der the new CBA, the so-called Luongo rule

NEWARK, N.J. -- Roberto Luongo appeared to be the most available player in hockey history. The veteran goaltender wanted to be traded, and the Vancouver Canucks tried desperately to accommodate him. Luongo knew the time and money left on his 12-year, US$64-million contract made that more difficult, but until this past weekend it still looked like it would happen. When Cory Schneider was shipped off to the New Jersey Devils instead, it brought Vancouvers goaltending situation into sharp focus: Luongo is the unquestioned No. 1. But now Luongo has the challenging task of resuming a role he lost and trying to reclaim the status of elite goaltender in the city he asked to be dealt from. "I think hes been prepared to move on for about a year now. To have that taken away, you have to sort of reset and readjust," Schneider said. "Its not easy to do, but hes a resilient guy and hes been through all this before, and Im just hoping that he makes the best situation he can and that he can keep playing well and be the goalie that we all know he can be." The goalie Luongo can be is more evident on his resume than in his reputation. The 34-year-old won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics after replacing Martin Brodeur, and he came one victory away from capturing the Stanley Cup for the Canucks in 2011. But Luongos save percentage dropped to .907 during the lockout-shortened season as he and Schneider dealt with the uncertainly and attention of sharing the net. He became far more popular for his Twitter personality than his play. GM Mike Gillis is counting on Luongo returning to gold-medal form now that the situation was finally resolved. "I believe Roberto is a professional," he said. "I think he is an outstanding person, an outstanding goaltender and I anticipate him being one of the front runners for the Sochi Olympics playing goal for Canada. Based on all those features I dont expect there to be a problem, but I havent spoken to him." Owner Francesco Aquilini flew to Florida to speak with Luongo on Sunday. According to Schneider, the Canucks organization didnt have much contact with either goalie as Gillis tried to figure a way out. But Luongo and Schneider stayed in touch, talking over the weekend as rumours swirled. The 27-year-old wished his old partner nothing but the best as he came to grips with getting a new start in New Jersey. Luongo doesnt get to start fresh, but Gillis spoke to agent Gilles Lupien and figures life can now go on as normal. "Im not anticipating there being issues, but if there are, well deal with them," Gillis said. "He signed a long-term contract with our club for a lot of money and (was) very happy to do it." Money doesnt guarantee great goaltending. The Philadelphia Flyers figured that out with Ilya Bryzgalov after buying him out of the final seven seasons of a nine-year, $51-million deal. But Luongo has a history that suggests he can rebound now that he doesnt have to split duties with Schneider. Luongos best seasons have come when he has played the bulk of games, like when he had a .928 save percentage when playing 60 in 2010-11. Luongo is a bit older now, but Schneider doesnt have any doubts about the veteran returning to form. "Hes been a resilient guy and hes been through a lot and hes been counted out and knocked down and hes always gotten back up," Schneider said. "Having worked with him for three years now, I just know hes a great goalie, whether thats in Vancouver or anywhere else. I think hes going to play his hardest to be his best." Schneiders agent Mike Liut, meanwhile, said he was not surprised the goaltender was traded. "In the end it went as expected," Liut said in an e-mail. "The Canucks original plan was to trade Cory at some point because Robertos contract extended him into his 40s. That the Canucks altered that strategy to moving Roberto was more surprising than their final decision to switch back to seeking a trade involving Cory. All part of the game." Liut said Schneider was disappointed in being traded, but understood that few players spend their entire careers with one team. "We knew that Robertos contract would be difficult to trade because of its term/dollars at best," said Liut. The agent indicated the new collective bargaining agreement worked against Schneider staying because the Canucks and another team could both take a sizable salary cap if Luongo is traded and retires before his contract expires. Luongos contract is front-loaded, so he earns much more in the early years, and the annual cap hit is manageable. But under the new CBA, the so-called Luongo rule seeks to offset the early soft hits. "The punitive cap benefit capture that. The NHL demanded in the new CBA made Robertos contract all the more difficult to trade," said Liut. Cheap Air Max 97 Ireland Sale . It will mark the 22nd time the tournament has been held in this country and fourth in Atlanta Canada but will make its first appearance ever in played Nova Scotia. Air Max 97 Ireland Cheap . Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. "It wasnt as easy as the scoreline indicates," said Djokovic, who has won in Dubai on four occasions. http://www.airmax97cheapireland.com/. The biggest shock of this seasons competition was on when Watford took a 2-0 lead after 30 minutes at Etihad Stadium, only for a remarkable Aguero-led comeback by City in the final half-hour. 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