A ROOKIE SEASON TO REMEMBER FOR TONY ESPOSITO

In the history of the National Hockey League, two Chicago Black Hawk goalies hold records that have withstood the passage of time.

Glenn Hall's record for appearing in 502 consecutive games (1955-56 to 1962) seems out of reach taking into account a number of factors. Long gone is the era of a netminder playing in every game of the schedule and the exposure to injuries.

Then, there is the standard set by Tony Esposito in the 1969-70 season.

Esposito made his NHL debut in 1968-69 with the Montreal Canadiens. In 13 games, he went 5-4-4, and recorded two shutouts. On June 11, 1969, he was claimed by the Hawks in the intra-league draft.

In what only can be described as a spectacular rookie campaign, Esposito left little doubt he was ready for a starting job in the NHL. In 63 contests, he led the league with 38 wins to go along with 17 loses and 8 ties.

But the stat that jumps out of the page is Esposito's 15 shutouts. This set the modern record for most shutouts by a rookie NHL goalie. 

Tony Esposito's moment to enter the record book came on March 29, 1970, at Chicago Stadium. The visitors that night were the Toronto Maple Leafs. He only faced 23 shots in Chicago's 4-0 win, but as one newspaper story noted, "Tony Esposito, the rookie goaltender, included fantastic saves in his repertoire, on the few occasions that the Leafs made it necessary."

After the game, Esposito talked about his record breaking performance.

"It was a team effort. We controlled the game from the opening faceoff. My shutout was not significant."

Esposito was asked to recall when he became aware he was on the verge of making history. "Not until late in the game. The result is the important thing, not the score."

When the regular season came to a conclusion, Esposito was rewarded for his accomplishments between the pipes. He was named the winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top rookie, the Vezina Trophy for fewest goals against, and was named the goalie for the First All-Star Team. His brother, Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins, joined him on the First Team at centre.