On Friday, Jan. 24, Michigan Technological University will formally award the Board of Trustees Silver Medal to late alumnus Tony Esposito ’67.
The Board of Trustees Silver Medal is given to those whose personal and professional achievements set an outstanding example for Michigan Tech graduates. University President Rick Koubek will present the award to members of Esposito’s family during a pregame ceremony at the Michigan Tech hockey game versus Northern Michigan University.
Anthony James “Tony O” Esposito, a hockey legend, ranks as one of Michigan Tech’s most accomplished graduates. Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, he came to Tech to play goalie for the Huskies under storied head coach John MacInnes. He earned First Team All-American honors for all three of his varsity seasons and led the Huskies to an NCAA title in 1965 — all while taking his studies seriously. He graduated on time in 1967.
“The Esposito family is truly honored that my father, Tony Esposito, will be receiving the Board of Trustees Silver Medal,” said Mark Esposito, one of Tony’s sons. “Michigan Tech was the beginning. It led to his career as a professional hockey player and his 30-plus years as an NHL executive. My father is a great example of a successful NCAA student-athlete, and his time at Tech gave him the education he needed to thrive both on and off the ice. He was very proud of earning his business degree and of being part of an NCAA national championship team. My family would like to thank Michigan Tech for taking a chance on a kid from ‘the Soo.’”
After his time at Tech, Esposito joined the NHL. He won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens during his one season with the team before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he played 15 seasons. Esposito played in six All-Star games, won three Vezina Trophies as the goalie with the lowest goal-against average in the league, and won the Calder Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year. To this day, Esposito is the Blackhawks’ all-time leader for career games played and shutouts. His 15 shutouts in one season is still an NHL record. He also starred for the inaugural Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union.
“While ‘Tony O’ ranks as one of the most accomplished graduates in Michigan Tech’s long, rich history, and one of the greatest hockey players the game has ever seen, what impressed the committee was his dedication to his coursework and how he used what he learned at Tech throughout his career,” said Michigan Tech Trustee John U. Bacon. “Esposito chose to attend college when few top players did so. He never missed a class in his four years studying business at Tech. He put his degree to good use when he negotiated his own contracts, and later, after he was voted by his peers president of the NHL Players Association, when helping negotiate the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and the owners.”
Following his playing career, Esposito further used his degree in business administration in various administrative and executive roles with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 1988, four years after Esposito retired, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on the first ballot. That same year, the Blackhawks retired his famous number 35. In 1998, the Hockey News ranked Esposito the 79th greatest hockey player of all time, and in 2008 the Blackhawks named him an Ambassador for the organization.
Esposito passed away in 2021. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, also from Sault Ste. Marie, and their two sons, Mark and Jason.
