Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Categories: 1942 births | Boston Bruins players | Canadian ice hockey players | Chicago Blackhawks players | New York Rangers players | Members of the Order of Canada | Hockey Hall of Fame | People from Ontario | Italian-Canadians
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito OC (born February 20, 1942 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) was one of the best professional ice hockey players of the 1960s and 1970s.
Originally a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, he was traded to the Boston Bruins where he became the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season with 126 in the 1968-1969 season.
Esposito was named to the All-NHL 1st team six consecutive times (from 1969 to 1974), and was named league MVP in 1969 and 1974. His Boston fans printed and displayed bumper stickers during his best years to celebrate his scoring: they read, "Jesus saves. Espo scores on the rebound."
During the 1970-71 season, Esposito broke the record for most goals scored in a season when he finished up with 76. This record stood until February 1982 when Wayne Gretzky scored his 77th, 78th and 79th goal against the Buffalo Sabres. Esposito was on hand to present the game puck to Gretzky.
Since his retirement, he has served in administrative positions for several teams in the National Hockey League; he was the President and General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning for several years during the 1990s. He is brother to another hockey great, Tony Esposito. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
After his performance in the Summit Series, he 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.
Career highlights
- Scored 717 goals and 873 assists for 1590 points
- Voted NHL First Team All-Star from 1969 to 1974
- Voted NHL Second Team All-Star in 1968 and 1975
- Won the Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the league's leading scorer in 1969, 197, and 1974
- Awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player in 1969 and 1974
- Given the Lester B. Pearson Award in 1971 and 1974
- Awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1978
- Participated in 10 NHL All-Star contests
|- style="text-align: center;"
| width="30%" |Preceded by:
Michel Bergeron
| width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |Head Coaches of the New York Rangers
1989
| width="30%" |Succeeded by:
Roger Neilson
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