This Day in Hockey History – March 26, 1980 – Tony O’s Great Eight

There is a mystique that surrounds goaltenders. Many hockey observers wonder what makes a player elect to have pucks shot at him and since the era of the goaltender’s mask, even his face is obscured from the fans throughout the game. Today’s goaltenders get head bumps from their teammates after a game, however in 1980 when Tony Esposito was frustrating the Blackhawks opposition, a win meant stick taps to his shins and backside

“The Black Hawks staggered into Quebec Coliseum and swaggered out,” wrote Chicago Tribune’s Neil Milbert. “They were skating in their fourth arena in five nights Wednesday, so figured to be weary. They were minus their best defenseman, Doug Wilson, out with a bruised right ankle. They had played their worst defensive game of the season the previous night in Montreal.”

Such was the emotion surrounding the Hawks as they were about to take on the Quebec Nordiques on March 26, 1980.

Originally Tony Esposito was scheduled to get the night off, having played in the previous three games, including what turned out to be an ugly 8-4 loss to the Canadiens the previous night. Instead, backup goaltender Mike Veisor was supposed to be guarding the crease. He had last played 20 games prior when the Black Hawks beat Colorado 4-2. After insisting that his father—who had been critically ill and was now worsening—would want him to play, Veisor discovered upon arrival in Montreal that his father had passed away. He was immediately given leave to fly to Toronto and Esposito was given a one-way ticket back between the pipes.

When the puck dropped on the game in Quebec it was safe to say Chicago was perhaps lacking a bit in confidence. By the end of the first period though, there was no question who the better team was. The Black Hawks managed to score four goals in the opening frame. Ron Sedlbauer got things going at 4:16. Then, while the Nordiques’ James Hislop sat for tripping, Mike O’Connell put up a power play goal at 8:07, with the secondary assist going to Sedlbauer. At 17:45 Tom Lyslak put the Hawks ahead by three and in what was becoming a bit of a pattern, one of the assists—this time the primary—went to O’Connell. Finally, with just 32 seconds remaining, and the teams playing four-on-four, Greg Fox notched the fourth goal, and yes, the cascade continued as Lyslak got the primary assist.

The Black Hawks showed no indication of slowing down when they returned to the ice for the second period. Despite Quebec being on the man advantage as Hawks defenseman Bob Murray sat for delay of the game, Alain Daigle potted the short hander, while captain Terry Ruskowski got his second assist of the game at 7:19. Ted Bulley, unassisted, gave the Hawks their sixth marker at 14:26. As the teams headed off to the dressing rooms for the second intermission, Esposito was on his way to his seventh shutout of the season.

Quebec’s Marc Tardif put an end to the potential shutout when he got his 26th goal of the season and finally put the Nordiques on the scoresheet just 45 seconds into the third. Grant Mulvey put the Black Hawks back up by six goals, when his unassisted shot at 15:46 found the back of the net. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Reginald Thomas gave the Nordiques their second goal of the game.

After the game, in which Esposito stopped 29 of the 31 shots he saw, he wasn’t letting himself off the hook—even though his team had the win. “I can play better than I did tonight,” he said.

Not everyone agreed with his assessment.

“Tony Esposito may be the key to the much-improved Chicago Black Haws’ playoff hopes,” reported the Kenosha News. “The 12-year veteran goalie turned in a characteristically fine performance in the Chicago nets Wednesday night, kicking out 29 of 31 drives.”

While yes, it was certainly an impressive game for the Black Hawks, what went unreported was that with that win Tony Esposito became the first goaltender in NHL history to get eight 30-goal win seasons. His first seven were consecutive, beginning with his first season as a Black Hawk during the 1969-70 season and continuing through the 1975-76 season. And yet none of this was mentioned the day after the game. Why?

Dave Isreal, columnist of The Minneapolis Star, had his own theory about this.

“After all these years, Tony Esposito remains Chicago’s greatest civic sporting enigma, even while he thrives as the city’s most durable and successful athlete. Were he as skilled at playing baseball, football, basketball, or even left wing, Tony Esposito would own this town. But because he is a goaltender—and why in the world would any 6-year-old aspire to be a flesh and blood target?—Tony Esposito merely works here.”

The unsung hero to be sure. During his 12 years with Chicago up to that point, the Hawks had made a meteoric rise in their division from their last place standing the year before Esposito’s arrival. Over the previous 11 seasons, with Esposito’s help, the team finished first eight time, second once and third twice. They made the playoffs every year.

While the 1979-80 season was Esposito’s eighth 30-goal win season, it would unfortunately be his last to get 30, or more, wins for the Black Hawks. He went on to play four more seasons with the team, missing that 30-win mark by just one win during the 1980-81 season, before retiring in 1984. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.

Additional Sources:

• Neil Milbert, “Veisor happy dad saw him at best,“ Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), Thursday, March 27, 1980, Section 4, p. 1.
• Neil Milbert, “Hawks find perfect cure in Quebec,” Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), Thursday, March 27, 1980, Section 4, p. 1.
• “Esposito inspires Hawks,” Kenosha News (Kenosha, Wisconsin), Thursday, March 27, 1980, p. 28.
• David Israel, “Despite change, Esposito still the best,” The Minneapolis Star (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Tuesday, April 8, 1980, p. 7C.