Hall of Fame forward Mike Bossy has died after a battle with lung cancer, the New York Islanders confirmed on Friday. He was 65.
An eight-time All-Star and four-time Stanley Cup winner (1980-83) with the Islanders, Bossy recorded 1,126 points (573 goals, 553 assists) in 752 career games. He spent his entire 10-season NHL career with the team.
“The New York Islanders organization mourns the loss of Mike Bossy, an icon not only on Long Island but across the entire hockey world,” Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “His drive to be the best every time he stepped on the ice was second to none. Along with his teammates, he helped win four straight Stanley Cup championships, shaping the history of this franchise forever. On behalf of the entire organization, we send our deepest condolences to the entire Bossy family and all those who grieve this tragic loss.”
Bossy announced last October that he had been diagnosed with the disease. The illness forced him to step away from his analyst job at Canada’s TVA Sports and he reportedly entered palliative care earlier this month.
Bossy won the 1978 Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year, and the 1982 Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. He also was a three-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy recipient (1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86).
His career average of 0.76 goals per game is the highest in NHL history, just ahead of Mario Lemieux (0.75). Bossy is the only player ever to record nine straight 50-goal seasons and one of two players, along with Wayne Gretzky, to score 60 or more goals in five seasons.
“Though containing him was the obsession of opposing coaches and checking him the focus of opposing players, Bossy’s brilliance was unstoppable and his production relentless throughout his entire career,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
“Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Lucie, their daughters, Josiane and Tanya, his former Islanders teammates and his countless fans on Long Island, the New York metropolitan area and throughout the hockey world. He thrilled fans like few others.”
A chronic back injury forced Bossy to retire following the 1986-87 season. The Montreal native was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
–Field Level Media
