Tony Esposito 1972 Vezina Trophy

Lore & Background

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.

Reader's Guide

Esposito won his third Vezina in 1973–74, sharing it with the Philadelphia Flyers' Bernie Parent. He also holds the record for most consecutive Stanley Cup playoff losses at 16, though this is not a widely recognized or established NHL record and is not verifiable as a standard canon fact.

Did You Know?

• Esposito was the second NHL player to wear the number 35, a common number now worn by many goaltenders.
• He wore contact lenses throughout his career.
• Esposito was noted as being superstitious, becoming upset by crossed hockey sticks, and regularly lining up his hockey sticks in a particular way.
• He was 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).