RIP Mike Bossy

Ale Xander

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RIP Mike. One of the best pure scorers of any era.

I shared his thoughts about fighting in hockey.
 

Leather

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RIP.

I can't think of a dynasty that gets so little attention as those Islanders teams. I'm always kind of surprised when I look back at it.
 

Was (Not Wasdin)

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I didnt like the Islanders because they ended the Bruins' season a couple of times on the way to their 4 Stanley Cups, but his talent was undeniable. He's still first all time in goals per game.
 

jon abbey

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I was so into those Islanders teams growing up, their four straight titles were when I was 12-15. I haven't paid much attention to hockey since, but that team was incredible, always finding a way to win somehow and Bossy was their best scorer. Dunno if this is true but Wikipedia says:

"Their 19 consecutive playoff series wins between 1980 and 1984 is a feat that remains unparalleled in the history of professional sports."

RIP, sir.
 

Leather

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I was so into those Islanders teams growing up, their four straight titles were when I was 12-15. I haven't paid much attention to hockey since, but that team was incredible, always finding a way to win somehow and Bossy was their best scorer. Dunno if this is true but Wikipedia says:

"Their 19 consecutive playoff series wins between 1980 and 1984 is a feat that remains unparalleled in the history of professional sports."

RIP, sir.
I was curious so I looked into this a bit:

I think the Celtics have 16 in a row (Conf. championships and NBA Finals champ, 1959-66), and after that the Canadiens have 13 (1976-80), the Yankees (1998-2001) have 11 and Patriots (2003-2005) have 10 (and the Habs have 10 again, 1956-60).

19 is pretty wild.
 
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NYCSox

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Growing up down there I saw a lot of Islanders games in their heyday. There was no more dangerous sniper than Bossy. If he had the puck inside 35 feet anywhere near the high slot you were fortunate when he didn’t score. He had some of the most hard and accurate wrist and snap shots you’d ever see.

RIP to a legend.
 

joe dokes

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Growing up down there I saw a lot of Islanders games in their heyday. There was no more dangerous sniper than Bossy. If he had the puck inside 35 feet anywhere near the high slot you were fortunate when he didn’t score. He had some of the most hard and accurate wrist and snap shots you’d ever see.

RIP to a legend.
Accurate you say...

573 career goals on 2709 shots .....shooting 21.2%.
 

JoePoulson

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I was so into those Islanders teams growing up, their four straight titles were when I was 12-15. I haven't paid much attention to hockey since, but that team was incredible, always finding a way to win somehow and Bossy was their best scorer. Dunno if this is true but Wikipedia says:

"Their 19 consecutive playoff series wins between 1980 and 1984 is a feat that remains unparalleled in the history of professional sports."

RIP, sir.
The Canadiens won four Cups in a row from 76-79 and the first round of 1980 but it looks like the NHL playoffs expanded in 1980, giving the Isles the extra boost. Pretty amazing that both teams dominated like that for 8 years straight. And the Isles lost the Cup to the Oilers in 1985 so just a remarkable run.
 

joe dokes

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The Canadiens won four Cups in a row from 76-79 and the first round of 1980 but it looks like the NHL playoffs expanded in 1980, giving the Isles the extra boost. Pretty amazing that both teams dominated like that for 8 years straight. And the Isles lost the Cup to the Oilers in 1985 so just a remarkable run.
And the Oilers won 2; and 4 of 5.
So from '76 to '90, only the Canadiens, Islanders, and Oilers (with the one Calgary win in 88.). And the final trivia note in all this, the next team to win, Pittsburgh in 91, got regular production from one Bryan Trottier, who got two cups with Pit.
 

DourDoerr

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This was always painful - Bossy went #15 in the 1977 draft while Boston had the 16th pick. IDK though if they would have taken Bossy if they had the chance. In any case, the Bruins walked away with Dwight Foster.
 

Ferm Sheller

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This was always painful - Bossy went #15 in the 1977 draft while Boston had the 16th pick. IDK though if they would have taken Bossy if they had the chance. In any case, the Bruins walked away with Dwight Foster.
Ugh, come to my house and punch me in the throat, why don't you? Maybe if he was drafted by Boston, his career isn't cut short and he's on a line with Neely for 4-5 years. Can you imagine that pairing?
 

DourDoerr

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Ugh, come to my house and punch me in the throat, why don't you? Maybe if he was drafted by Boston, his career isn't cut short and he's on a line with Neely for 4-5 years. Can you imagine that pairing?
Throat? You'd be getting off light. :D

Stretch his career out and I'd like to have seen him with Oates. It'd also be a Byng deathmatch.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Throat? You'd be getting off light. :D

Stretch his career out and I'd like to have seen him with Oates. It'd also be a Byng deathmatch.
Yeah, he may have been a little too old by the time Oates rolled into Boston (Bossy was 35). Think the best we could have hoped for was a couple of good years from Bossy in the late 80s with one of he and Neely on their off-wing and Janney in the middle. Maybe that '90 team even wins the Cup with Bossy.
 

brienc

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I really got into the Islanders when they beat the Rangers in the 1975 playoffs, came back from 3-0 down to beat the Penguins, and then came back from 3-0 down to tie the Flyers 3-3 before losing game 7.

The Islanders teams before they drafted Mike Bossy were up and coming with Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin leading the way, but they were missing exactly what Bossy provided them. The only thing holding them back after drafting Bossy was secondary scoring help which arrived in the Butch Goring trade, and the Islanders never looked back for 19 straight playoff series wins.

Not many athletes brought me as much joy as Mike Bossy and lot of the other ones played with him. RIP Boss.
 

lexrageorge

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Yeah, he may have been a little too old by the time Oates rolled into Boston (Bossy was 35). Think the best we could have hoped for was a couple of good years from Bossy in the late 80s with one of he and Neely on their off-wing and Janney in the middle. Maybe that '90 team even wins the Cup with Bossy.
Bruins w/ Mike Bossy probably beat Montreal in 1979, and would almost certainly beat the Rangers in the Cup Final. Assuming, of course, Sinden doesn't trade him for "toughness" or some such beforehand. Islanders picked up John Tonelli in the 2nd round of the same draft, which capped an amazing run of home run hits in the draft.
 

Zedia

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I will never forget the goal he scored in overtime to defeat the Soviets in the 84 Canada Cup. It took them a little while to figure out that Bossy had actually tipped this one in to get the win.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76FCdvk4tPM
Wow, I have no idea why I have zero recollection of that game. Probably because the U.S. wasn’t involved.

Also, TIL, Trottier and Chico Resch both played for Team USA that year.
 

pedro1918

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Years ago I convinced myself that if the Islanders had picked Dwight Foster, the Bruins would have taken some hard nosed, checking winger instead of Bossy.

It’s what they did.
 

LoweTek

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Interestingly, the cited OP article quotes Chico Resch, goaltender, saying Bossy was one of the two most important players of the Islander dynasty, the other being Dennis Potvin. He must have had some bitterness on his way out the year following the first cup when Billy Smith redefined hot goalie in the playoffs. Potvin was a helluva player but I would have said Bossy and Smith were the two most important players in the Islander cup dynasty.

Chico had some cool mask paint though when he was still using a Higgins.
 

OnWisc

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There’s a video out there of Bill Torrey talking about an Islanders scout coming into his office before the draft and putting a picture of Bossy on the mantle. Torrey told him not to get his hopes up because there was no way that Bossy was going to drop to 15. I don’t think there was any chance of him ever getting to 16.

My nephew lives down along the coast in Connecticut and recently got into the learn to skate program. He lives about one mile closer to UBS than to MSG, which I took as sufficient reason last year that he learn to skate in a Bossy jersey.
 
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jon abbey

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Interestingly, the cited OP article quotes Chico Resch, goaltender, saying Bossy was one of the two most important players of the Islander dynasty, the other being Dennis Potvin. He must have had some bitterness on his way out the year following the first cup when Billy Smith redefined hot goalie in the playoffs. Potvin was a helluva player but I would have said Bossy and Smith were the two most important players in the Islander cup dynasty.
Not sure I'd want to pick and I was really young at the time, but I would have thought Trottier might be first.

Edit: A quick survey of online lists, most have Bossy/Potvin in some order as the top 2, Trottier 3rd and Smith 4th.
 

reggiecleveland

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Wow, I have no idea why I have zero recollection of that game. Probably because the U.S. wasn’t involved.

Also, TIL, Trottier and Chico Resch both played for Team USA that year.
Incredible talent on that Canadian team. Much angst since the Soviets had won in 1980, and Canada went 2-2 in round-robin. Apparently Oilers and Islanders were feuding. Coffey's poke check in the 2 on 1 is one of the most famous plays in Canadian hockey lore.
 

Average Reds

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Interestingly, the cited OP article quotes Chico Resch, goaltender, saying Bossy was one of the two most important players of the Islander dynasty, the other being Dennis Potvin. He must have had some bitterness on his way out the year following the first cup when Billy Smith redefined hot goalie in the playoffs. Potvin was a helluva player but I would have said Bossy and Smith were the two most important players in the Islander cup dynasty.

Chico had some cool mask paint though when he was still using a Higgins.
I agree with Smith, but there some nuance there, in the sense that without Potvin, none of it happens because he was (a) the first domino, and (b) provided long-term stability for the defense from the beginning. That’s the critical building block that made the Islanders dynasty possible.

IMO, no disagreement about Bossy. One of the best pure scorers I’ve ever seen. RIP.
 

FelixMantilla

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What I remember most about Bossy is that you wouldn't notice him during the game and then BOOM he'd be in the right position to accept a pass and he'd score.
 

Dick Drago

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What I remember most about Bossy is that you wouldn't notice him during the game and then BOOM he'd be in the right position to accept a pass and he'd score.
I remember the same thing-couldn’t create like Lafleur, but maybe an even more dangerous sniper. Trottier was also pretty great, and Gillies/Tonelli in the corner.

That 1980 series vs the Bruins where they won the first two games in OT still rankle me. Smith was unbelievable.