Mike Bossy, Islanders Legend and Hockey Hall of Famer, Dead at 65

By Brian Jones

Mike Bossy, a hockey legend who spent his entire career with the New York Islanders, died on Friday, the team announced on Friday. He was 65 years old. According to the Associated Press, Bossy's cause of death was lung cancer. He revealed his cancer diagnosis via an open letter on TVA Sports' website in October. 

"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 in a statement. "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 was selected No. 15 overall by the Islanders in the 1977 NHL Draft. During his time with the Islanders, Bossy led the team to four consecutive Stanley Cup Championships and was selected to the All-Star team eight times. He's the Islanders' all-time leader in goals (573) and ranks third in all-time team assists (553) and points (1,126). Bossy played for the Islanders for 10 seasons before announcing his retirement in 1987 due to a back injury. 

"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Mike Bossy, the dynamic winger whose goal-scoring prowess during a remarkable 10-year career ranks, by almost any measure, as one of the greatest in NHL history and propelled the New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "Bossy scored 573 goals in 752 games — a .76 goals-per-game average that is the highest in the League's history. 

"He is the only player ever to record nine straight 50-goal seasons and his five 60-goal seasons are matched only by Wayne Gretzky. One of only eight players in NHL history to have scored 50 goals in his first 50 games of a season, he was similarly dominating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, during which he scored 85 goals in 129 games."  Bossy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. The Islanders retired his No. 22 in 1992 and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. 

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