I'm 35 now...

Another year, another birthday. Today I am 35 years old. Many, many years ago, 35 seemed like one of those long-off ages that I'd never hit. Well, these things happen if you live long enough. Looking both ways before crossing the street has paid off!

(Yeah, I know...this is a hockey and collectibles blog. I had a "personal blog" at one time, but I've pretty much abandoned it, so Puck Junk has become my de facto outlet for these sorts of things).

In continuing my tradition (Est. 2008) where I match my current age to a Blackhawks player's uniform number, there was only one guy to wear number 35 for the Indian-head sweater. That's right--this guy:

Tony Esposito, aka "Tony-O". Here is his 1968-69 OPC rookie card (more info about this).

Tony Esposito was not only the first and last guy to wear 35 for the Blackhawks, but he was the first goalie to wear a number higher than 30. (In his 15 games with Montreal the previous season, he wore 29). Before then, goalies only wore 1, 30, or a number somewhere in the 20s.

A few other Tony-O facts:

• When Esposito retired in 1984, he was the oldest player in the NHL at 41.
• During the 1972 Summit series between Canada and USSR, Esposito was the goalie for Canada's first win. He also had the lowest goals-allowed average in the series (between him, Ken Dryden and Vladislav Tretiak)
• His record of 15 shutouts for a rookie netminder still stands today
  
• Esposito played in the 1981 Canada Cup--for the Americans! By then, he had become a U.S. citizen.
• In 1988, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. That year, the Chicago Blackhawks retired his jersey number.

So, uh...hooray for being 35. And hooray for Tony Esposito.