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Tony Esposito

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For the Italian musician, see Tony Esposito (musician).

Tony Esposito
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1988
Esposito with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1973
Born (1943-04-23)April 23, 1943
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Died August 10, 2021(2021-08-10) (aged 78)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Right
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Black Hawks
National team  Canada and
 United States
Playing career 1967–1984

Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito (April 23, 1943 – August 10, 2021) was a Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 15 of those for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style.[1] Tony was the younger brother of Phil Esposito, a centre. Both brothers had notable careers and are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.[2][3] Esposito's jersey number 35 was retired by the Blackhawks in 1988.

Esposito won the NHL's Vezina Trophy, then awarded to the goaltender(s) of the team which allowed the fewest goals in the regular season, three times, most notably in 1970, when he recorded the modern (since 1942) NHL record of 15 shutouts in a season. He was also awarded the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the league that season. He was named to the league's First All-Star Team three times and to the Second All-Star Team two times, and served as one of Canada's two goaltenders in the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. In 2017 Esposito was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[4]

Hockey career

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Early years

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Esposito grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario with his brother, fellow future NHL star Phil Esposito.[5] Phil described why Tony wound up playing goalie as a child: "Tony and I would play by ourselves or we'd get two other guys and practice shooting. One guy would be the goaltender and the others would shoot and the guy with the fewest goals would take over in goal. Tony won't like me saying this, but he always lost. I guess you could say that's how he wound up as a goalie."[6] He played college ice hockey for Michigan Tech.[5][7]

A three-year hockey varsity letter winner, Esposito was a three-time first-team All-America selection. He was a driving force in helping the Michigan Tech Huskies to the 1964–65 NCAA Championship[1] and was named a first-team NCAA All-Tournament Team choice in 1965. Esposito was also a three-time All-WCHA first-team selection. In 2021, Esposito was named to the WCHA All-Decade Team for the 1960s.[8]

Esposito turned professional with the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Hockey League in 1967–68 and played with the Houston Apollos in the Central Hockey League in 1968–69.[5]

He first played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1968–69 season at age 25.[5] He was only the third American college player selected by an NHL team.[9] Esposito made his NHL debut against the Oakland Seals, playing 26 minutes in relief of Rogie Vachon. His first NHL start was against the Boston Bruins, then led by his brother Phil.[5] The game ended in a 2–2 tie, in which Phil scored both goals for Boston and Tony made 33 saves.[1] Esposito played thirteen regular-season games, due to both Gump Worsley and Vachon being injured. However, Esposito returned to the minor leagues when they both returned from their injuries. Worsley was injured again during the playoffs, so Esposito was called again. He served as backup to Vachon, dressing for all four games in the Finals as Montreal won the Stanley Cup, with Esposito having his name engraved on there as a winning member. As the Canadiens club was deep in goaltenders at that time, with Worsley, Vachon, and other prospects in the system, Esposito was left unprotected by the Canadiens in 1969.[1]

Rise to fame

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For the 1969–70 season, the Chicago Black Hawks claimed him from Montreal on waivers, known at the time as the "intra-league draft".[1] Esposito had a spectacular season with Chicago, posting a 2.17 GAA and setting a modern-day NHL record with fifteen shutouts, for which he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie.[5] He also took the Vezina Trophy (then awarded to the goalies for the team which allowed the fewest goals during the regular seasons)[5][1] and was named to the First All-Star team at season's end. He also was runner-up for league MVP (Hart Memorial Trophy). It was during this record-setting season that he earned the nickname "Tony O" for his shutout abilities, with the big letter O looking like the big zero that he kept holding opponents to.[5] In 1970–71, he again proved to be one of the league's top goalies and helped Chicago finish first in the NHL's West division. The Black Hawks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but lost in seven games to Montreal. The following season he posted the lowest GAA of his career (1.77) and shared the Vezina with backup Gary Smith.[5] He was again selected to the NHL's First All-Star team.

Esposito was named to Team Canada for the Summit Series of September 1972. He was the first goalie to earn a win against the Soviets, splitting Canada's goaltending duties with Montreal's Ken Dryden. Esposito posted both the lowest GAA and the highest save percentage of the three goalies (Esposito, Ken Dryden, and Vladislav Tretiak) who appeared in the series. Tony's brother Phil had an exceptional series as well and was the inspirational leader of the team.

Despite the loss of Bobby Hull, Esposito and the Hawks led their division in 1972–73, but lost the Stanley Cup in six games to Montreal. Esposito was named to the NHL's Second All-Star team that year. The next season, 1973–74, was another brilliant season with a sparkling 2.04 GAA and 10 shutouts. Esposito won his third Vezina, sharing it with the Philadelphia Flyers' Bernie Parent, and was again named a Second Team All-Star.

The Black Hawks declined over the next few seasons although Esposito remained among the top netminders in the NHL. In 1979–80, Esposito enjoyed a fine season with six shutouts and made the First All-Star team for the third time. In 1981, he became a naturalized American citizen and played for Team USA in the Canada Cup (he had previously represented Canada at the 1977 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament).[5] He played a few more seasons in Chicago before retiring after the 1983–84 season.

Goaltending style

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Esposito wrote:

I don't like the stand-up style myself because I feel you get caught out of position too much. Instead of backing into the goal, you're moving out of the net as the shooters approach. When you move out and they make a pass across the net, I feel you give the pass receiver an open net to shoot at.

I try to play the angles on the shooter. I believe in starting out beyond the crease area and then backing in as the shooter approaches–the way Hall or Roger Crozier do it. It's a new approach to goaltending.

When I was younger, I was a stand-up goaltender. I feel I could still play that way, but I think I'm more effective playing my up-and-down style. I call this aggressive goaltending. You attack the puck.

The other way you are playing the percentage. As I grow older, I may have to adjust to the stand-up style because with age you start to slow down physically. A guy nearing forty certainly couldn't play my style. Hall did and was very effective, but he is a very strong man.[10]

Distinctions

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Esposito is one of eight goalies to have won the Vezina catching the puck right-handed (that is, he was left-handed, using his dominant left hand for his stick and blocker).[5] The other seven are fellow Black Hawks' legend Charlie Gardiner (in 1932 and 1934), the New York Rangers' Davey Kerr (1940), ambidextrous Montreal goalie Bill Durnan (1944–1947, 1949 and 1950), the New York Rangers' Gilles Villemure (1971), Tom Barrasso of the Buffalo Sabres (1984), Edmonton Oilers' Grant Fuhr (1988), and José Théodore of the Montreal Canadiens in 2002.[11]

Esposito was the second NHL player to wear the number 35, a common number now worn by many goaltenders. Minnesota North Star goaltender Fern Rivard was the first to wear 35 during the 1968-69 NHL season. It was assigned to him during training camp prior to Chicago's 1969–70 season because the standard goalie numbers 1 and 30 were already assigned. After posting a shutout in his first exhibition game for the team, he chose to keep wearing the number. His number 35 was retired by the Blackhawks on November 20, 1988.[1]

Esposito was noted as being superstitious, becoming upset by crossed hockey sticks, and regularly lining up his hockey sticks in a particular way.[5] Esposito also has the record for most Consecutive Stanley Cup playoff losses at 16.

Esposito wore contact lenses throughout his career.[12]

Retirement

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He retired from professional play in 1984 and was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.[5] His number 35 was retired by the Blackhawks on November 20, 1988.[1]

Esposito later became General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. During his tenure, Esposito selected Mark Recchi at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft and traded for goaltender Tom Barrasso.[13] In 1991, when his brother helped found the Tampa Bay Lightning, Phil hired Tony as chief scout.[1] Both Espositos were fired in 1998 after the team was sold.[13]

In 1998, he was ranked number 79 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, 61 places behind his brother Phil, who ranked number 18.[14]

In 2007, Tony was inducted, alongside his brother Phil, into the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame.[15]

On March 19, 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks honoured Esposito with "Tony Esposito Night", where he was formally introduced as an Ambassador for the Blackhawks organization.[1] Then-Blackhawk goaltenders Patrick Lalime and Nikolai Khabibulin both wore Esposito's #35 on their jerseys in the pre-game warmups, and Khabibulin recorded a shutout in a Hawks 5–0 win over the Washington Capitals.

In 2024, Tony was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Personal life

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Esposito and his wife Marilyn had two sons, Mark and Jason.[1][16] Tony Esposito died on August 10, 2021, at the age of 78, from pancreatic cancer.[17][1]

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Awards and honours

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Award Year
All-WCHA First Team 1964–65 [8]
AHCA West All-American 1964–65 [8]
All-NCAA All-Tournament First Team 1965 [21]
All-WCHA First Team 1965–66 [8]
AHCA West All-American 1965–66 [8]
All-WCHA First Team 1966–67 [8]
AHCA West All-American 1966–67 [8]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1962–63 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds NOJHA — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1963–64 Michigan Tech WCHA — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1964–65 Michigan Tech WCHA 17 — — — 1020 40 1 2.35 — — — — — — — — —
1965–66 Michigan Tech WCHA 19 — — — 1140 51 1 2.68 — — — — — — — — —
1966–67 Michigan Tech WCHA 15 — — — 900 39 0 2.60 — — — — — — — — —
1967–68 Vancouver Canucks WHL 63 25 33 4 3734 199 4 3.20 — — — — — — — — —
1968–69 Montreal Canadiens NHL 13 5 4 4 746 34 2 2.73 .913 — — — — — — — —
1968–69 Houston Apollos CHL 19 10 7 2 1139 46 1 2.42 — 1 0 1 59 3 0 3.05 —
1969–70 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 63 38 17 9 3763 136 15 2.17 .932 8 4 4 480 27 0 3.38 .907
1970–71 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 57 35 14 6 3325 126 6 2.27 .919 18 11 7 1151 42 2 2.19 .928
1971–72 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 48 31 10 6 2780 82 9 1.77 .934 5 2 3 300 16 0 3.20 .895
1972–73 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 56 32 17 7 3340 140 4 2.51 .917 15 10 5 895 46 1 3.08 .898
1973–74 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 70 34 14 21 4143 141 10 2.04 .928 10 6 4 584 28 2 2.88 .911
1974–75 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 71 34 30 7 4219 193 6 2.74 .905 8 3 5 472 34 0 4.32 .878
1975–76 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 68 30 23 13 4003 198 4 2.97 .904 4 0 4 240 13 0 3.25 .901
1976–77 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 69 25 36 8 4067 234 2 3.45 .900 2 0 2 120 6 0 3.00 .915
1977–78 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 68 28 22 14 3840 168 5 2.63 .914 4 0 4 252 19 0 4.52 .838
1978–79 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 63 24 28 11 3780 206 4 3.27 .901 4 0 4 243 14 0 3.46 .889
1979–80 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 69 31 22 16 4140 205 6 2.97 .903 6 3 3 373 14 0 2.25 .924
1980–81 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 66 29 23 14 3935 246 0 3.75 .890 3 0 3 215 15 0 4.19 .878
1981–82 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 52 19 25 8 3069 231 1 4.52 .867 7 3 3 381 16 1 2.52 .917
1982–83 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 39 23 11 5 2340 135 1 3.46 .888 5 3 2 311 18 0 3.47 .889
1983–84 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 18 5 10 3 1095 88 1 4.82 .859 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 886 423 306 151 52,583 2,563 76 2.92 .906 99 45 53 6,017 308 6 3.07 .903

International

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Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA
1972 Canada SS 4 2 1 1 240 13 0 3.25
1977 Canada WC 9 6 2 1 510 27 1 3.17
1981 United States CC 5 2 3 0 300 20 0 4.00
Senior totals 18 10 6 2 1050 60 1 3.43

"Esposito's stats". The Goaltender Home Page. Retrieved 2017-08-07.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Seligman, Andrew (10 August 2021). "Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Tony Esposito dead at 78". CBC Sports. The Associated Press. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. ^ Pelletier, Joe. "Tony Esposito". blogspot.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Tony Esposito". canadiens.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  4. ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". National Hockey League. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Zeisler, Laurel (19 December 2012). Woronoff, Jon (ed.). Historical Dictionary of Ice Hockey. Historical Dictionaries of Sports. Scarecrow Press. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-8108-7863-1. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  6. ^ Esposito, Phil, Tony Esposito, and Tim Moriarty. The Brothers Esposito. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1971, 9.
  7. ^ "Esposito's Legends of Hoc". legendsofhockey.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "WCHA Announces 1960s All-Decade Team, Presented By Anderson's Pure Maple Syrup And Spire Credit Union". Western Collegiate Hockey Association. January 5, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  9. ^ "NHL Tonight: Savard and Esposito | NHL.com".
  10. ^ Esposito, Phil, Tony Esposito, and Tim Walsh. We Can Teach You to Play Hockey. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1972, 83-84.
  11. ^ "Tony Esposito". virb.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  12. ^ Zarum, Dave. "Tony Esposito", The Canadian Encyclopedia. Accessed 27 June 2022.
  13. ^ a b Sumner, Ben (August 10, 2021). "Tony Esposito, goaltending master of 'butterfly' saves on the ice, dies at 78". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Kay, Jason (April 2, 2015). "The Top 100 NHL players of all-time, throwback style". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  15. ^ "Walk of Fame". City of Sault Ste. Marie. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "Tony Esposito's wife hopes sons won't be hockey stars". Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  17. ^ "Blackhawks legend Esposito passes away at 78". TSN. August 10, 2021.
  18. ^ Clinton, Jared (September 14, 2016). "Blackhawks' Darling has an excellent new Wayne's World mask". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  19. ^ "Tony Esposito". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  20. ^ "Tony Esposito". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  21. ^ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  22. ^ "Blackhawks Retired Numbers | Chicago Blackhawks".
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tony Esposito.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Tony Esposito.
Awards
Preceded by Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy
1970 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Vezina Trophy
1970 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Vezina Trophy
with Gary Smith
1972 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Vezina Trophy
tied with Bernie Parent
1974 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by NHLPA President
February 10, 1981 – October 24, 1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins
1988–89 		Succeeded by
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