Phil Esposito facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phil Esposito OC
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1984
Esposito in 2012
Born	(1942-02-20) February 20, 1942 (age 83) Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Chicago Black Hawks Boston Bruins New York Rangers
National team	Canada
Playing career	1963–1981

Philip Anthony Esposito (born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He also worked as a coach and team executive. Today, he is a broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Esposito is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, which means he is recognized as one of the best hockey players ever. He played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers. He won two Stanley Cups with the Boston Bruins.

Many people think he is one of the greatest players of all time. His older brother, Tony Esposito, was also a famous hockey player. Phil Esposito was the first player to score more than 100 points in a season. He did this with 126 points in the 1968–69 season. He achieved this amazing feat five more times. He was also the first player to score 50 goals in a season five times in a row. This included a record of 76 goals in the 1970–71 season. That same year, he also set a record with 152 points.

Overall, he won the Art Ross Trophy five times. This award goes to the player who scores the most points in a season. He led the league in goals six times. He also won the Hart Trophy twice, which is given to the league's most valuable player. He was chosen as a first team All-Star centre six times.

After he stopped playing, Esposito coached and managed the Rangers for two seasons. In 1991, he and his younger brother, Tony, started the Tampa Bay Lightning. This was the first NHL team in Florida. Phil Esposito was the team's first president and general manager until 1998. Now, he works as a radio announcer for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In 2017, Esposito was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history. His #7 jersey was retired by the Bruins on December 3, 1987. This means no other Bruins player can wear that number. There is also a statue of him at Tampa Bay's Amalie Arena.

Playing Hockey

Starting Out

Phil Esposito signed with the Chicago Black Hawks when he was a teenager. He played for the Sarnia Legionnaires Jr. 'B' team in the 1960–61 season. He scored an amazing 108 points in just 32 games. This means he scored about 3.3 points per game!

After playing well in junior hockey, Esposito spent two seasons with Chicago's minor league team, the St. Louis Braves. He scored 90 points in his first season. In his second season, he scored 80 points in only 46 games.

Chicago Black Hawks

Esposito joined the Chicago Black Hawks in the middle of the 1964 season. This was his first time playing in the NHL. Starting in the 1965 season, he played alongside the great Bobby Hull. Esposito quickly showed he was a skilled playmaker. He finished among the league's top scorers in the next three seasons.

Boston Bruins

Esposito playing for the Boston Bruins in 1969.

In 1967, Esposito was traded to the Boston Bruins. This was a very big trade. In Boston, Esposito became the best scorer of his time. In 1969, he made history. He became the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season. He actually scored 126 points that year! He almost reached 100 points again in 1970. Then, he scored over 100 points for five years in a row.

During this time, he won the Art Ross Trophy five times. He also led the league in goals for six straight seasons. This was from 1969–70 to 1974–75.

Esposito was chosen for the NHL's first All-Star team six times in a row. He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy twice. This award is for the NHL's most valuable player. Bruins fans loved his scoring. They even had bumper stickers that said, "Jesus saves, Espo scores on the rebound."

Esposito was not the fastest skater. But he was known for standing strong in front of the opponent's net. From there, he could score from almost anywhere. He once said, "Scoring is easy. You simply stand in the slot, take your beating and shoot the puck into the net." He was also good at holding onto the puck for a long time. This helped his team when they were playing with fewer players.

Esposito played on one of the most famous forward lines in hockey history. He was the centre, with Ken Hodge on his right and Wayne Cashman on his left. Esposito and superstar Bobby Orr led the Bruins to Stanley Cup wins in 1970 and 1972. They also finished first in the league in 1971, 1972, and 1974.

In the 1970–71 season, Esposito broke the record for most goals in a season. He finished with 76 goals. This record stood until 1982, when Wayne Gretzky scored his 77th goal. Esposito was there to give the game puck to Gretzky. Esposito also set the single-season point-scoring record in 1971 with 152 points. Gretzky later broke this record too.

As of 2024, Esposito ranks second in all-time regular-season goals for Boston. He is also fourth in all-time Bruins playoff goals. He holds the Boston record for most playoff hat-tricks (scoring three goals in one game) with four. One of these was a four-goal game against Toronto in 1969. Esposito also scored 20 shorthanded goals for Boston.

Summit Series Hero

Esposito was the captain and an inspiring leader for Canada in the Summit Series in 1972. He was Canada's top scorer in the series. He won the 1972 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's best male athlete of the year. He was also made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He scored the first goal of the series. He also scored or helped score four times in the final game.

During that series, Canadian fans booed the team after a loss to the Soviet Union. Esposito gave a famous speech to the fans. He told them how much the team loved Canada and was trying their best. This speech helped motivate his teammates.

Esposito also played for Canada in the first Canada Cup in 1976. He played with other Hall-of-Famers like Bobby Hull and Marcel Dionne. He represented Canada again in the 1977 World Championships.

New York Rangers

In the 1975–76 season, Esposito was traded to the New York Rangers. This was a huge trade. Even though he was older, Esposito was still a great scorer. As captain of the Rangers, he led the team in points in each of his full seasons there. He remained a strong scorer until his last season.

A big moment during his time in New York was leading the Rangers to the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals. He was 37 years old then. On November 4, 1977, Esposito scored his 600th NHL goal. He was the first player to reach that many goals while playing for the Rangers.

Esposito retired in 1981. At that time, he was second only to Gordie Howe in career goals and total points.

After Playing Hockey

New York Rangers

Esposito worked as the general manager and head coach for the Rangers from 1986 to 1989. He was known as "Trader Phil" because he made so many player trades.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Team Founder

In the late 1980s, the NHL planned to add new teams. Phil Esposito, his brother Tony, and Mel Lowell wanted to bring a team to Tampa Bay, Florida. Phil Esposito's strong reputation helped them win the bid for Tampa Bay on December 6, 1990. The Tampa Bay Lightning started playing in the 1992–93 NHL season. Phil Esposito was the team's first president and general manager.

For the Lightning's first season, Esposito hired many of his former teammates from the Bruins. He also made hockey history by signing Manon Rhéaume. She became the first woman to sign with and play for an NHL team.

The team struggled under its first owners. They didn't have much money, which made it hard for Esposito to manage the team. The Lightning often finished at the bottom of the league.

Broadcaster

After retiring from playing with the Rangers in 1981, Esposito became a TV commentator. He later returned to the Lightning team in 1999. He became a radio announcer for their home games. He still calls games today. He also co-hosts a daily radio show about hockey.

Honours and Achievements

Esposito was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. On December 3, 1987, his #7 jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins. This was a very special ceremony. The player who was wearing #7 at the time, Ray Bourque, took off his jersey to show his new number, 77. This meant he was giving up #7 for Esposito. Esposito was very touched by this gesture.

Phil Esposito's younger brother, Tony Esposito, is also in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

• NHL second All-Star team (1968, 1975)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (9 times)
• Art Ross Trophy winner (5 times)
• Hart Memorial Trophy winner (2 times)
• NHL first All-Star team (6 times)
• Stanley Cup champion (1970, 1972)
• Lester B. Pearson Award winner (2 times)
• Won Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year in 1972.
• Lester Patrick Trophy winner (1978)
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.
• His #7 Jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins on December 3, 1987.
• He was the second leading all-time NHL goal and point scorer when he retired.
• First player in NHL history to reach 100 points in a single season (126 points in 1968–69).
• Holds the record for shots on goal in a single season with 550 in 1970–71.
• Had thirteen seasons in a row with 30 or more goals.
• In 1998, he was ranked number 18 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• Inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
• Inducted into the Sault Ste Marie Walk of Fame in 2007 (with his brother Tony).
• Received a star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto in 2009.
• A statue was unveiled in his honour in front of the Tampa Bay Times Forum (now Amalie Arena) in 2011.
• Inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
• In 2017, Esposito was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
• In 2023, Esposito was one of the first people inducted into the Tampa Bay Lightning Hall of Fame.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

• Bold indicates led league

International Games

Coaching Record

See also

• 1972 Summit Series
• Hockey Hall of Fame
• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
• List of NHL players with 1,000 points
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL statistical leaders
• Notable families in the NHL