Tony Esposito

Lore & Background

Esposito grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, with his brother Phil. He played college hockey at Michigan Tech, winning the 1965 NCAA Championship. He turned pro in 1967–68 with the Vancouver Canucks (WHL) and played for the Houston Apollos (CHL) in 1968–69. He debuted in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens in 1968–69 and won the Stanley Cup that season. Claimed by Chicago on waivers in 1969, he set a modern NHL record with 15 shutouts in 1969–70, winning the Calder and Vezina Trophies. He won two more Vezinas (1972 shared, 1974 shared) and was a three-time First All-Star and two-time Second All-Star. He played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series and for Team USA in the Canada Cup. He retired after the 1983–84 season.

In Their Own Story

The United Center's predecessor, the old Chicago Stadium, hummed with a low, electric murmur. The score was tied in the third period, the crowd a single breathing organism. A winger from the visiting team wound up his slap shot, the stick cracking like a rifle bolt, and the puck screamed toward the upper-left corner at what seemed like two hundred miles an hour. Esposito did not move his feet. He simply extended, the long arm reaching back across his body, the glove hand opening like a flower in slow motion. The disc nestled into the leather with a soft, almost apologetic thud. He stood, brushed the puck away with his stick, and skated back to his crease without looking up. The crowd exhaled. The visitng coach stared at the ice as if it had personally insulted him. Esposito tapped his stick once, twice, and waited for the next man to come.

Reader's Guide

Esposito's jersey number 35 was retired by the Blackhawks on November 20, 1988. He later served as General Manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins (fired December 5, 1989) and as chief scout for the Tampa Bay Lightning (fired 1998). He was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Esposito wore contact lenses throughout his career.
• He was superstitious, becoming upset by crossed hockey sticks.
• He holds the record for most consecutive Stanley Cup playoff losses at 16.
• He was the second NHL player to wear number 35.
• He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.