Tony Esposito

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Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox ice hockey player 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 Blackhawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style.<ref name="cbc2021">Template:Cite news</ref> Tony was the younger brother of Phil Esposito, a centre. Both brothers had notable careers and are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.<ref name=blog>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=canadien>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hockey career

Early years

Esposito grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario with his brother, fellow future NHL star Phil Esposito.<ref name=":0" /> 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."<ref>Esposito, Phil, Tony Esposito, and Tim Moriarty. The Brothers Esposito. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1971, 9.</ref> He played college ice hockey for Michigan Tech.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=legend>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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<ref name="cbc2021"/> 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.<ref name="WCHA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name=":0" />

He first played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1968–69 season at age 25.<ref name=":0" /> He was only the third American college player selected by an NHL team.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" /> The game ended in a 2–2 tie, in which Phil scored both goals for Boston and Tony made 33 saves.<ref name="cbc2021"/> 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.<ref name="cbc2021"/>

Rise to fame

For the 1969–70 season, the Chicago Blackhawks claimed him from Montreal on waivers, known at the time as the "intra-league draft".<ref name="cbc2021"/> 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.<ref name=":0" /> He also took the Vezina Trophy (then awarded to the goalies for the team which allowed the fewest goals during the regular seasons)<ref name=":0" /><ref name="cbc2021"/> 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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 Blackhawks 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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 Blackhawks 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).<ref name=":0" /> He played a few more seasons in Chicago before retiring after the 1983–84 season.

Goaltending style

Esposito wrote:

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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.<ref>Esposito, Phil, Tony Esposito, and Tim Walsh. We Can Teach You to Play Hockey. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1972, 83-84.</ref>{{#if:|

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Distinctions

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).<ref name=":0" /> The other seven are fellow Blackhawks' 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.<ref name=virb>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="cbc2021"/>

Esposito was noted as being superstitious, becoming upset by crossed hockey sticks, and regularly lining up his hockey sticks in a particular way.<ref name=":0" /> Esposito also has the record for most Consecutive Stanley Cup playoff losses at 16.

Esposito wore contact lenses throughout his career.<ref>Zarum, Dave. "Tony Esposito", The Canadian Encyclopedia. Accessed 27 June 2022.</ref>

Retirement

He retired from professional play in 1984 and was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.<ref name=":0" /> His number 35 was retired by the Blackhawks on November 20, 1988.<ref name="cbc2021"/>

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.<ref name="Post">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1991, when his brother helped found the Tampa Bay Lightning, Phil hired Tony as chief scout.<ref name="cbc2021"/> Both Espositos were fired in 1998 after the team was sold.<ref name="Post"/>

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.<ref name="Kay">Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2007, Tony was inducted, alongside his brother Phil, into the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="cbc2021"/> 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

Esposito and his wife Marilyn had two sons, Mark and Jason.<ref name="cbc2021"/><ref name=google>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tony Esposito died on August 10, 2021, at the age of 78, from pancreatic cancer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="cbc2021"/>

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Awards and honours

Award Year
All-WCHA First Team 1964–65 <ref name="WCHA"/>
AHCA West All-American 1964–65 <ref name="WCHA"/>
All-NCAA All-Tournament First Team 1965 <ref name = ncaa>Template:Cite news</ref>
All-WCHA First Team 1965–66 <ref name="WCHA"/>
AHCA West All-American 1965–66 <ref name="WCHA"/>
All-WCHA First Team 1966–67 <ref name="WCHA"/>
AHCA West All-American 1966–67 <ref name="WCHA"/>

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Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

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 Blackhawks NHL 63 38 17 9 3763 136 15 2.17 .932 8 4 4 480 27 0 3.38 .907
1970–71 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 57 35 14 6 3325 126 6 2.27 .919 18 11 7 1151 42 2 2.19 .928
1971–72 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 48 31 10 6 2780 82 9 1.77 .934 5 2 3 300 16 0 3.20 .895
1972–73 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 56 32 17 7 3340 140 4 2.51 .917 15 10 5 895 46 1 3.08 .898
1973–74 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 70 34 14 21 4143 141 10 2.04 .928 10 6 4 584 28 2 2.88 .911
1974–75 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 71 34 30 7 4219 193 6 2.74 .905 8 3 5 472 34 0 4.32 .878
1975–76 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 68 30 23 13 4003 198 4 2.97 .904 4 0 4 240 13 0 3.25 .901
1976–77 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 69 25 36 8 4067 234 2 3.45 .900 2 0 2 120 6 0 3.00 .915
1977–78 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 68 28 22 14 3840 168 5 2.63 .914 4 0 4 252 19 0 4.52 .838
1978–79 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 63 24 28 11 3780 206 4 3.27 .901 4 0 4 243 14 0 3.46 .889
1979–80 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 69 31 22 16 4140 205 6 2.97 .903 6 3 3 373 14 0 2.25 .924
1980–81 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 66 29 23 14 3935 246 0 3.75 .890 3 0 3 215 15 0 4.19 .878
1981–82 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 52 19 25 8 3069 231 1 4.52 .867 7 3 3 381 16 1 2.52 .917
1982–83 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 39 23 11 5 2340 135 1 3.46 .888 5 3 2 311 18 0 3.47 .889
1983–84 Chicago Blackhawks 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

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

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See also

References

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