Phil Esposito is a hockey player who has become a true legend, one of the most prominent participants in the 1972 series of hockey matches between the USSR and Canada. Twice the athlete was honored to receive the Stanley Cup. The first in the NHL (National Hockey League) scored more than 100 points in performance and scored more than 70 goals in one season. In total in the NHL for 18 years he played 1282 matches, made 873 assists and scored 717 goals.
Phil Esposito is known for his expressive and often quite aggressive game, which, however, is expected from a good hockey player. In the super series of Canada-USSR games, consisting of 8 friendly matches, he was one of the leading players in Canadian professionals, and in the Soviet team he was perceived as a very worthy and dangerous opponent. After that confrontation, his name forever went down in the history of world hockey.
The formation of a legend
Phil Esposito was born in Canada, Ontario, the city of Sault Ste. Marie on February 19, 1942. His full name is Philip Anthony. In the family of the future famous hockey player, honest physical work was always appreciated. In addition to Phil, parents raised his younger brother Tony. The boys' father worked in a steel mill.
In childhood, Phil and Tony were almost inseparable. They spent most of their free time playing hockey. So, often right after school, the brothers hid in the basement, where they held their hockey games, and the puck was their puck. Years passed, and gradually children's enthusiasm grew into serious sports aspirations.
As a result, Tony managed to achieve significant results in hockey. In 1962, he was already taken to play at the junior championship. Over time, he began to act as a goalkeeper for the Michigan club. And a little later he moved to the Chicago Black Hawks club, becoming a professional player.
It was on his recommendation that Phil was also accepted into the same club, which from the very first matches became truly irreplaceable and gained fame as a bone-breaker, showing his exuberant character in dealing with an opponent. In the future, Phil had a bright future.
Boston Bruins
Phil’s athletic talent was revealed even more in the Boston Bruins club, where he moved in 1967. It was thanks to the game in this team that Phil Esposito became known to the world. The biography of the legend began here. So, in one of the matches that the young hockey player was then playing for the Boston club, he managed to masterfully score as many as four goals into the goal of the Montreal goalkeeper, literally “destroying” that one. And this is just one example.
The season of 1968-1969 became truly productive for Esposito. He received prestigious awards, including as the best striker. This season, he became the first hockey player in history to score more than 100 points. Two years later, he managed to repeat his success with his team. Boston Bruins became the leader of the championship, and Phil again won the trophy of the best player.
During this period, Phil Esposito is a hockey player who has already honed his special individual style of play. For example, he masterfully mastered the technique of leading the puck forward, and then sharply back and could perform it equally well on both sides. Now Esposito has become not only a notable player during the match, but also a true, albeit unofficial, leader of his team, truly dangerous for his rivals.
Super Series Canada-USSR 1972
In 1972, fans of professional hockey could watch the confrontation of the USSR national team and the Canadian hockey team Montreal Canadiens, amazing in terms of complexity and intensity of emotions. The drama of that series of matches literally went through the roof, and even the most experienced players sometimes could not hold back their tears.
There were many completely opposite predictions regarding the outcome of that historic confrontation. Sports observers, hockey players themselves and their coaches expressed their guesses, since this series of games attracted millions of public attention. For the sake of participating in those historic games, Phil and Tony Esposito dissolved their summer hockey school for children and became part of the national team. Phil Esposito owes much to the success of Canadians in those truly special historical games.
The beginning of the confrontation
September 2, 1972 hosted the first match of the super series in Montreal. After the first 30 seconds of play, Phil scored the first goal against the opponents. However, a successfully started match was ultimately devastating for the NHL. The Soviet team won a landslide victory with a score of 7: 3.
Nikolai Ozerov, the famous sports commentator of those years, said that the myth of the invincibility of Canadian professionals was dispelled that day. After this game, Phil in his interview asked for forgiveness from the nation and very emotionally promised to win at all costs in the return match, which was to be held in Moscow. As time shows, he completely kept his word.
The next, held in Toronto, the Canadians also won with a score of 4: 1. One of the hockey players of the Soviet national team recalled that Esposito played so confidently and enthusiastically that no actions directed against him - no punches, no shocks, no attempts to raise the stick - gave results, Phil literally went ahead.
The third game in Winnipeg ended in a draw for both teams, the score was 4: 4. But the last game of the series was a failure for Canadian professionals. The USSR won with a tense score of 5: 3.
On that day, the hooting and raging hard curses of the stadium fans really offended the players. In his interview, Phil could not restrain his characteristic ardor, he accused the fans of ingratitude, and at the same time confidently stated that his team would find ways to become better and eventually emerge victorious.
Reciprocal Game Series
Before the return matches in Moscow, Canadian hockey players were very nervous. An unpleasant incident happened with Phil Esposito. On the eve of the first game in Luzhniki, Canadian hockey players were presented with flowers, but out of excitement, Phil gripped the bouquet in his hand so tightly that the stems of the flowers broke and they scattered across the ice. A little later, during the presentation of the players, Phil, having rode out onto the ice, tripped over a scattered bouquet and fell. There was laughter in the stands. But here again the combat character of the hockey player manifested itself.
Rising and noticing the look of L. I. Brezhnev, who was sitting in the government box, he was not at a loss, but sent a kiss to the Soviet leader. The people accompanying Brezhnev began to smile, but the smiles quickly disappeared after a few harsh words he spoke quietly. However, as Esposito later recalled, the famous Brezhnev eyebrows in that unusual episode also laughed. Thus, Phil Esposito in Moscow immediately attracted millions of attention and was remembered by the fans even before the start of the opposing standoff.
The first meeting in Moscow ended in a victory for the USSR national team. Then Esposito, who was perceived as the informal leader of the Canadian team, said that they would certainly win the next three games and the return series as a whole and would never concede to the Soviet team. It is not surprising that the subsequent matches of the super series became a real “ice battle”, which, unfortunately, was also transferred to the stands.
Sports commentator Boris Fedorov claimed that Canadians literally hunted for the main striker of the Soviet team - Valery Kharlamov, and it was Phil Esposito who was especially rude. Nikolai Ozerov, commenting on the Canadians' playing style, even uttered a phrase that became a winged one: “We don’t need such hockey.”
In fact, the famous Canadian hockey player Phil Esposito was not a bully and did not like to participate in ice skirmishes. However, he always followed the principle - victory at all costs, so he often said that if you could not win, you should at least bite your opponent. And such a gaming attitude was expensive for Esposito. In one of the matches he received a broken arm, and in another - a broken nose. Nevertheless, Phil continued to do everything possible to win his team and selflessly played for the result. Both sides perceived their confrontation as if a real war - a battle for their homeland.
As a result, the NHL team performed very worthily, having managed to win a far from difficult confrontation. However, we can say that in this super series there were really no losers. The last return match in Moscow was especially tense. Almost at the very end of the confrontation, the judges did not count the puck abandoned by Canadians. Then Alan Eagleson in a fit of emotion tried to break through to the referee's table.
From the police, a desperate trainer was saved by the intervention of hockey players led by Esposito. In addition, it was Phil who, just 34 seconds before the end of the playing time, managed to score the decisive puck of that match. That day, Canadian hockey players and their fans were truly intoxicated with victory. The coach of the Soviet national team, Kulagin, said in an interview that in one thing his players could not compare with the Canadians - in the fury with which they were eager to win.
Esposito's opinion of Russian hockey players
Remembering the famous confrontation of 1972, Phil Esposito called it a truly “infernal series” and said that he never showed hockey of such a high level in the future - almost beyond the limits of what is possible. An incredibly strong opponent caused Canadians a real gaming excitement.
In an interview, Phil Esposito about Kharlamov said that many were afraid of him, because he caused the Canadians a lot of trouble, but Alexander Yakushev seemed to be the most serious rival to Phil himself . He even noticed that in North America, Yakushev with his huge growth, strength and powerful throw could become a real superstar. Phil Esposito spoke with admiration about Kharlamov, Petrov, Mikhailov and two defenders Gusev and Vasiliev, as an inseparable five, whose authority was undeniable and which gained deserved fame as the best in world hockey.
Career after the Super Series
In 1976, Esposito became the winner of the Canada Cup. And in 1977 he played at the World Cup for Canada for the last time. In 1987, he ends his hockey career already in New York, however, the legendary athlete is honored precisely as a favorite of Boston fans. The hockey players who joined the new Boston Bruins national team rode up to Esposito and shook hands with great respect in turn. And Ray Bourke even takes off his game sweater with number 7, under which Esposito once played, and remains in the sweater at number 77. Such an act clearly testified that the hockey legend was not forgotten and still remained important for his native team.
Esposito is currently engaged in coaching and business. He is the owner of the Cincinnati Cyclone Hockey Club, a member of the East Coast League. As the general manager of Tampa Bay, he invited the first woman hockey player in NHL history to the starting lineup of the club. Phil Esposito also works as a commentator on hockey matches. In addition, over the years he fruitfully collaborated with one major sports television company, but due to the workload associated with coaching, he was forced to leave this job.
"Thunder and lightning"
Since 1976, the legendary hockey player worked on his own book. His three-year work was edited by the famous writer and sports journalist Pete Golenbock. In the United States and Canada, the book went on sale under the title Thunder and Lightning. The language used by the author is rather crude and differs in its directness. Esposito truthfully and very colorfully describes the world of hockey players outside the sports field. Thanks to him, readers can look into that part of the life of their sports idols that was previously inaccessible to them: in the locker rooms, bars in which victories were celebrated, and so on.
The super-series of matches between the USSR and Canada is particularly recalled in his memoirs by Phil Esposito. The book, and mainly this part of it, caused quite a lot of controversy and conflicting opinions. Famous Soviet hockey players Petrov and Tretyak were surprised by the unexpected interpretation of the events of that year from the position of Phil. However, the author himself claims that his story is true and that he does not distort the facts. He also mentions that at that time he did not hate Russians at all, but the political system that existed in the USSR. This hatred gave the hockey player almost superhuman strength and allowed literally wresting victory in the decisive match.
The book "Thunder and Lightning" by Phil Esposito ranks third in terms of sales and has become a bestseller in the homeland of its author. In the near future, the legend hockey player plans to release Thunder and Lightning in Russia. What is hockey, Phil Esposito knows firsthand and talks about it in his book. Therefore, it has a lively and exciting plot and is likely to find a positive response in Russian hearts.
Russian relatives of Esposito
Phil is a happy person not only in relation to his sports career, but also in love. He was married twice. From the first marriage, the hockey player had a daughter, Carrie. Esposito is now happy in his second marriage with his wife Bridget, but with his first wife he still maintains warm friendly relations.
It is also interesting that to date, the irreconcilable Canadian forward has three Russian grandchildren. They were born by Carrie, daughter of Phil Esposito, who married the famous Russian hockey player Alexander Selivanov. Grandfather is proud of his grandchildren Delan, Nico and Rocky and is sure that they will have a bright future, including in the field of hockey. At the moment, the boys are engaged in the hockey school of CSKA and are already showing remarkable athletic abilities.
Son-in-law of Phil Esposito Selivanov played in the NHL and spent more than 450 matches for the Tampa team in the 2nd half of the 90s - beginning of the 2000s. It was here that he met Carrie, who helped the “newcomer”, who got into the exchange club, with the arrangement after his arrival. At first, Esposito was somewhat outraged by the choice of his daughter, because he could not even imagine that he would ever be related to the Russians. However, he almost immediately lost, deciding that the daughter is already adult and has the right to make her own decisions. Subsequently, Esposito never regretted it. Selivanov’s father, Yuri Nikolayevich, quickly found a common language with Phil and considers him a “very Russian” person, because you can always sit with him, drink vodka and talk on a variety of topics, with the exception of politics.
Now the brother-in-law of the famous Canadian Alexander Selivanov is the coach of Hayes Den Haag - the Dutch hockey team. But the daughter of Phil Esposito Carrie died in 2012 at the age of 43 years. The cause of premature death was some kind of disease - the media do not give more detailed information.
Hockey legend
Today, Esposito is respected in Russia as a strong, talented hockey player and person who has devoted his life to sports. It must have been in 1972, playing so fiercely against the Soviet team, Esposito could not have thought that in the future the Russian spirit would become so close to him.
Now Phil is keenly interested in Russian hockey. In 2015, he attended a friendly hockey match of the Wings of the Soviets team. In 2016, the meeting of the legendary Canadian forward with this club was held again. Phil Esposito in Wings of the Soviets saw real potential, and the young players managed to surprise him. Many were happy to meet with their idol, and the famous hockey player gave out a lot of autographs. However, young athletes were also able to notice that Esposito has absolutely no excessive pride, which is often inherent in sports stars, and it is kept very simple.
Phil Esposito not only remains a hockey legend, but to this day remains popular among fans around the world. In Toronto, his name is listed in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is a worthy example for all lovers of professional hockey and, most importantly, for his grandchildren who dream of repeating the achievements of the famous grandfather.