Phil Esposito

Philip Anthony "Phil" Esposito, OC (born February 20, 1942) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre. 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 best to have ever played in the NHL, 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 19951998. He now serves as Tampa Bay's radio color commentator.

Biography

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.

Podcasts:

Famous quotes by Phil Esposito:

"That was the most frustrating part for me. I just couldn't handle it. I couldn't take them being that stupid with the mental errors."
"The biggest problem will be, because he was so good and so smart, when he sees guys making those mental errors. When I coached those few games, that's what got to me,"
"Nobody in hockey should be making that much money. There's no TV revenue to speak of, and why people think there is, I have no idea. I have a problem with everybody begrudging a group or individual that has paid $100 to $150 million for something making 2, 3, 4 percent on his money. To begrudge that and say the owners are lying ... well, I've been on both sides, and I can tell you the owners aren't lying."
"YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!!!"
"Hockey has to repair the damage that has been done."
"My competitive juices are starting to flow again. There are only two places that I'd ever want to go if I did it again ... that's New York and in Boston."
"My competitive juices have started to flow again."
"I only see myself doing this in two places, New York and Boston."
"When you're an athlete, you meet a lot of people."
"I don't agree with stopping your business in the middle of the season. You have a $2.2 billion business and somebody comes to you and says you have to shut down for 15 to 16 days. Not only that but we're going to use your product and it may not return in the best of shape. What do you tell them?"
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Latest News for: phil esposito

Penguins Crosby Joins Exclusive Club With Another 80-Point Season

Yahoo Daily News 28 Mar 2025
Since turning 30 in 2017, Crosby has compiled six seasons of 80 points or more, which ties Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, and Jean Ratelle for most 80-point seasons by a player age 30 or older. BREAKING ... BREAKING ... Advertisement. Advertisement ... .

How close is Alex Ovechkin to breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record?

Newsday 26 Mar 2025
He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists ... Ovechkin, after climbing past Mike Gartner (708), Esposito (717), Dionne (731), Brett Hull (741) and Jagr (766), scored goal No.

How close is Alex Ovechkin to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record?

Wtop 26 Mar 2025
He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists ... Ovechkin, after climbing past Mike Gartner (708), Esposito (717), Dionne (731), Brett Hull (741) and Jagr (766), scored goal No.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky as NHL's all-time scorer?

Usatoday 26 Mar 2025
Alex Ovechkin may break Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal record this season. Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin is so close to the NHL goal record that he may break that record this year, even coming off an injury ... 28 ... 2 ... Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games.

Battle of the badges: First responders take the ice for the Kingston Police Hockey Classic

The Patriot Ledger 25 Mar 2025
The emphasis is on competitive hockey ... “I grew up in East Providence, RI in the late 60s and 70s around the time the Boston Bruins had players like Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr who were everywhere and a big part of my life,” said Dean.

How Rangers honored Sam Rosen as legendary broadcaster’s 40-year run with team nears its end

New York Post 23 Mar 2025
Access the Rangers beat like never before ... tRY IT NOW ... 40 jersey signed by the entire team. The other two former players he shared the booth with, Phil Esposito and John Davidson, also joined the ceremony to gift Rosen a golden mic ... Canucks vs ... Thank you.

Jonny Brodzinski scores twice as Rangers down Canucks 5-3

The Day 22 Mar 2025
Former Canuck J.T. Miller added an empty-net goal ... Takeaways ... Rosen was joined by his wife Jill, former broadcast partners Phil Esposito and John Davidson and current booth partner Joe Micheletti on Madison Square Garden ice for a pregame ceremony.

Brodzinski scores twice as Rangers down Canucks

TSN Canada 22 Mar 2025
Former Canuck J.T. Miller added an empty-net goal ... Takeaways ... Rosen was joined by his wife Jill, former broadcast partners Phil Esposito and John Davidson and current booth partner Joe Micheletti on Madison Square Garden ice for a pregame ceremony.

Jonny Brodzinski scores twice as New York Rangers down Vancouver Canucks 5-3

North Shore News 22 Mar 2025
Former Canuck J.T. Miller added an empty-net goal ... Takeaways ... Rosen was joined by his wife Jill, former broadcast partners Phil Esposito and John Davidson and current booth partner Joe Micheletti on Madison Square Garden ice for a pre-game ceremony ... ___.

Rangers honor Sam Rosen, TV voice for 40 seasons

Newsday 22 Mar 2025
It was not supposed to be this way ... He’s not, though ... Rosen’s prior broadcast partners, Phil Esposito and John Davidson, presented him with gifts, a jersey with No. 40 signed by the entire team, flowers, and a golden microphone ... ... More on this topic ... ....

Legendary broadcaster Sam Rosen urges NY Rangers to make playoffs for his final season

New Jersey Herald 22 Mar 2025
New York Rangers greatest players of all time ... This is the right time ... Rosen also spoke glowingly of his three broadcast partners − Phil Esposito, John Davidson and Joe Micheletti − each of whom was in attendance to honor their colleague and friend.

Puck this: Could a Cold War relic help revitalize US-Russia relations

Beijing News 21 Mar 2025
Hockey diplomacy ... Americans were not the enemy ... It wasn't ... The Soviet audience, after witnessing the brilliance of NHL stars like Phil Esposito and Henderson, found themselves cheering for individual Canadian players despite their Cold War rivalries ... .

“Dumb luck”: A $4K gamble turns into a potential $200K payday for a Wayne Gretzky game-used stick

The Times of India 18 Mar 2025
The stick, which had no authenticated game history when purchased, was subsequently matched up to the very night Gretzky broke Phil Esposito's single-season goal record in 1982.An unexpected discovery.

'It was dumb luck:' Bought for $4k, Wayne Gretzky stick is a record-breaker

Yahoo Daily News 18 Mar 2025
Around a month later, much to his surprise, he was able to match the stick to a photo from the game in which Gretzky broke Phil Esposito’s ...

Alex Ovechkin Ties Jaromir Jagr for Most Game-Winning Goals in NHL History

The Times of India 15 Mar 2025
... Equal to Jagr, Ovechkin now stands ahead of other hockey icons like Gordie Howe (121), Phil Esposito (118), Brett Hull (110), Teemu Selanne (110), and Brendan Shanahan (109).
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