Phil Esposito
Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito was born February 20, 1942 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Esposito made a life-changing decision when we decided to leave high school, play junior hockey and attempt to establish a career playing hockey. Phil got his wish when he became a profesional hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1963, playing with the great Bobby Hull. Esposito was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1967 and became a scoring machine totaling one hundred twenty-six points on fourty-nine goals and seventy-seven assists. He led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup championships in both 1970 and 1972. He then became a New York Ranger in 1975, but due to injury, Esposito soon retired in 1981.
After retired from active play, he became the general manager and coach for the Rangers. Soonafter, in 1992 he was instrumental in the establishment of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. He was the team’s president and general manager for six years and was most recently named vice president of corporate relations. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1987, the Boston Bruins retired the number seven in his honor. Phil continues to hold the record for shots on goal in a single season with 550 in 1971. He has been recognized for his talent with many awards, some of them being the Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the league's leading scorer in 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player in 1969 and 1974.
Phil is happily married to his wife Bridget. He enjoys playing golf and is a member of the World Golf League Team. His favorite singers include Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Perry Como and his favorite movie is The Godfather. He co-wrote a book titled Thunder and Lightning.
