrote in an announcement via Twitter.

“After thinking about it a lot over the past two months and listening to my body, I made up my mind. It just feels like the right time for me to step away from the game. I love the game so much, but the commitment I required to prepare, to keep my body ready, has become overwhelming.”

The 40-year old, who was selected 4th overall in the 1997 NHL Draft, compiled a 489-392-24 record, 2.52 goals against average and a .919 save percentage over a span of 1,044 regular season games and 70 playoff games split between the Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks.

The six-timeAll-Star and recipient of the 2011 William M. Jennings Trophy holds plenty of Panthers and Canucks franchise records, and holds NHL records for most saves in a single season (2303 in 2003/04), most shots faced in a single season (2488 in 2005/06), most home games played in a single season (41 in 2006/07) and most regular season overtime wins, all-time with 49.

He ranks fourth all-time among goalies in wins, and third in games played.