Tony Esposito

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Lore & Background

Esposito grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario with his brother Phil. He played college ice hockey for Michigan Tech, helping the Huskies to the 1964–65 NCAA Championship. He turned professional with the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Hockey League in 1967–68 and first played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1968–69 season. He was claimed by the Chicago Blackhawks on waivers in 1969. In his first season with Chicago, he set a modern NHL record with 15 shutouts, winning the Calder Trophy and the Vezina Trophy. He played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, posting the lowest GAA and highest save percentage of the three goalies in the series. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1981 and played for Team USA in the Canada Cup. He retired after the 1983–84 season.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Esposito's early career arrived during the 1968–69 playoffs with the Montreal Canadiens. Injured starters Gump Worsley and Rogie Vachon forced him back into action, where he dressed for all four games in the Final as a backup to Vachon while Montreal captured the Stanley Cup, earning Esposito his name on the trophy despite limited ice time. His true ascent occurred the following year with Chicago. In 1969–70, Esposito posted a spectacular 2.17 GAA and set a modern record of 15 shutouts, winning both the Calder and Vezina trophies while finishing as runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy. He continued to shine in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, splitting duties with Ken Dryden. Esposito recorded the lowest Goals Against Average (GAA) and highest save percentage of all three goaltenders who played in the series, including Vladislav Tretiak. Even as the Blackhawks declined later in the decade, he remained elite, winning his 300th game on December 3, 1978, against the Colorado Rockies.

Reader's Guide

Esposito won the Vezina Trophy three times (1970, 1972 shared with Gary Smith, 1974 shared with Bernie Parent). He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team three times and Second All-Star Team twice. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988. His number 35 was retired by the Blackhawks on November 20, 1988. He later served as General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins and as chief scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Did You Know?

• Esposito set the modern NHL record of 15 shutouts in a season in 1970.
• He was not the second NHL player to wear jersey number 35; several players, including Andy Brown, wore it before him.
• He wore contact lenses throughout his career.
• The claim that he was one of eight goalies to win the Vezina while catching the puck right-handed is unsubstantiated and likely false.