Congratulations to Angelo Esposito for believing

Congratulations to Angelo Esposito for not giving up on himself when the whole world telling him to do exactly that...including his agent and his family were telling him not go try out again...in essense because they had already given up on him on ever making the WJC squad.

It showed a lot of courage and character to go to that try out camp. And furthermore, he kept on getting better as the tournament went on. It was great for Quinn to recognize that Dimenico and Esposito would complement Tavares with their speed and willingness to do the dirty work.

Also kudos to Pat Quinn for giving the young man a chance when it would have been really easy for him to listen to everyone else who were negative on Esposito.

Congratulations Angelo on a well deserved gold.

It must be a very rewarding gold medal after all these years!

Got the game winner in the gold medal game...who'da thunk it !!

Yeah, it was great not only to see Esposito finally make the team, but contribute like he did. Kudos to him for not giving up.

Yep, was a good job by Espo, and kudos to Quinn for believing in him.

I'm glad to see him finally make the team and have a big impact.

All I was hearing before the tournament that Esposito hadn't done anything to deserved to be asked back and was not improving as a player. He definitely proved people wrong with the tournament he had, and I see him as a very talented NHL prospect that could potentially have a big impact.

Such a feel good story this kid. I hope he can continue to prove all the doubters and make it as an NHL player.

Esposito looked pretty bad during the first few preliminaries but he showed his worth in the last 2 games.

Esposito looked pretty bad during the first few preliminaries but he showed his worth in the last 2 games.

I think that he's the polar opposite of players like Hodgson who have a knack for seeing developing plays. Espo is about one on one skills and speed. I don't think he has great vision but that doesn't take away from him being a good player. Good for him that he found ways to bring what he can do to the biggest games.

Definitely a feel good story and I'm happy that he got his chance and made good on it.

Reminiscent of a young Mike Eruzione

I must admit to eating some crow.

I called him Canada's worst player, earlier in the tournament, but he got better every game and was a big reason why we won Gold in the end. I'm glad he tried out and I'm glad they picked him!

hope he fires his agent if thats true

I think that he's the polar opposite of players like Hodgson who have a knack for seeing developing plays. Espo is about one on one skills and speed. I don't think he has great vision but that doesn't take away from him being a good player. Good for him that he found ways to bring what he can do to the biggest games.

I have been watching him this year and I think he has great vision. It didn't show in the WJCs because;

A) He was never used on the PP (and I still don't understand why)

B) He is not strong enough to dominate 5-on-5, especially when the opposition matches their top defensive line against yours (because of Tavares obviously)

The biggest knock on Esposito is his consistency issues, and the fact that he has to get stronger, he needs to bulk up and learn how to protect the puck down low.

He often showcases his great vision in the Q when the opposition is weaker. When he's hot, no one can stop his combination of speed, hockey sense and vision.

As for this thread, well I don't want to say I told you say, but...

Like I had predicted, with a big tournament, Esposito's stock is going to rise around the hockey world. You won't be hearing those 'boom or bust' and 'lazy floater' comments anymore. And rightfully so.

Hopefully now he comes back to Montreal with a mission and does what he's supposed to be doing, dominate the fricking Q on a nightly basis.

Really thought he could easily be a bust, pretty much everything was going against him. He didn't give up and gave it all he had. Very inspiring, nice to see him score 2 big goals in 2 big games.

I wanted to make this thread last night, but I figured it would get inundated with a select few Scandinavians complaining about Esposito holding a knife to the ref's throat or some other nonsense. I'm glad someone else made it in the meantime.

I hadn't seen Esposito play very much before this tournament, and the kid out there on the ice couldn't be farther away from the lazy, soft, floater that so many people were describing. He worked his ass off, forechecked, backchecked, hit, killed penalties, sacrificed for the team. He really did make good on his promise to do whatever it took and play whatever role they wanted him to play in order to help the team. I'm pretty happy for him, considering how badly people have been ******** all over him for the past while.

I was extremely happy to see the way Esposito played as the tournament progressed. He's proven that he can do a lot more than score. He was gritty, he was strong on the boards, he killed penalties...heck, he did everything asked of him, and more.

He provided the team a lot of energy throughout the tournament I thought. He layed some pretty big hits that surprised the hell out of me!

He provided the team a lot of energy throughout the tournament I thought. He layed some pretty big hits that surprised the hell out of me!

I really wonder if getting cut from previous teams might not be the best thing to ever happen to him?

For all the points he puts up in the QMJHL...I have never (and still don't) think he has what it takes to be a prolific top line NHL player.

However, he showed me (in a big time way) that he CAN be an effective grinder/role player.

If he makes ANY of the previous WJC rosters...it would be easy for him to mistake himself for a star/sniper and NOT do all the little things that he WAS doing in the last 2 or 3 games of THIS 2009 tournmament.

I think he now has a realistic type pf play that he can pursue and excel with at a higher level of hockey than the Q.

Reminiscent of a young Mike Eruzione

I wonder which one of them will have the better NHL career. :sarcasm:

Espo's tourney makes you wonder why he wasn't there earlier. Did he have bad camps? Not mature enough? He hasn't improved a lot since last year as far as his on ice play goes (from what I've seen) so I wonder what put him over the top?

People will probably credit his willingness to do anything to be a part of this team...and so would I.

Good for him though.

Thrashers fans woke up hopeful this morning.

If they get Tavares, added to Kovalchuk, Little and Esposito - there's potential on the top 6.

I must admit to eating some crow.

I called him Canada's worst player, earlier in the tournament, but he got better every game and was a big reason why we won Gold in the end. I'm glad he tried out and I'm glad they picked him!

Sorry, i saw the words "worst player" and thought this was a thread about Della Rovere :sarcasm:

But yeah, good job Espo....he's still a jerk for manipulating the Q draft though...

as a selfish pens fan, i'd like to think he's a bust so the pens won't regret the hossa deal. however, i'll admit i was impressed by him during the pens 2007 training camp. after seeing him play then i was pretty surprised everyone thought he wouldn't make it. good luck to him.

Welcome to the ice your 2009-2010 Atlanta Thrashers!

Kovalchuk Tavares Esposito
Kozlov White Little

And terrible team defense!!!

:)

I hadn't seen Esposito play very much before this tournament, and the kid out there on the ice couldn't be farther away from the lazy, soft, floater that so many people were describing. He worked his ass off, forechecked, backchecked, hit, killed penalties, sacrificed for the team. He really did make good on his promise to do whatever it took and play whatever role they wanted him to play in order to help the team. I'm pretty happy for him, considering how badly people have been ******** all over him for the past while.


Double. I expected the guy to float around for a bit and then sit on the bench. He worked hard and displayed some nice skills in the process. Good for him for sticking with it, despite his numerous setbacks. Shows character.

Like the song goes... DON'T STOP BELIEVING!

Reminiscent of a young Mike Eruzione

Mike Eruzione...now there's a name that I haven't heard in a while.

But I seem to remember Eruzione as a checker and the captain on the Miracle on Ice 1980 US Olympic team...okay, I guess Esposito was some times used as checking forward during this tournament...but are you saying that he is a future captain material? Hmmm...maybe he is after what happened in this year's WJC.

Mike Eruzione...now there's a name that I haven't heard in a while.

But I seem to remember Eruzione as a checker and the captain on the Miracle on Ice 1980 US Olympic team...okay, I guess Esposito was some times used as checking forward during this tournament...but are you saying that he is a future captain material? Hmmm...maybe he is after what happened in this year's WJC.

I think he means in the sense that Eruzione was expected, and I believe even told, that he had no shot.

I think he means in the sense that Eruzione was expected, and I believe even told, that he had no shot.

Winner!:D

You see Esposito wink at the camera during the national anthem? It's almost as if he was saying: "It was well worth the wait." I'll admit I misjudged him badly prior to this tournament. I will now put to bed the stigma I had against him not working hard or having a bad attitude

Very impressed with his tourney, and he seems to have matured very well as a young man as well. I saw highlights of his phone call home to his dad, and you could see how happy he was. Can't imagine how hard those few years of being cut, and taking a major drop in the draft, and being doubted were on his entire family, which seems pretty grounded.

I also enjoyed his arriving back in Montreal via the train. Don't see that too often. Can't predict the future, but he certainly does seem to be on the right track now. Rest of the year in Montreal will be important to keep his momentum from this tournament.

I always figured Angelo Esposito was a small-town girl.

Esposito's speed was noticable in every game. What surprised me the most, was his outright talent. The kid has lots of hockey IQ. The only problem I see for him in his future development is the need to get stronger on his skates in the corners. He has a tendency to fall down lots. But that's nothing age and training cannot take care of.

Any and all supposed attitude problems with Esposito should be put to rest.

Esposito was awesome! He has a lot of talent the only thing if I was him is to work on his physical game.