Mike Bossy

Paulie Knep
Love of Sports Correspondent

Mike Bossy was one of the greatest snipers in NHL history.

During his 10 seasons with the New York Islanders, he terrorized goaltenders with a powerful and accurate shot which he triggered in rapid-fire from anywhere on the ice.

Despite scoring 309 goals in four seasons of junior hockey, Bossy dropped in the 1977 NHL Draft, because he was perceived as a one dimensional player who didn’t play defense. When Islanders general manager Bill Torrey asked coach Al Arbour what he thought of Bossy, Arbour said that he could teach a player to play defense, but natural scoring ability Bossy possessed couldn’t be taught.

The Islanders selected Bossy with the 15th overall pick.

The confident right-winger became an immediate star in the NHL. Prior to his rookie season,
he told Torrey he’d score 50 goals that year, and he made good on his promise, rippling the twine a then-rookie record 53 times. He was rewarded with the Calder Trophy for the Rookie of the Year.

Over the next several seasons, “Boss” teamed up with Bryan Trottier and Clark Gillies to form the most productive line in hockey and led the Islanders to a remarkable four consecutive Stanley Cup titles from 1980-1983. The Isles returned to the Cup Finals for a fifth consecutive season in 1984, but lost to the Edmonton Oilers.

Bossy scored 17 playoff goals in three consecutive seasons (from 1981-1983), a mark which has never been duplicated, and he was the 1982 recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs. He scored the series winning goals in the Stanley Cup Finals in both 1982 and 1983.

During the 1980-81 season, Bossy scored 50 goals in the Islanders’ first 50 games, a feet which had only been accomplished once before, by the great Maurice “Rocket” Richard in 1945. As he approached the highly publicized milestone, Bossy didn’t shy away from the publicity. He openly boasted that he would reach it. He later revealed that this was the individual achievement of his career he is most proud of. He finished the season with 68 goals.

As his career progressed, Bossy developed into the complete player Arbour thought he could be. In 1982, he set a record for the most assists and points in a season by a right-winger, with 83 and 147, respectively (Jaromir Jagr broke those marks in 1995-1996 with 87 assists and 149 points).

Bossy won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship three times as well. He strongly believed there was no place for violence in the game of hockey and that fighting should be abolished from the sport. Eventually, the violent nature of the game ended his career prematurely.

Bossy scored over 50 goals in each of his first nine seasons and remains the only player in NHL history to score 50 or more in nine consecutive seasons. His streak came to an end during the 1986-87 season, when against doctors advice he continued to play with a badly injured back. He still managed to score 38 goals in just 63 games, but was forced to retire after the season at 30 years old.

Bossy totaled 573 goals and 553 assists in his brilliant career, as well as 85 goals and 160 points in 129 playoff games. He was named a first-team All-Star five times and a second-team All-Star three other times. He joined Wayne Gretzky as the only two players to score at least 60 goals in five different seasons.

The Islanders of the early ‘80s don’t receive the credit they deserve for winning four consecutive Stanley Cup titles. When people discuss the greatest hockey teams of all-time, they’re often an afterthought to the Canadians of the late-‘60s/early-‘70s and the Edmonton Oilers of the mid-‘80s.

Bossy’s place in hockey history, like the championship teams he played for, is often overlooked. His career goal total doesn’t stack up with the likes of Gretzky or Brett Hull, because his career was cut short by injury, but he scored more goals per game (.762) than any player in NHL history.

Ask any goaltender who faced the deadly assassin, and they’ll tell you that Mike Bossy may have been the greatest natural goal scorer to ever play the game.

That’s why we’re showing Mike Bossy some Old School Love today!