Chicago Blackhawks Legend Tony Esposito Dies At 78

Chicago Blackhawks legendary goaltender Tony Esposito has passed away after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 78-years-old.

We are heartbroken to have lost a legend in Tony Esposito, who passed away today after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.#TonyO ❤️

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 10, 2021

Esposito is one of the most popular goaltenders to ever play in the league. He helped popularize the butterfly style of goaltending, which has since stuck in the NHL. Over his career, he would obtain a number of accolades. He won the Stanley Cup in 1969 and won the Calder Memorial Trophy the very next season. He also took home three Vezina trophies as the league's top goaltender and made it to six separate All-Star games. He also ended up having the chance to play for both Canada and the United States internationally during his illustrious career. 

In 886 career NHL games between 1968-69 season and 1983-84 season, Esposito had a 423-306-151, with the last statistic being ties. He also had a career .906 SV% and 2.92 GAA, which were very high numbers during that time period. Although he spent the vast majority of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, he also played his first 13 games in the league with the Montreal Canadiens. He also is Chicago's all-time leader in wins and shutouts. 

After his career was completed, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988. He also was named as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players ever, along with his brother, Phil Esposito.

The hockey world has sadly lost a true legend.