He wanted to be a hockey player.”As long as I remember“And after school and on weekends, the two brothers — Phil is 14 months older — would shuffle the rink with their gear loaded onto a toboggan.
Esposito attended Michigan Technological University, where he was a three-time first-team All-America selection, and where he helped the team win the 1964–65 NCAA Championship. Esposito arrived in the NHL at a time when playing in college was not generally seen as a path to professional hockey.
With a bachelor’s degree in business, he tried his luck as a professional hockey player. “I’ll give it three years and see what I can do,” he recalled in a Interview to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
After two seasons in the minor leagues with Vancouver and Houston, he made his first NHL game debut with the Montreal Canadiens against his brother’s Boston Bruins. The game ended in a 2-2 draw with Phil Esposito scoring both goals. His mother accuses him of trying to ruin his brother’s career before it even begins, but Phil assures him that his brother has done well.
The following season, Tony Esposito was claimed a waiver by Chicago.
During the years he commanded the Blackhawks Nets, playing behind future Hall of Famers such as Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Dennis Savard, he won over 400 games with a team. He is one of just three goalkeepers with that distinction, in addition to Martin Brodeur of the Devils and Heinrich Lundqvist of the Rangers.
After retiring as a player in 1984, Esposito was named general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988. In his first year with the Penguins, Esposito led the team to the Stanley Cup playoffs, ending a post-season six-year drought.
In addition to his brother, survivors include his wife, Marilyn; his sons, Mark and Jason; and his grandchildren, Lauren and Kamrin, According to the Blackhawks statement.