Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy was a renowned Canadian ice hockey player, born on January 22, 1957, in Montreal, Quebec. He gained fame as a right winger for the New York Islanders, where he became known for his exceptional goal-scoring abilities and unique playing style. Bossy's early life was heavily influenced by his father's aspirations for him to become a professional hockey player, leading to a career marked by impressive achievements, including four consecutive Stanley Cup Championships from 1980 to 1983.
Despite facing challenges during his transition to the NHL, including initial homesickness and the physicality of junior hockey, Bossy quickly established himself as a top player. He set numerous records, such as being the first player to score at least 50 goals in nine consecutive seasons and maintaining a remarkable goals-per-game average. His skillful play, characterized by lightning-quick wrist shots and strategic positioning, earned him multiple awards, including the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship.
After retiring due to chronic back issues in 1988, Bossy transitioned into media and remained involved in hockey as an analyst. Tragically, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and passed away on April 15, 2022. Bossy's legacy endures in the NHL, where he is remembered as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Mike Bossy
- Born: January 22, 1957
- Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Died: April 14, 2022
Sport: Ice hockey
Early Life
Michael Dean Bossy, the sixth of Borden and Dorothy Bossy’s ten children, was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on January 22, 1957. Mike’s father, a Ukrainian immigrant to Canada, and his mother, an Englishwoman, met and married in England during World War II. Eventually, they settled into an apartment in a predominantly French section of Montreal. Mike’s father was dedicated to molding his sons into professional hockey players—he built a hockey rink in the family’s backyard before Mike was born. When Mike was two months old, his father gave him a toy hockey stick. By the time Mike was three years old, his father had him fitted into skates and had him walk up and down the hall to strengthen his ankles. From the time Mike could remember, he knew that someday he was to play for the National Hockey League (NHL). Only one of his five brothers got as far as an NHL tryout.
The Road to Excellence
By the age of six, Mike was the best hockey player among the Mites of Montreal’s St. Alphonse Parish. Later, as a Peewee, he scored 170 goals in forty games. His first major award came at the age of twelve, when he was inducted into the Minor Hockey Hall of Fame. That winter, he went to France with the St. Alphonse team, one of two provincial finalists invited to a four-team tournament.
In 1971, when Mike was fourteen, the Bossy family, prompted by the Laval Nationals’ coach, decided to move from Montreal to nearby Laval so that Mike would be eligible for the Laval Nationals team and could live at home during his upcoming junior hockey years. When Mike was sixteen, he joined the Laval Nationals of the Quebec Junior Hockey League. Shocked by the physical violence he found in Junior A’s, Mike concentrated on scoring. During his four years of Junior A, he scored 309 goals, had 221 assists, made the all-star team three times, and led the league in goals once. However, he neglected another important aspect of the game—playing defensively and checking. As a result, in the first round of the 1977 NHL draft, fourteen teams ignored him before the New York Islanders, an expansion club desperate for a scorer, chose him. Probably no other junior player with such outstanding offensive statistics ever found himself in such a poor draft position as did Mike in 1977.
The Emerging Champion
The adjustment into the NHL was almost too much for Mike, who had never lived away from home. Shy and unsure, he had trouble adapting until teammate Bryan Trottier eased the situation by inviting Mike to stay at his home. Later, Mike’s wife also stayed temporarily with the Trottiers until the Bossys located housing. Mike and Trottier became close friends. Meanwhile, the New York Islanders, looking for a winning combination for the 1977–1978 season, put right wing Mike on a forward line with center Trottier and left wing Clark Gillies. The linemates clicked immediately. With Trottier as playmaker, Gillies as cornerman, and Mike as scorer, the three quickly became the most formidable scoring line in the NHL. Sportswriters began referring to them as “The Trio Grande.” Mike also lived up to his potential by scoring a rookie record of 53 goals with 38 assists his first season to pick up the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. He went on to amass 100 and 200 goals in fewer games than anyone had before.
In 1980, the New York Islanders won the Stanley Cup Championship for the first of four successive years. The following season, Mike led the league with 68 goals. He scored 50 of those goals in the first fifty games, tying the unofficial record set by Maurice “Rocket” Richard in 1944–1945. On October 27, 1981, the Islanders signed Mike to a seven-year contract worth an estimated $4.5 million, making him the highest paid player in NHL history at that time.
Continuing the Story
Mike, a consistently prolific scorer, was the first to score at least 50 goals per season for nine consecutive seasons, from 1977–1978 to 1985–1986. Despite a painful back condition, he managed 38 goals in his tenth and final season, 1986–1987. Mike’s major contribution to the Islanders was his goal-scoring ability. His strong asset was his quick wrists: He could get a shot off so quickly that goalies had no time to prepare. Also, he seemed to know instinctively where to shoot the puck without looking up. He also had a knack for skating within close shooting range in front of the goal. Darting in and out of that area, he could catch opponents and goalies off guard while getting into position for passes and rebounds.
Always the pacifist, Mike was the first NHL player to publicly denounce the role of fighting in hockey. He was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy for the most gentlemanly and sportsmanlike conduct three times, in 1983, 1984, and 1986. Other honors included the Conn Smythe Trophy and selection to the first or second all-star team eight times during his ten years with the NHL.
Forced to retire prematurely in 1988, because of a chronic back problem, Mike moved his family to Quebec, where he read the sporting news in the morning for CKOI-FM, a French-language radio station. Later, Mike became the cohost of Quebec’s top-rated morning show. Mike was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991, on the strength of his 573 career goals and four Stanley Cup championships with the Islanders. In 2006, he was hired by the Islanders for a front-office position. In 2014, Bossy became a hockey analyst for MSG Network, a regional sports media channel that covered New York sports teams.
Bossy announced in October 2021 that he had be diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed away on April 15, 2022. At the time of his death, Bossy held several NHL records, including most consecutive 50+ goal seasons (9) and highest career goals-per-game average (.762 goals per game, minimum 200 career games). Additionally, Bossy shared the record for most 60+ goal seasons with hockey legend Wayne Gretzky (5).
Summary
Mike Bossy was proof that a skillful hockey player can make it in the NHL without resorting to violent physicality. He succeeded by expanding upon his natural talents. Already one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, Mike developed a style that enabled him to elude rather than have to confront opponents. He knew where to shoot instinctively and perfected his lightning-quick wrist shot to enhance his advantage. Upon his retirement, he was regarded by many as being among the greatest hockey players of all time.
Bibliography
Cazeneuve, Brian. “Mike Bossy, Islanders Sharpshooter.” Sports Illustrated 91, no. 13 (1999).
Farber, Michael. “Mike Bossy.” Sports Illustrated 103, no. 2 (July 11, 2005): 150.
Fisher, Luke. “Mike Bossy.” Maclean’s 112, no. 12 (1999).
Goldstein, Richard. “Mike Bossy, Hall of Famer on Champion Islander Teams, Dies at 65.” The New York Times, 15 Apr. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/sports/hockey/mike-bossy-dead.html. Accessed 2 Sept. 2022.
McDonell, Chris. For the Love of Hockey: Hockey Stars’ Personal Stories. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Firefly Books, 2004.
“Mike Bossy.” Sport 90, no. 3 (1999).
Wigge, Larry. “Not Just a Shot in the Dark.” Sporting News 225, no. 2 (January 8, 2001): 44-46.