Michigan Tech to honor alumnus and hockey great Tony Esposito

Michigan Technological University will honor the late alumnus Tony Esposito with the school’s highest award, the Board of Trustees Silver Medal.

The medal is given to those whose personal and professional achievements set an outstanding example for Michigan Tech graduates. Esposito was a graduate of the Class of 1967.

Esposito, who grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario before enrolling at MTU, helped revolutionize hockey by being one of the founding fathers of the butterfly technique. A now staple in stopping shots, the butterfly technique helps flare the goalie pads towards the corners of the net, allowing the netminder to drop to their knees quickly while still being able to use their glove, blocker and stick.

Michigan Technological UniversityPrevious stand-up techniques allowed goalies to see the ice better but opened up the areas of the goal closest to the ice and often allowed easy rebound shots for opposing offenses. 

The style helped make Esposito into one of the greatest goalies of the era. He won a NCAA championship with Michigan Tech in 1965, a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1969, three Vezina trophies with Chicago Blackhawks as the NHL’s top goaltender and played for both Team Canada and Team USA in international contests.

In 1998, he was ranked 79 on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and had his number retired by the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Taking the original butterfly approaches by Glenn Hall, Esposito’s development with the butterfly helped further how goalies' position in the crease. His work changed how scorers took their shots on goal, resulting in more players shooting higher at the net to try and beat out a quick glove or sneak the puck under the blocker.

Esposito paved the way for both highly physical goalies like Ed Belfour and Patrick Roy as well as hybrid goalies like Dominic Hasek and Martin Brodeur, making the butterfly a commonplace in the sport.

Esposito was also known for his savvy business sense, which he gained through a business management degree at Michigan Tech. While playing, he was voted as president of the NHL Players Association, promoting many of the player benefits standard in collective bargaining contracts in leagues across the world. After his playing time, Esposito served in administrative roles with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The mix of Esposito’s innovation, success and practicality in the sport is why he was such an appealing candidate to the Silver Medal committee.

“While Tony 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.”

Esposito passed away in 2021. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, also from Sault Ste. Marie, and their two sons, Mark and Jason.

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 on Friday, Jan. 24.

“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," Mark Esposito said. "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.’”