Remembering Tony Esposito
from Dave Stubbs of NHL.com,
The news of Tony Esposito's death Tuesday hit with the force of a Bobby Hull slap shot. And then the memories rushed with the speed of a Stan Mikita sprint up the ice at Chicago Stadium.
There were thoughts of Tony O's iconic fiberglass mask, something he was forever proud of -- scratched, dented and chipped across a decade and a half with the Chicago Black Hawks. Made in 1969 on the workbench of a Quebec plant owned and operated by the great Jacques Plante, it was creatively modified by Tony's hands with a carpenter's file, screwdriver, bolts and bars to cage the eyes.
There were Tony's cufflinks that he wore on his monogrammed shirts, tiny silver replicas of his mask.
It was Tony at United Center, where we arrived not at the entrance for the luxury suites, but at the employees' gate, a legend greeting long-time friends by name -- parking-lot attendants, security guards, popcorn vendors and ushers.
One of Chicago's hugely popular ambassadors, Tony was headed up to the corporate suites, where for the night he would sign autographs, pose for photos and tell decades-old stories, a fresh spin on each tale for every listener.
"I'm going to work, so we use the employees' entrance," he said, straightening his tie as he needlessly cleared security. "Besides, these are my kind of people."
continued (recommended read)...
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