Earlier this month, the hockey world lost legendary goalie Tony Esposito to pancreatic cancer. He was 78.

Esposito, aka Tony O, is known to most of the hockey world as the NHL legend for the Chicago Blackhawks, but Michigan Tech fans knew of his greatness long before Esposito arrived in the Windy City.

Based on his supreme body of work in Houghton from 1964 to 1967, Esposito became the greatest goalie in Michigan Tech history. Eposito’s time at Tech—a three-time All-American who led the Huskies to the 1965 NCAA title—cemented his status as a college hockey immortal.

Michigan Tech goalie Tony Esposito with the MacNaughton Cup, 1965 #TonyO pic.twitter.com/lsbGvZ7BHC

— Jen (@NHLhistorygirl) August 10, 2021

His glory days at Tech preceded a 15-year NHL stint with the Blackhawks, a career launched by the greatest rookie campaign an NHL goalie ever enjoyed in 1969-70: 15 shutouts while leading the Hawks to first place overall.

At the completion of that season, Esposito was honored with both the Calder and Vezina Trophies as rookie of the year and top goalie, respectively. It was the first of five straight All-Star appearances for one of Chicago’s favorite athletes, but according to Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz, Esposito’s playing career was merely a first act.

“His career with the Blackhawks actually encompassed two marvelous chapters,” Wirtz said in a statement.

Once Esposito retired from the Blackhawks as a player in 1984, he joined the club as an ambassador.

“He was born for the role,” Wirtz said. “He reached out to fans, sponsors and friends of our team. He rejected thousands of pucks in his first job, he never said no in in his second.”

Esposito’s greatness had another sweeping effect. In the 1960s and 70s college hockey players were considered second class citizens compared to Canadian juniors in terms of their NHL potential.

But along with Red Berenson, Keith Magnuson and a handful of others, Esposito represented the first wave of NCAA players to take a star’s turn in the NHL. This helped legitimize college hockey in the eyes of the world’s greatest league.  

Esposito teamed with college rival Magnuson (University of Denver), to help turn America’s third-largest market into a thriving hockey Mecca.

The late Magnuson’s son Kevin learned of the Hawks glory days of the 1970’s at his father’s side.

“Growing up in Chicago after the great years my dad and Tony spent together, the old Chicago Stadium was the place to be for Chicago sports,” the younger Magnuson said.

Although Esposito and Magnuson led the Hawks to the Stanley Cup Finals twice in three years, the legendary Esposito never hoisted hockey’s holy grail, a painful fact he never forgot.

Esposito did, however, enjoy the greatest international victory outside the Olympics. Alongside his brother Phil, a fellow Hall of Famer, Tony helped Team Canada defeat the Soviet Union in the epic 1972 Summit Series.

NCAA champion, NHL Hall of Famer and Canadian national team hero, Esposito is a hockey immortal whose legacy will live on forever.