Originally from Sault St. Marie, Ontario, goaltender Tony Esposito joined the Montreal organization as a free agent on Sept. 29, 1967. He made his NHL debut on Nov. 19, 1968 against the Oakland Seals when he stepped in to replace Rogatien Vachon. Esposito made his first official start one week later, on Dec. 5, against the Boston Bruins and his brother Phil Esposito. Tony “O”, as was his nickname, played a total of 13 games with the Habs, during which he posted a record of 5-4-4, including two shutouts. With the Canadiens already counting the likes of Gump Worsley, Vachon and a young prospect named Ken Dryden within their goaltending ranks, Esposito was ultimately left unprotected during the intra-league draft and was picked up by the Chicago Blackhawks on Jun. 11, 1969.

Esposito began enjoying success right out of the gate, winning both the Calder and Vezina trophies in his first full season in the league. In 15 campaigns with the Blackhawks, he added another two Vezinas, took part in six All-Star Games and went on to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.