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Mike Bossy

Born:January 22, 1957Draft:1977 Islanders 15th Overall
Hometown:Montreal, QuebecPosition:RW
Known For:Nine Straight 50-Goal SeasonsShoots:Right
National Team:Canada

Michael Dean Bossy (January 22, 1957-April 15, 2022) played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career for the New York Islanders and was a crucial part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s.

Bossy won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1978 as NHL rookie of the year. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in the 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs as the most valuable player. He is one of two players to score consecutive Stanley Cup-winning goals (1982 and 1983) and the only player to record four game-winning goals in one playoff series (1983 Conference Final). He is the NHL’s all-time leader in average goals scored per regular season game, holds the NHL’s third-highest all-time average points scored per regular season game, and is one of only five players to score 50 goals in 50 games. He is tied for the record for most 50 goal seasons with Wayne Gretzky with nine, although his were consecutive whereas Gretzky’s were not, so Bossy holds the record for most consecutive 50 goal seasons by himself.

Bossy was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2017 he was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in history. He passed away at the age of 65 on April 15, 2022, after a long battle with lung cancer.

Mike Bossy 50 Goals
Canadian hockey player Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders on the ice, February 1982. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)

Mike Bossy Statistics

Deeper Dive

Achievements

  • All-Time NHL Records
    • Most Consecutive 50-Goal Seasons (9)
    • Most 50-Goal Seasons (9, tied with Wayne Gretzky)
    • Most 60-Goal Seasons (5, tied with Wayne Gretzky)
    • Highest Career Goals-Per-Game Average (.762, minimum 200 goals)
    • Most Power-Play Goals in One Playoffs (9, tied with Cam Neely)
    • Most Consecutive Hat Tricks (3, tied with Joe Malone)
    • Islanders Record for Most Goals (573)
    • Islanders Record for Most Power-Play Goals (181)
    • Islanders Record for Most Game-Winning Goals (82)
    • Islanders Record for Most Points in a Season (147)
    • Islanders Record for Most Goals in a Season (69)
    • Islanders Record for Most Power-Play Goals in a Season (28)
    • Islanders Record for Most Game-Winning Goals in a Season (11)
    • Islanders Record for Most Shots on Goal in a Season (315)
  • Additional Awards and Achievements
    • Calder Memorial Trophy — 1978
    • Conn Smythe Trophy — 1982
    • Lady Byng Memorial Trophy — 1983, 1984, 1986
    • NHL All-Star Game — 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986
    • NHL First All-Star Team — 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986
    • NHL Second All-Star Team — 1978, 1979, 1985
    • Led NHL in Goals — 1979, 1981
    • Stanley Cup Champion — 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983
    • Inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame — 1991
    • No. 22 Retired by Islanders — 1992

Sources