Time & Perspective Quote by Curtis Joseph

Name-dropping Tony Esposito here isnt casual nostalgia; its an act of hockey citizenship. Curtis Joseph is talking like a working pro who understands how reputations are built in this sport: not just on stats, but on lineage. The phrase "mentioned in the same breath" is doing heavy lifting. It frames comparison as something almost accidental, like the speaker didnt ask for it, which is exactly the point. Joseph signals humility while still accepting the compliment. In athlete-speak, thats the cleanest way to acknowledge status without sounding like youre campaigning for it.

The little hedge "for whatever reason" is even sharper. It suggests Joseph knows how arbitrary these comparisons can be: a milestone, a single game, a franchise record, a vibe. Hes not pretending every parallel is earned on equal terms. That realism makes the praise feel more credible, and it protects him from the vanity trap. He can honor Esposito without inviting a debate about who was actually better.

Context matters because Esposito isnt just any former goalie; he represents a particular Chicago-era mythology: the mask, the swagger, the big-stage saves, the idea of the goaltender as a star. By calling him an idol, Joseph places himself in a generational relay of influence and aesthetics. Its reverence, but also positioning: Joseph aligns his own career with a classic model of greatness, signaling to fans and media that being compared to Esposito isnt marketing noise. Its the sport remembering its own canon, and letting Joseph borrow a little of that glow.