Product Code Database
Philip Anthony Esposito ( , ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers, winning two with Boston.
He is considered one of the greatest players of all time, and is the older brother of Hall-of-Fame goaltender Tony Esposito. He became the first player to score more than 100 points in a season, with 126 in 1968–69, a feat he achieved a further five times. In 1970–71 Esposito also became the first player to score 50 goals in five consecutive seasons, including the then records of 76 goals and 152 points the same year. Altogether, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the leading point scorer five times, led the league in goals six times, was voted the Hart Trophy for MVP twice, and was named as a first team All-Star centre six times.
After retiring as a player, Esposito served as head coach and general manager for the Rangers for two seasons. In 1991, he and brother Tony co-founded the Tampa Bay Lightning, the first NHL team in Florida. Phil Esposito served as the franchise's first president and general manager until 1998; he now serves as the Lightning's radio colour commentator.
Esposito was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history in 2017, and the ninth-best player of all time by The Athletic in 2023. His #7 jersey was retired by the Bruins on December 3, 1987, and there is a statue in his likeness at Tampa Bay's Benchmark International Arena.
A 6-foot-1, 215-pound, strong man who seldom hid his emotions, Esposito was nearly unstoppable when he maneuvered in the slot. He'd find or fight for some free ice against the frustrated defenders trying to stop him, and figure out a way to get the puck on his stick. As soon as it was there, he sent it goalward. One of his best attributes was his shot during his time with the Bruins he benefitted from his point-blank positioning especially on the power play. Being a big player for his day, and even as he withstood a flogging from penalty-killing stick swingers, he would still get his shots in. with, 249 going in, which made him one of the greatest power-play scorers in league history. Esposito play style has led to him being described as hockey's version of Willie Sutton, the prolific American bank robber. Asked why he robbed banks, Sutton said, "Because that's where the money is." As for Esposito he parked his hulking frame in front of the opponent's net because that's where his goals were scored.
The following year in 1968–69 season Esposito had both a breakout and historic year and as in 74 games Esposito scored 49 goals and 77 assists for 126 total points making him the first player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season. Esposito scored the historic 100th point in an game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 2, 1969 when he scored 2 goals in a 4-0 Bruins victory. For this feet Esposito ended up playing in his first NHL all star game and was named to the NHL first All-Star team for the first time as well. In addition Esposito took home the Art Ross Trophy as the leagues top scorer, and also won the Heart Memorial Trophy as the leagues most valuable player. The Bruins defeated The Rangers in the first round, but despite Esposito’s 18 point postseason the Bruins once again lost to Montreal 4-2 in the semifinals.
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 continued to put up sensational numbers alongside fellow superstar Bobby Orr. During the 1969–70 season Esposito appeared in 76 games and finished just one point shy of second consecutive 100 point campaign scoring 43 goals and 56 assists. For his efforts he was once again selected to the NHL first All-Star team. The Bruins once again made the postseason and Esposito led the way during the postseason scoring a career high 13 playoff goals along with 14 assists in 14 games. As the Bruins defeated both New York and Chicago to reach the 1970 Stanley Cup Final where they defeated the St Louis Blues to secure Bostons first cup in 29 years.
During 1970–71, Esposito shattered the record for most goals in a season, as in 78 games he averaged nearly a goal a game scoring 76 goals, this 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 as along with his 76 goals he also tallied 76 assists for 152 total points, a mark later raised by Gretzky to 215. Only four others have reached the 150 point plateau — Mario Lemieux (four times), Steve Yzerman, Bernie Nicholls and Connor McDavid — 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 than when it was set. With Esposito scoring 152 points, his fellow teammates also put up incredible numbers: Bobby Orr (with 139), Johnny Bucyk (116) and Ken Hodge (105). The group finished 1–2–3–4 in league scoring, the first time in NHL history the season's top four scorers all played for one team. Once again Esposito received numerous accolades for his performance earning his second Art Ross Trophy, third NHL first All-Star team selection and his first Lester B. Pearson Award as the leagues most outstanding player in the regular season. Despite the tremendous regular season Esposito and the Bruins were upset by the Canadians in the first round of the playoffs 4-3.
The next year during the 1971–72 season Esposito continued his tremendous scoring average as in 76 games Esposito scored 66 goals and 67 assists for 133 total points. This resulted in him along with his teammate Bobby Orr becoming the first players in league history to have back to back 100+ point seasons. Esposito earned his third Art Ross Trophy and his fourth first All-Star team selection. The Bruins finished that season with the leagues best record and once again and Esposito put big numbers during their postseason run scoring 9 goals and a postseason best 15 assists in 15 games as the Bruins reached the 1972 Stanley Cup Final vs. New York. After the Rangers staved off elimination in Game 5 at Esposito said famously, "If the Rangers think they're going to beat us in the next two games, they're full of 'Park' spelled backwards", referring to Rangers star defensemen Brad Park Sure enough, the Bruins put them away in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. Winning their second Stanley cup in three years.
During the 1972-73 season Esposito had a third consecutive 100+ point season. In 78 games he scored 55 goals and 75 assists for 130 total points. This resulted in a fifth All Star game appearance, fifth first All-Star team selection and his fourth Art Ross Trophy. However Esposito only appeared in 2 postseason games as the Bruins were defeated by New York in the first round.
During the 1973–74 season Esposito scored his 1000th career point on February 15, 1974 vs the Detroit Red wings. He would go on to have another explosive year as in 77 games Esposito would score 66 goals and tally 76 assists for 145 total points. His 145 points, Orr scored 122, Hodge had 105 and Cashman totaled 89 points, and all finished 1–2–3–4 in league scoring for the only other time in NHL history the season's top four scorers all played for one team. Esposito would win his fifth and final Art Ross Trophy along with winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the leagues MVP for a second time. The Bruins once again finished with the leagues best record and during the postseason Esposito scored 14 points (9 goals and 5 assists) in 16 games, as the Bruins reached the 1974 Stanley Cup finals however they were defeated by Philadelphia 4-2.
The following year in 1974-75 Esposito became just the 6th player in NHL history to score his 500 career goal. It came in a 4-5 win over the Detroit Red Wings on December 22, 1974. Esposito would go on to his 5 consecutive and final 100+ point season, as in 79 games he scored 61 goals and 66 assists for 127 total points. He also finished as the league leader in goal scoring for a fifth and final time. However the Bruins were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
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 heyday, 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."McDonell, Chris. Hockey's Greatest Stars, page 15. 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. 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.
As of May 2024, Esposito ranked second in all-time regular-season goals for Boston with 459 (behind only Johnny Bucyk's 545). As of 2024, Esposito was fourth behind Brad Marchand, Cam Neely and Patrice Bergeron in all-time Bruins playoff goals with 46. Esposito holds the Boston record for most playoff hat-tricks with four, one of which was a four-goal game versus Toronto in 1969. Often used to kill penalties, Esposito scored 20 shorthanded goals for Boston over his career. His last full season with Boston was 1975–76, in which he scored 61 goals and 127 points. During his time with Boston Esposito played in the All-Star Game seven straight years from 1969-1975, was selected as a first team all star six straight years from 1969-1974 and was named to the NHL second all star team twice in 1969 and 1975.
While not as strong an offensive force as in his glory days, as captain of the Rangers Esposito still led the team in points each of his full seasons with the club and remained an effective scorer until his final season. During the 1976-77 season Esposito appeared in all 80 games for the first time in his career and was a point per game scorer finishing with exactly 80 points (36 goals and 46 assists). He had similar production in 1977–78 scoring 81 points (38 goals and 43 assists) in 79 games. On November 4, 1977, Esposito scored his 600th NHL goal, against the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the first player to reach that milestone in a Rangers uniform and the third player in NHL history. However the Rangers were defeated in the first round of the playoffs.
The highlight of his years in New York came during the 1978-79 season, in which he played every regular season game scoring 78 points, and led the Rangers all the way to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final where, at 37 years of age, he finished third in postseason scoring with 20 points. Esposito had a nearly identical season in 1979–80 as he once again appeared in all 80 games scoring 78 points (34 goals 44 assists). The Rangers advanced to the second round of the playoffs where they were defeated by the Flyers.
Esposito's final season came in 1980-81 when he only played in 41 games before retiring, scoring 7 goals and 13 assists. Near the end of 1980 he could see the writing on the wall, with Rangers general manager and coach Craig Patrick having replaced the fired Fred Shero that November and leaning heavily on younger players. On Christmas Eve of that year Esposito told his wife he planned to retire. Esposito then played his final game on January 9, 1981 vs the Buffalo Sabres. Prior to the game both teams lined up along the blue lines, Esposito was introduced to a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden and skated out to center ice. He then tossed his gloves back to the bench while the crowd cheered, 'Espo, Espo' for close to four minutes. Gordie Howe was also present to show his respects to Esposito.
He then retired at the end of the season putting an end to his 18 year long career, finishing behind only Gordie Howe in career goals with 717 and total points 1,590, and third in assists 873 to Howe and Stan Mikita. During his time with the Rangers he played in the All star game three times, in 1977, 1978, 1980. From 1979 until his retirement in 1981 Esposito served as the NHLPA President.
"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."McDonell, Chris. Hockey's Greatest Stars, page 24.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 represented Canada once more in the 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships in Vienna.
For his time with Team Canada and his overall career he was later inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1989, and again in 2005 alongside all the other members of the 1972 Summit Series team.
For the Lightning's inaugural season, Esposito hired many of his former teammates from the Bruins, including Cashman as an assistant coach and former Bruins trainer John "Frosty" Forristal as trainer. He also made hockey history by signing Manon Rhéaume, making her the first woman to sign with and play for an NHL team.
However, one of the Esposito group's key backers, the Pritzker family, had backed out a few months before the bid, to be replaced by a Japanese consortium headed by Kokusai Green, a golf course and resort operator. Though Kokusai Green had helped the Espositos secure the initial bid, the team languished under their ownership; financed almost entirely by loans, the Lightning were constantly short of cash, hampering Esposito's ability to function as GM. Kokusai Green's owner, Takashi Okubo, never met with the Espositos (or with any other NHL officials), and it was rumored that the consortium was a criminal front for the yakuza. The Lightning quickly fell to the bottom of the league and Esposito fired head coach Terry Crisp in 1997. Even with interim coach Jacques Demers, who had enjoyed successful tenures with the Red Wings and Canadiens, the Lightning lost 55 games for a franchise-worst .268 winning percentage.
Kokusai Green sold the Lightning to insurance tycoon Art Williams in 1998. Shortly after taking control, Williams fired both Esposito brothers two games into the 1998–99 season.
Esposito now serves as vice president of corporate relations for the Lightning.
After his firing, Esposito returned to the Lightning organization for the 1999–2000 season as a radio colour commentator. He still calls home games on WHPT (and previously, on WFLA), along with play-by-play commentator Dave Mishkin, with Bobby Taylor replacing him for away games. Esposito also co-hosts a daily call-in show on SiriusXM's SiriusXM NHL Network Radio channel. Esposito is known for his passionate and candid nature, often delivering unfiltered opinions while on commentary.
In 2005 Esposito returned to Boston and was honored by the sports museums tradition event at the TD Garden as a member of that year's class, and received the hockey legacy award. In 2016 Esposito returned to the event to present Wayne Cashman with the same award.
Esposito's younger brother Tony Esposito is also an honoured member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
After retirement, Esposito established the Phil Esposito Foundation, to help promote the game of hockey and provide crisis financial assistance to former NHL players, many of whom were retired before the league established pension benefits.
Esposito is an avid golfer, competing in the 2002 World Golf League tournament, and in 2004 he became an official spokesman of the organization.
In 2006 Esposito partnered with Paragon Financial Corp to help introduce the company to builders and real estate developers in need of a preferred mortgage provider.
Esposito performs charity work in Florida, participating in charity golf events and hockey games. In 2011 Esposito hosted his own celebrity charity golf tournament to raise funds for the All Children's Hospital of St. Petersburg and surrounding communities.
In 2017 he became a member of the advisory board for Kunlun Red Star.
In 1984 Esposito was given the Guinness Stout 'Big 'G' Award' for extraordinary accomplishments beyond the game of hockey. They held a special New York Hockey Night event, with all three New York area sports team present to celebrate Esposito. He was also inducted into the New York hockey Hall of Fame during the festivities.
Esposito was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. On December 3, 1987, his No. 7 jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins in an emotional ceremony where the then-current wearer, superstar defenceman Ray Bourque, pulled off his No. 7 jersey to reveal his new number, 77—dramatically "surrendering" his old number in Esposito's favour (coincidentally, Esposito wore 77 with the New York Rangers, because 7 was already being worn by Rod Gilbert). Esposito was "visibly moved" when Bourque showed the Boston Garden crowd his new number, which he used for the rest of his career.McDonell, Chris. Hockey's Greatest Stars, page 104. Esposito was also on hand in Boston to hand Bourque his retired number after the latter retired. In 2017, Esposito was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. In 2023 Esposito was named to the Boston Bruins All-Centennial Team.
In 2007, alongside his brother Tony Esposito, Esposito received a star on the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame. In 2009 Esposito was part of the first group of people to receive a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto.
On December 31, 2011 the Tampa Bay Lightning unveiled a statue in his honour in front of their home arena, the Tampa Bay Times Forum. He was also inducted as an inaugural member of the Lighting Hall of Fame in 2023.
| 1961–62 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 54 | 9 |
| 1961–62 | Sault Thunderbirds | EPHL | 2 | — |
| 1962–63 | St. Louis Braves | EPHL | 51 | — |
| 1963–64 | St. Louis Braves | CPHL | 65 | — |
| 1963–64 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 2 | 0 |
| 1964–65 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 44 | 15 |
| 1965–66 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 49 | 2 |
| 1966–67 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 40 | 7 |
| 1967–68 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 21 | 0 |
| 1968–69 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 8 |
| 1969–70 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 50 | 16 |
| 1970–71 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 71 | 6 |
| 1971–72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 24 |
| 1972–73 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 87 | 2 |
| 1973–74 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 58 | 25 |
| 1974–75 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 62 | 0 |
| 1975–76 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 8 | — |
| 1975–76 | New York Rangers | NHL | 28 | — |
| 1976–77 | New York Rangers | NHL | 52 | — |
| 1977–78 | New York Rangers | NHL | 53 | 5 |
| 1978–79 | New York Rangers | NHL | 37 | 20 |
| 1979–80 | New York Rangers | NHL | 73 | 8 |
| 1980–81 | New York Rangers | NHL | 20 | — |
| 1972 | Canada | Summit Series | 15 |
| 1976 | Canada | Canada Cup | 0 |
| 1977 | Canada | WC | 14 |
Esposito makes an appearance in the 2015 animated Christmas special, , both as a young ballet dancer's imaginary mentor and as the actual person performing a cameo in The Nutcracker. He voiced the role himself. "Hockey and ballet team up as Phil Esposito lends his voice to 'The Curse of Clara'". Toronto Sun, December 8, 2015.
Esposito also appeared in a recurring role for several episodes as a fire chief in Denis Leary's FX show Rescue Me.
|
|
