Phil Esposito

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Born
1942 (83 years old)
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Sault Ste. Marie, Canada

Position
Center

Status
Retired

Ethnicity
White

Team Number

Height
6 ft 1 in (185 cm)

Weight
205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)

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Kit

Side
Left

Wage Year

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Player Cartoon

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Sport

Ice Hockey

Team
_Retired Ice Hockey

League
_No League Ice Hockey

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Description

Philip Anthony Esposito OC (/ˌɛspəˈziːtoʊ/ ESP-ə-ZEE-toh, Italian: ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers, winning two Stanley Cups with Boston.

He is considered one of the greatest players of all time, and is the older brother of Hall-of-Fame goaltender Tony Esposito. He became the first player to score more than 100 points in a season, with 126 in 1968–69, a feat he achieved a further five times. In 1970–71 Esposito also became the first player to score 50 goals in five consecutive seasons, including the then records of 76 goals and 152 points the same year. Altogether, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the leading point scorer five times, led the league in goals six times, was voted the Hart Trophy for MVP twice, and was named as a first team All-Star centre six times.

After retiring as a player, Esposito served as head coach and general manager for the Rangers for two seasons. In 1991, he and brother Tony co-founded the Tampa Bay Lightning, the first NHL team in Florida. Phil Esposito served as the franchise's first president and general manager until 1998; he now serves as the Lightning's radio colour commentator.

Esposito was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history in 2017, and the ninth-best player of all time by The Athletic in 2023. His #7 jersey was retired by the Bruins on December 3, 1987, and there is a statue in his likeness at Tampa Bay's Benchmark International Arena.

Early life
Phil Esposito was born on February 20, 1942, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada, to his parents Pat and Frances, who were both of Italian descent. His father's parents immigrated to Canada at the beginning of 20th century. His father quit school as a teenager to work in Sault Ste. Marie's steel mills, and later worked as a labourer and a welder, and married Frances in 1941. He built the family's first house for $3,000 and paid it off six years later. Esposito grew up with his sisters Mary and Janice and his brother Tony. The Esposito brothers started playing hockey together at an early age on frozen ponds, outdoor rinks, and local community leagues.

Trophies