Phil Esposito's Revenge

Keep your camera trained on any star player returning to face his or her former team.

New York Rangers’ forward and former Boston Bruin star Phil Esposito (L) raises his stick in celebration after scoring his fourth goal of the game past Bruin goalie Jim Pettie to pace the Rangers to a 7-4 win in Boston (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:

Revenge by a player who was traded is a great storyline for fans and the media, but one that doesn’t often play out successfully.  When former Bruin Phil Esposito returned to Boston as a member of the New York Rangers, his current team was having a very successful year, but the Bruins were not.  “Espo’s” return and possible revenge was seemingly all that was discussed in Boston during the days prior to the game, though he had been traded a while before.  I positioned myself at center ice with my 300MM lens so I could easily photograph the entire ice rink and both teams’ goals.  Esposito got his revenge by scoring four goals and leading his Ranger team to victory against his former Bruin club.  Whenever Esposito was on the ice, I kept my camera focused on him, but other players blocked my view of his first three goals.  On this last one, I had a clear view, as both a happy Esposito and the dejected Bruin goalie gave me contrasting reactions as the puck lay in the net.  This was another “victor and vanquished” photo, but it was far more significant because it told the story of a player’s triumph when returning to face his former team.

3 Tips:

1) The return of a traded player is a great storyline and terrific photo opportunity.

2) Concentrate on photographing almost everything the returning player does during the game because you are likely to see emotion if the player does exact some revenge.

3) The best photo is of the returning player looking happy or celebrating, even better if his former teammates look sad or dejected in the same image.  

You Can’t Have It

While hockey action around the goal is photographed most often, a player carrying the puck with an opponent in close pursuit provides a more unusual shot.

Boston Bruins’ defenseman Ray Bourque (7) rounds his net with the puck, but falls to one knee as he is pursued by Hartford Whalers’ forward Bernie Johnston (24) as Bruin goalie Gerry Cheevers (30) watches (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:

Ray Bourque was the Boston Bruins' best player for many years, and the defensive end of the ice was his responsibility.  He was one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League at moving the puck out of his end, so I was trying to photograph Bourque to convey his role and contribution to the Bruins’ success. At one point in this game, the Hartford Whalers were putting constant pressure on the Boston goal, and most of the Bruins kept throwing the puck out of their end off the side boards.  None of the checking along the boards had been great pictures, but on this play, Bourque took charge and tried to carry the puck out himself as the Hartford forwards bumped him, but even as he fell to one knee, he managed to pass the puck up ice to a Bruin teammate.  Bourque carrying the puck on one knee was a far superior shot than him merely being checked against the boards.

3 Tips:

1) Players fighting for puck possession make very strong hockey photos.

2) Puck possession photos are frequently collisions and skirmishes along the side boards.

3) Look also for players carrying the puck as they are being pursued or checked.

“Take That, Great One”

Hockey body checks provide great picture opportunities with players being knocked off their feet and into the air.

Boston Bruins forward Steve Kasper (11, left) checks Edmonton superstar Wayne Gretzky into the air, but Gretzky’s Oilers inflicted the biggest hurt by defeating the Bruins (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
Body checks can often provide outstanding hockey photos as one player gets knocked in the air or to the ice. Boston Bruins forward Steve Kasper made his career out of being a strong defensive forward, and he was renowned for his ability to shadow and control Edmonton Oiler superstar Wayne Gretzky, who scored very few points in his career when facing Kasper. Shooting from above ice level, I watched Kasper and Gretzky throughout this game, but shadowing a superstar does not typically make great photographs, for Gretzky usually was too fast and agile to be body-checked. On this play, Gretzky was racing down ice after a loose puck, no doubt hoping to break in quickly and put the puck into the Boston net. However, Kasper saw him coming and stuck out his hip, while Gretzky was still looking elsewhere. When they made contact, Gretzky was knocked into the air, and I timed my photo perfectly. Had I been at ice level, the photo would have been stronger because Gretzky would have seemed to be higher in the air off the ice surface.

3 Tips:
1) Body checks provide strong photos of players being knocked into the air or to the ice.
2) Follow the players who have consistently been tough checkers.
3) Also watch the fastest skaters, who are frequently the target for opponents looking to check and slow them down.

Salute to Number 4

Professional athletes often control their emotions, so it's challenging to convey the sentiment when they are being honored.

Former Boston Bruins hockey star Bobby Orr thanks the fans during pre-game ceremony retiring his number and raising it to the Boston Garden ceiling (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).



The Photo:
Bobby Orr was one of the most revered athletes in professional sports, especially in Boston. He was that rare combination of being the best player in his sport and an approachable, modest person, whose career unfortunately ended early from knee injuries. When his number was to be retired before an exhibition game against the Soviet National team, the photographic media massed onto the ice to cover the festivities. The pre-game retirement ceremony was long, and good pictures were tough to get. Orr didn’t stand near the banner with his name and number that the Bruins were hoisting to the rafters, and he worked hard to hold back his emotions, so photographers struggled to find one definitive image summarizing the moment. I shot Orr speaking to the crowd, joking with the current Bruins’ players, interacting with his wife, and biting his lip to hold back tears, and the strongest photos were the close-ups of him, even without visible tears, for he did occasionally let the happiness show. The best photo came when he put on a Bruins jersey, so we could photograph a happy Bobby Orr smiling in the uniform he had starred in for so many years.

3 Tips:
1) When a superstar’s number is retired, the player typically displays some tears or emotional sentiment.
2) The ideal photo has the player showing emotion adjacent to the uniform number before it raised to the ceiling.
3) If the player is too stoic to show emotion, look for a close up of the player smiling or waving to the spectators.