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Phil and Tony Esposito "Sibling Rivalry" - 1977 Sportscaster Card

Phil and Tony EspositoThe man guarding the Chicago Black Hawks' nets wore a mask, but the set of his body clearly revealed his mood: grim determination. For the Hawks' goalie was Tony Esposito, and no fiercer competitor played in the National Hockey League. Tony was on his way to winning the Vezina Trophy as top shot-stopper in the NHL as well as the Calder Trophy as the League's Rookie of the Year for 1969-70. He was also about to record his 1 5th shutout of the season, breaking a 16-year-old mark. Tony's competitive spirit was at its strongest against the Boston Bruin's hard-shooting center. He was Phil Esposito, Tony's older brother. That same season-1969-70—while Tony held opponents to an average of 2.17 goals a game, Phil hit an all- league scoring high with 76 goals and 76 assists in 78 games. The brothers were close friends—but not on the ice. Anytime their teams locked horns, Phil would slam the puck at Tony, and Tony would do his best to shut him out. The first time the Esposito boys dueled in an NHL arena, Phil got the better of Tony, blazing two sizzlers past him. Tony rocketed to NHL superstardom almost instantly, but it took Phil four years to hit his stride. From 1963-67, he was just another player for the Black Hawks. But then he was traded to the Bruins and began wowing the fans with his flying skates and sure shots. In 1972 the brothers joined forces against a common rival as players for Team Canada against the Soviet Union's National Team. It was the first meeting of the North American pros and the 11-time world amateur champions. Canada took the 7-game tussle, 4-3. Goaltending Phil's record for 4 game appearances was 2 wins, 1 tie and 1 loss; and Tony was named the series' best all-round player.

PHIL ESPOSITO Born Feb. 20, 1942, Saulte Ste Marie, Ontario, CAN
TONY ESPOSITO Born Apr. 23, 1943, Saulte Ste Marie, Ontario, CAN

AWARDS AND RECORDS
Phil:
Ross Trophy (leading scorer), 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Hart Trophy (MVP), 1969, 1974
Tony:
Calder Trophy (best rookie), 1970
Vezina Trophy (top goalie) 1970, 1972, 1974

Photo: Phil lining up another shot
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