Angelo Esposito

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Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
Height Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg/12 st 12 lb)
NHL Team (P) Cur. team	Atlanta Thrashers Montreal Junior Hockey Club (QMJHL)
Nationality	Canada
Born	February 20, 1989 (1989-02-20) (age 19), Montréal, PQ, CAN
NHL Draft	20th overall, 2007 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pro career	TBD – present

Angelo Esposito (born February 20, 1989, in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian ice hockey player who currently plays for the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL. On June 22nd 2007, the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him twentieth overall in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. On February 26th, 2008, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him along with forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen and a first-round draft pick in 2008 to the Atlanta Thrashers for forwards Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis. On June 7th, 2008, the Quebec Remparts traded Esposito to the Montreal Junior.

[edit] Playing career

Esposito's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), career started in controversy. He was considered a possible first overall draft choice in the QMJHL, but told all general managers that he would never play in the QMJHL, but instead for the NCAA. Just minutes before the Val d'Or Foreurs draft choice, the Quebec Remparts announced that they had traded several players and draft choices to get the Foreurs' draft pick, which was slated at eleventh overall. Despite his overwhelming talent and potential, Esposito was passed over by QMJHL general managers because of his previous announcement that he would play in the collegiate system. He was subsequently drafted by the Remparts. A couple weeks later, Esposito and the Remparts agreed to an arrangement, allowing him to play for them the next year.

After showing impressive numbers in the pre-season, Esposito was granted a place on the team, centering the first line. Esposito scored in his first regular season game on his very first shift against the Rimouski Oceanic. In first half of the season, Esposito was selected QMJHL top rookie of the month two times and the offensive player of the week once.

After playing at the Under-17 World Junior Hockey Championship as the captain of Team Quebec, Esposito's offensive production slowed. Esposito was assigned to the third line where he could play without getting the pressure which he had on the first line. He finished the 2005–2006 season with 98 points, the second-best total for rookie, behind Claude Giroux. Along with wings Mathieu Melanson (86 points) and Alexander Radulov (152 points), the Remparts first line was the most productive scoring line in the entire QMJHL. That year, Esposito and the Remparts won the Memorial Cup.

Esposito was originally slated to be a possible first-overall pick in the NHL entry draft, but he ended up dropping to twentieth and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins. On February 26th, 2008, the Penguins traded him to the Atlanta Thrashers along with Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, and a first-round draft pick in 2008 for Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis.

[edit] International play

Played for Team Quebec in:

• 2006 World U-17 hockey challenge
  • was named Captain
  • won gold medal

Played for Team Canada in:

• 2006 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament (U-18 World Juniors)
  • was named Captain
  • won gold medal

[edit] Award

QMJHL

Player of the week

• Week 2: 2005–09–26 to 2005–10–02

Rookie of the month

• October 2005
• November 2005

Trophy

• Michel Bergeron Trophy (offensive rookie): 2006
• QMJHL Rookie All-Star Team - 2006

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] Trivia

• Angelo Esposito is not related to former NHL players Phil and Tony Esposito. He does however have uncles named Phil and Tony Esposito, and wears number 7 on his jersey, the same number as Phil Esposito[1]

• He attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's School in Faribault, Minnesota for two years, the same school that Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise, and many other college and NHLers attended.

• Angelo Esposito's birthday (February 20) is the same as former NHL star Phil Esposito, though these two players are not related.

[edit] External links

• Angelo Esposito's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database