Who is Phil Esposito

Following game 4 of the Russia-Canada Summit Series of 1972, Phil Esposito gave an on-ice interview where he expressed his shock at the reception he and his Canadian teammates received from hockey Canadian fans:

"To the people across Canada, we tried, we gave it our best, and to the people that boo us, geez, I'm really, all of us guys are really disheartened and we're disillusioned, and we're disappointed at some of the people. We cannot believe the bad press we've got, the booing we've gotten in our own buildings. If the Russians boo their players, the fans... Russians boo their players... Some of the Canadian fans-I'm not saying all of them, some of them booed us, then I'll come back and I'll apologize to each one of the Canadians, but I don't think they will. I'm really, really... I'm really disappointed. I am completely disappointed. I cannot believe it. Some of our guys are really, really down in the dumps, we know, we're trying, like, hell, I mean, we're doing the best we can, and they got a good team, and let's face facts. But it doesn't mean that we're not giving it our 150%, because we certainly are."

PHIL ESPOSITO Boston Bruins 1975 CCM Vintage Throwback Away Hockey Jersey

PHIL ESPOSITO Boston Bruins 1975 CCM Vintage Throwback Away Hockey Jersey

Same style jersey Phil Esposito wore in 1975 while playing for the Boston Bruins

JERSEY FEATURES:
- Manufactured by CCM
- V550 Replica model
- Vintage Collection Throwback Series
- 100% polyester heavyweight "Air Knit" fabric
- Re-inforced stitching on shoulder and armhole seams
- Double layer shoulders
- CCM "Vintage" neck label
- CCM embroidered logo on lower back hem

Esposito scored 1,590 points in his NHL career (1963-1981). He played 1,282 NHL so that means he scored at better than a point a game over that span. He started out with the Chicago Blackhawks and played 235 games with the 'Hawks before being traded (why oh why Chicago fans still say) at the start of the 1967 season, just in time to help the Bruins begin their run as the best NHL team for the next ten years. Esposito had 74 goals in the 4 seasons he was with the Blackhawks, but the best was yet to come.

In the eight years Espo spent with Boston, he developed into a goal scoring monster. Over 615 regular season games, Esposito scored 459 times. He had 7 straight 40-plus goals seasons, 5 times scored 50-plus, had 4 60-plus goal season and set the modern day goal scoring record in 1970-71 when he scored 76 goals in 78 games! It took a little kid from Brantford named Gretzky to surpass that total. Gretzky had two seasons where he had more goals than Esposito scored in 1970-71.

Early in the 1975-76 season Esposito was dealt to the New York Rangers (the Bruins were desperate for defensemen) and received All Star defenseman Brad Park and center Jean Ratelle. Espo played five and a half more seasons, all 30-plus goal campaigns and retired after playing 41 games in the 1980-81 season.

Phil Esposito's rookie card is from the 1965-66 Topps series and features Esposito in his Chicago Blackhawks uniform. The '65-66 Topps set has 128 cards with several notable rookies first cards: New York Rangers goalie Ed Giacomin (number 21), Espo's future Bruins teammates Gerry Cheevers (number 31), Fred Stanfield (number 63), Ken Hodge (number 65), Mike Walton (number 86) and Don Awery (number 99).

Summit Series hero Paul Henderson has his rookie card in this set (number 51) and Canadiens speedster Yvon Cournoyer (number 76). But it's Esposito's rookie card (number 116) that is probably the key rookie card in the Topps set. You can expect to pay as much as $400 for a good example of Esposito's rookie card and probably more.

Thunder And Lightning:
A No-B.S. Hockey Memoir

Thunder And Lightning: A No-B.S. Hockey Memoir

Phil Esposito has never been reluctant to speak his mind. At the end of his third season with the Blackhawks, Espo told coach Billy Reay and GM Tommy Ivan that they had a great team, maybe even a dynasty, but that the two would screw it up.

Perfectly Espo. He pulls no punches on those Chicago days, his record-setting time with the Bruins, his abrupt trade to the Rangers and all the hard work and heartache behind founding the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nobody is spared Espo's directness and recollections.

Phil Esposito played in the NHL from 1963-1964 until 1980-1981 recording an amazing 1,590 points, good for eighth all time.

Esposito led the league in scoring five times and won the Hart trophy as league MVP in 1969 and 1974. His most productive year was in 1970-1971 when he recorded 76 goals and 76 assists for 155 points with a plus/minus ranking of 71, meaning he was on the ice when his Bruins scored, 71 times more often then when the opposing teams scored.

He was a member of three franchises during his career: first with the Chicago Blackhawks (4 years), then the Boston Bruins (9 years) where he really blossomed as a scoring threat, and the New York Rangers (6 years) to end out his career.

Espo was a leader for Canada in the 1972 summit series, one the best moments in Canadian hockey history. During the summit series Esposito led Canada with 7 goals and 13 points in an 8 game series against Russia. Phil was a great playoff performer recording 137 points in a career 130 playoff games.

I started a new group on Facebook called Boston Bruins Fan Club. Because it's brand new, I'm the only member. I'm hoping to make this group THE Bruins group on Facebook.

You'll find photos, (video, hopefully soon), stats and the latest Bruins game results. There's some shots of Espo and I'm going to be adding more of the latest Bruins. Join up if your on Facebook and give a shout out for the Boston Bruins!