Born on April 23, 1943, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Esposito played college hockey with the Michigan Tech Huskies from 1964 to 1967 before signing a contract as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens, on September 29, 1967. He was then loaned to the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL where he recorded four shutouts in 63 games.
Esposito started the 1968-69 season with the Houston Apollos, the Canadiens affiliate in the Central Hockey League, and after only 19 games he was called up by the Canadiens. His first NHL game in a Habs uniform was on December 5, 1968 in what would turn out to be a brotherly competition, as the Canadiens faced the Bruins, and his brother Phil who scored twice in what would be a 2-2 draw at Boston Garden.
The 37th goaltender in Canadiens history, Tony Esposito took part in 13 games in 1968-69 ending the season with a record of 5-4-4 with a 2.75 GAA, a .919 saving percentage and two shutouts, in what would amount to a total of 74 whitewashes during his illustrious NHL career.
On June 11, 1969, Esposito was claimed by the Chicago Black Hawks in the NHL Intra-League Draft. He would quickly become one of the Hawks' best and most-beloved players.
One of the most popular figures in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks, Esposito had several honors bestowed upon him during and following his career. The Calder Trophy winner as the NHL's top rookie in 1970 and a three-time Vezina Trophy recipient, Esposito had his jersey No. 35 raised to the rafters of the Chicago Stadium in 1988 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame that same year. In 2017, he was selected by the league as one of the "100 Greatest Players in NHL history".
Tony Esposito is survived by his wife Marilyn, his brother Phil, as well as his sons Mark and Jason, and grandchildren Lauren and Kamryn.
