Some sad news to share this Tuesday evening as the Chicago Blackhawks announced that goaltender Tony Esposito died at 78.
Born in 1943, Esposito was a native of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, Canada and made his NHL debut with the Montreal Canadians during the 1968-69 season. The Blackhawks claimed Esposito on waivers from Montreal before the next season started and he rocketed to fame with a dazzling season, posting a 38-17-8 record with a .932 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average. He picked up a slew of awards in the process, including the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie and the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie — the first of three Vezina Trophy awards in his career.