“I’m very, very proud of you guys,” Luongo said. “You guys are brave. You guys are an inspiration to all of us, and at the end of the day, you guys are what’s giving us hope for the future.”
Thursday, a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals, marked the Panthers’ first home game since the shooting, so the Florida team decided to honor the victims in as many ways as they could.
In a pre-game ceremony Thursday, the arena video screen showed the names and faces of each of the 17 students killed, and the darkened ice was then illuminated with 17 circles of light, with a student’s name inside each one.
Players from both teams stood for the ceremony, and some were visibly emotional as the hashtag #MSDStrong was displayed all throughout their arena.
The Panthers also organized a blood drive and designed special patches to raise money for the victims’ families. The team will also reportedly wear the patches and the high school’s logo on their helmets for the rest of the season.
Luongo made 33 saves in Thursday’s victory.