Phil Esposito

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For the minor leaguer, please see Phil Esposito (1970).

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Phil Esposito
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Height Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 205 lb (93 kg)
Teams	Chicago Blackhawks Boston Bruins New York Rangers
Nationality	Canadian
Born	February 20, 1942, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, CA
Pro Career	1963 – 1981
Hall of Fame, 1984

Philip Anthony "Espo" Esposito (b. February 20, 1942 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian broadcaster, and former professional ice hockey executive, coach and player. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time, and is the older brother of fellow Hall-of-Famer Tony Esposito, a goaltender.

After retiring as a player, Esposito served as head coach and general manager of the New York Rangers before co-founding the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was the principal studio analyst for the NHL on Fox 1995–1998. He now serves as Tampa Bay's radio colour commentator.

In 2017, Esposito was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.

Playing Career

Minor League

Esposito signed with the Chicago Black Hawks as a teenager and was assigned to the Sarnia Legionnaires Jr. 'B' hockey team for the 1960–61 season. In just 32 games with the Legionnaires, he scored 47 goals and 61 assists, for 108 points. It was a scoring pace of 3.3 points per game. In a playoff game, he scored 12 points in one game as the Legionnaires advanced to the Western Ontario final before being eliminated. After a sparkling junior season with the St. Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1962, Esposito spent two seasons with Chicago's minor league affiliate, the St. Louis Braves, scoring 90 points in his first season and 80 points in only 46 games in his second.

Chicago Black Hawks

Midway through the 1964 season, Esposito was called up to the parent Black Hawks to make his NHL debut. Centreing for the great Bobby Hull beginning in the 1965 season, he proved himself a quality playmaker, twice finishing amongst the League-leading scorers over the next three seasons.

Boston Bruins

In 1967, Esposito was dealt to the Bruins in a blockbuster trade along with Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield for Pit Martin, Jack Norris, and Gilles Marotte on May 15, 1967.

While Hodge and Stanfield rose to become stars in Boston, Esposito blossomed into the greatest scorer of his day. In 1969, he became the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season, far eclipsing the "century" mark with a record 126. He would fall a single point shy in 1970, then reached triple digits again the next five years running. Along the way, he captured the Art Ross Trophy as the top regular season scorer in 1969 and 1971 to 1974, and led the League in goals six straight seasons between 1969–70 and 1974–75.

Esposito was named to the NHL's First All-Star team six consecutive times (from 1969 to 1974), and won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1969 and 1974. His Boston fans, celebrating his scoring touch during his heydey, displayed bumper stickers that read, "Jesus saves, Espo scores on the rebound." Esposito, while not a fast or graceful skater, was best known for his unmovable presence in front of the opposition net from which he could score from all angles. Esposito has said, "Scoring is easy. You simply stand in the slot, take your beating and shoot the puck into the net." He also possessed a combination of skating and stickhandling ability, strength, and long reach that enabled him to "rag the puck," holding onto it for long periods of time in the face of opponents' checks and thus enabling his team to kill off penalties.

During his prime, Esposito centred one of the most renowned forward lines in history, featuring Ken Hodge on his right wing and Wayne Cashman on his left. Esposito and fellow superstar Bobby Orr led the Bruins to Stanley Cup victories in 1970 and 1972, and first-place finishes in the League in 1971, 1972 and 1974.

Phil Esposito breaks the record for goals in a season with his 59th, March 11, 1971.

During the 1970–71 season, Esposito shattered the record for most goals in a season, finishing with 76. The mark stood until 1982, when Wayne Gretzky scored his 77th, 78th and 79th goals against the Buffalo Sabres on February 24, 1982, at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Esposito was on hand to present the game puck to Gretzky. Esposito also set the single-season point-scoring record in 1971 with 152, a mark later raised by Gretzky to 215. Only three others have reached the 150 point plateau — Mario Lemieux (4 times), Steve Yzerman and Bernie Nicholls — and only Gretzky, Lemieux, Brett Hull, Teemu Selänne and Alexander Mogilny have matched or bettered Esposito's 76 goals in a season. The 1970 season also saw Esposito shatter the single season mark for shots on goal, tallying 550. Only one other player has come within 100 shots of this record, Alexander Ovechkin in 2008–09, in a season that was four games longer.

As of January 1, 2020, Esposito ranked second in all-time regular season goals for Boston with 459 (behind only Johnny Bucyk's 545). Esposito also ranks second in all-time Bruin playoff goals with 46 (trailing only Cam Neely's 55). Often used to kill penalties, Esposito also scored 20 shorthanded goals for Boston over his career.

After his performance in the Summit Series, where he was the inspirational leader for Canada and its leading scorer in the series, Esposito won the 1972 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's outstanding male athlete of the year and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He also scored the first goal of the series and he scored or assisted four times in the deciding game. During that series, his scolding of Canadian fans, who booed the national team after a 5–3 loss to the Soviet Union in Game Four, was credited with firing up his teammates.

"If the Russian fans boo their players in Moscow like you people are booing us, I'll come back and apologize personally to every one of you, but I really don't think that will happen. We gave it and are doing our best. All of us guys are really disheartened. . . We came out here because we love Canada. They're a good hockey team, and we don't know what we could do better, but I promise we will figure it out. But it's totally ridiculous – I don't think it is fair that we should be booed."

Esposito also played for Canada in the inaugural Canada Cup in 1976, on a line with Hall-of-Famers Bobby Hull and Marcel Dionne. The following year, he would represent Canada once more in the 1977 World Championships in Vienna.

New York Rangers

Espo was traded to the Rangers on November 7, 1975 with Carol Vadnais for Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi. While his numbers had dwindled due to age, he still was a point leader in New York, averaging about a point per game for the Blueshirts on the full seasons he spent there. He retired in 1981.

Esposito became general manager and head coach of the Rangers in the middle of the 80's. His tenure earned him the nickname "Trader Phil" for the numerous trades he conducted.

Esposito was, with his brother, among the main persons responsible for the arrival of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL. He is today the team's radio colour commentator, as well as the co-host of a call-in radio show on XM Satellite Radio's Home Ice channel. His younger brother Tony Esposito also became a great NHL player and Hockey Hall of Fame member. His son-in-law is former NHLer Alexander Selivanov.

Management

Esposito served as general manager and head coach of the Rangers for three years in the mid-1980s, during which he earned the nickname "Trader Phil" for the numerous transactions he made. During his tenure as GM, he made more trades than the Vancouver Canucks had made in the entire 1980s. While serving as GM, two of his most famous trades included the trade for the legendary Marcel Dionne and one which he sent a first round pick to the Quebec Nordiques as compensation for signing Michel Bergeron to be the Rangers' head coach.

Esposito moved on to found the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning but faced competition from the Compuware Group, which wanted to place a team in nearby St. Petersburg, Florida. It was proposed to Esposito that he merge his bid with the Compuware Group, which he refused. His reputation and force of personality was widely credited with winning the expansion bid for Tampa Bay in 1992, serving as the team's president and general manager until 1998. Compuware eventually purchased the Hartford Whalers.

In the Lightning's inaugural season, Esposito made hockey history by signing Manon Rhéaume, making her the first woman to sign with an NHL team. He remains the team's radio colour commentator and also co-hosts a daily call-in show on SiriusXM's SiriusXM NHL Network Radio channel.

Records Held by Phil Esposito

• He was the first player in NHL history to score 500 goals in a decade (519 in the 1970s)

• Ranked second in NHL history in career Goals (717) and Points (1590) at the time of his retirement.

• Most Goals in a season- 76 in 1970-71 surpassed by Wayne Gretzky (92 in 1981-82)

• Most Assists in a season- 77 in 1968-69 surpassed by Bobby Orr (87 in 1969-70) currently held by Wayne Gretzky (163 in 1985-86)

• Most Points in a season- 152 in 1970-71 surpassed by Wayne Gretzky (164 in 1980-81) and currently held by Gretzky (215 in 1985-86)

• Most Power Play Goals in a season- 28 in 1971-72 surpassed and currently held by Tim Kerr (34 in 1985-86)

• Most career Goals by a Center- 717 surpassed by Marcel Dionne and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (894)

• Most career Points by a Center- 1590 surpassed by Marcel Dionne and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (2857)
• 1st player to score 100 Points in a season- 126 in 1968-69
• 1st player to score 60 and 70 Goals in a season- 76 in 1970-71
• Fastest player to score 500 Goals- 803 GP surpassed by Mike Bossy (647 GP) currently held by Wayne Gretzky (575 GP)
• Fastest player to score 600 Goals- 1014 GP surpassed and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (718 GP)
• Fastest player to score 700 Goals- 1214 GP surpassed and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (886 GP)
• Fastest player to reach 400 Assists- 583 GP surpassed by Bobby Orr (437 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (290 GP)
• Fastest player to reach 500 Assists- 691 GP surpassed by Bobby Orr (522 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (352 GP)
• Fastest player to reach 600 Assists- 797 GP surpassed by Bobby Orr (608 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (416 GP)
• Fastest player to reach 700 Assists- 932 GP surpassed by Bobby Clarke (926 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (478 GP)
• Fastest player to reach 800 Assists- 1125 GP surpassed by Bobby Clarke (1052 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (527 GP)

• Fastest player to score 700 Points- 574 GP surpassed by Bobby Orr (518 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (317 GP)
• Fastest player to score 800 Points- 633 GP surpassed by Bobby Orr (575 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (352 GP)
• Fastest player to score 900 Points- 692 GP surpassed by Bobby Orr (638 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (385 GP)
• Fastest player to score 1000 Points- 745 GP surpassed by Marcel Dionne (740 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (424 GP)
• Fastest player to score 1100 Points- 801 GP surpassed by Marcel Dionne (798 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (464 GP)
• Fastest player to score 1200 Points- 872 GP surpassed and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (504 GP)
• Fastest player to score 1300 Points- 966 GP surpassed by Marcel Dionne (946 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (539 GP)
• Fastest player to score 1400 Points- 1070 GP surpassed by Marcel Dionne (1022 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (580 GP)
• Fastest player to score 1500 Points- 1166 GP surpassed by Marcel Dionne (1078 GP) and currently held by Wayne Gretzky (620 GP)
• He was the youngest player in NHL history to score 700 goals (37 years, 347 days) until he was surpassed by Marcel Dionne (36 years, 89 days).
• He was the youngest player in NHL history to score 1200 points (33 years, 297 days) until he was surpassed by Marcel Dionne (31 years, 113 days).
• He was the youngest player in NHL history to score 1300 points (34 years, 324 days) until he was surpassed by Marcel Dionne (32 years, 83 days).
• He was the youngest player in NHL history to score 1400 points (36 years, 27 days) until he was surpassed by Marcel Dionne (33 years, 108 days).
• He was the youngest player in NHL history to score 1500 points (37 years, 243 days) until he was surpassed by Marcel Dionne (33 years, 236 days).

Gallery

1967-68

Doug Mohns, Bernie Parent, Bobby Orr and #7 Phil Esposito in 1966-67 season action.

1967-68

Phil Esposito beats Eddie Giacomin in a September 1967 pre-season game.

The four new Bruins, Stanfield, Shack, Esposito and Hodge at training camp, October 2, 1967. The gold jerseys would be retired before the regular season.

Phil Esposito's hat trick, December 27, 1967.

#9 John Bucyk, Phil Esposito and John McKenzie celebrate a goal in the new black jerseys, February 4, 1968.

Phil Esposito in action, March 13, 1968.

1968-69

Phil Esposito scores on the power play, November 24, 1968.

Phil Esposito scores on brother Tony, December 22, 1968.

Phil Esposito scored 4 goals on brother Tony in December 1968.

Bill Collins and Phil Esposito, January 26, 1969.

Phil Esposito becomes the first NHLer to score 100 points in a season, March 2, 1969.

Phil Esposito scores his 100th point of the season, March 2, 1969.

Phil Esposito's hat trick goal, 1969 Quarter-finals Game 1, April 2, 1969.

Phil Esposito scores the first goal of Semi-finals Game 3, April 17, 1969.

Ted Harris, Phil Esposito and J.C. Tremblay, April 17, 1969.

Clarence Campbell presents trophies to Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr for the 1968-69 season.

1969-70

Don Marcotte from Phil Esposito, February 7, 1970.

Phil Esposito's third goal, Game 1 of the 1970 Semi-finals, April 19, 1970.

The Esposito brothers battle during Game 2 of the 1970 Semi-finals, April 21, 1970.

Bobby Orr's rush results in Boston's 4th goal, Game 3 of the 1970 Semi-finals, April 23, 1970.

Phil Esposito and brother Tony during Game 4 of the 1970 Semi-finals, April 26, 1970.

Phil consoles Tony, April 26, 1970.

1970-71

Phil Esposito opens the season scoring, October 11, 1970.

Phil Esposito assists on a Bobby Orr goal, October 16, 1970.

Phil Esposito breaks the record for goals in a season with his 59th, March 11, 1971.

Phil Esposito scores his 72nd goal, April 3, 1971.

Wayne Cashman from Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr, Game 2 of the 1971 Quarter-finals, April 8, 1971.

1971-72

Dallas Smith deflects Phil Esposito's pass in, October 20, 1971.

Phil Esposito from John Bucyk, November 14, 1971.

Phil Esposito scores his 300th career goal, December 12, 1971.

Phil Esposito scores, Christmas Day, 1971.

Mike Walton benefited from playing with Phil Esposito and Wayne Cashman, scoring against Buffalo on February 12, 1972.

Phil Esposito had a hat trick, February 17, 1972.

Phil Esposito opens the scoring, Game 1 of the 1972 Quarter-finals, April 5, 1972.

Bobby Orr sets up Phil Esposito for the tying goal, Game 4 of the 1972 Quarter-finals, April 9, 1972.

Glen Sather, Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr, Game 5 of the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals, May 9, 1972.

1972-73

Phil Esposito was the scoring leader in the 1972 Summit Series.

Bobby Orr scores the winner from Phil Esposito, December 29, 1972.

Phil Esposito scores on frustrated brother Tony, January 27, 1973.

Phil Esposito had a hat trick, February 1, 1973.

Bobby Orr from Phil Esposito, February 15, 1973.

Phil Esposito suffers torn right knee ligaments and is lost for the playoffs, Game 2 of the 1973 Stanley Cup Quarter-finals, April 5, 1973.

Phil Esposito suffers torn right knee ligaments and is lost for the playoffs, 1973 Quarter-finals Game 2, April 5, 1973.

1973-74

Bobby Orr assists on Phil Esposito's 400th goal, October 10, 1973.

Bobby Orr sets up Phil Esposito, October 27, 1973.

Phil Esposito switches hands and scores, November 4, 1973.

Phil Esposito ties the game in the last minute, January 10, 1974.

Phil Esposito displaying the Bruins 50th anniversary patch.

External Links

• Phil Esposito's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database