Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito served as General Manager and coach of the Rangers for three years in the mid 1980s, during which he earned the nickname “Trader Phil” for the numerous transactions he made. During his tenure as GM, he made more trades than the Vancouver Canucks had made in the entire 1980s. While serving as GM, two of his most famous trades included the trade for the legendary Marcel Dionne and one which he sent a first round pick to the Quebec Nordiques as compensation for signing Michel Bergeron to be the Rangers’ coach.
He moved on to found the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning but faced competition from the Compuware Group who wanted to place a team in nearby St. Petersburg. It was proposed to Esposito that he merge his bid with the Compuware Group to which he refused. His reputation and force of personality was widely credited with winning the expansion bid for Tampa Bay—in 1992, serving as the team’s president and general manager until 1998. Compuware eventually purchased the Hartford Whalers.
In the Lightning’s inaugural season, he made hockey history by signing Manon Rhéaume, making her the first woman to sign with an NHL team. He later admitted in his autobiography that signing Rheaume was only a publicity stunt for the new franchise and that she had no business being in the NHL. He remains the team’s radio color commentator, and also co-hosts a daily call-in show on XM Satellite Radio’s Home Ice channel.
Esposito was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. In December 1987, his #7 jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins in an emotional ceremony where the then-current wearer, superstar defenseman Ray Bourque, pulled off his #7 jersey to reveal his new number, 77—dramatically “surrendering” his old number in Esposito’s favor. Esposito was “visibly moved” when Bourque showed the Boston Garden crowd his new number, which he used for the rest of his career. Esposito was also on hand in Boston to hand Bourque his retired number after the latter retired.
Esposito’s younger brother Tony is also an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Former NHL player Alexander Selivanov is Esposito’s son-in-law.
- Art Ross Trophy winner (1968-69, 70-71, 71-72, 72-73, 73-74)
- Hart Memorial Trophy winner (1968-69, 73-74)
- Stanley Cup champion (1969-70, 71-72
- 1970–71 – Lester B. Pearson Award winner (1970-71, 72-73)
- 1977–78 – Lester Patrick Trophy winner
- 1984 – Inducted in to the Hockey Hall of Fame
- December 3, 1987 – #7 jersey retired by the Boston Bruins
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980)
- NHL First All-Star Team (1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1968, 1975)
- Retired as the second leading all time NHL goal and point scorer, and third in assists.
- Among the all-time NHL leaders in goals scored (5th), assists (21st), and total points (10th), as of the end of the 2008–09 season.
- Won Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadian athlete of the year in 1972.
- Holds the record for shots on goal in a single season with 550 in 1970–71.
- All time leader in game winning goals with 118.
- Had thirteen consecutive 30+ goal seasons, second most in history.
- In 1998, he was ranked number 18 on The Hockey News‘ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
- Inducted in 2007 (alongside brother Tony) into the Sault Ste Marie Walk of Fame.
Ranked No. 23 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons, 2009)