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Wayne Gretzky’s career statistics cast a giant shadow over virtually every NHL player in league history. Perhaps no one is more undeservedly hidden in that shadow than Mike Bossy. Even two decades after his early retirement due to injury, Bossy’s numbers are staggering.
He has the highest goals-per-game average in NHL history (.762). Bossy logged nine straight 50-goal seasons, (Gretzky is the only other player with nine, but not in succession) and an unmatched 17 goals in three straight playoffs. Bossy was also only the second player in history to score 50 goals in 50 games, which tied Maurice “The Rocket”' Richard in 1980-81.
In addition, he was a leader on a New York Islander team that won 19 straight playoff
series, including four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-83.
Bossy, 49, returned to the Islanders this year for this first time since leaving Long Island after the 1986-87 season because of an ailing back. Number 22 sat down with FHM to talk about his playing days and his new role in the Islanders’ front office.
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How is it to be back on Long Island after all these years?
Being with the Islanders again is great. I’m a director of corporate relations, maintaining corporate sponsors mostly. One of my main goals is to get out into the community and bring people back to the Nassau Coliseum. We have a good product. What the fans can appreciate is that everyone out there on the ice is working hard every night.
Do you have any regrets about retiring at age 30?
When I look back—I'm almost 50 years old now—I'm proud of my 10 years in the league. When I was going through my last year (suffering with back pain), I was anxious for the season to end. I knew my back wasn't getting any better. I had two choices: to come back, play as a fill-in and not able to play all the games, or retire. I wasn't disappointed because I couldn't perform as I wanted to.
How is your back now?
Basically, I don't do that much. I don't test it. My back hurts all the time. I've learned to live with it. There are people far worse off than me. You won't hear me complain.
How many goals do you think you'd have scored if healthy?
I wish I had the chance to put up bigger numbers. It's difficult to speculate. As you get older, you see that when you're younger, you don't realize how much longevity plays into how people are remembered. I'm happy that I'm talked about today as one of the best pure goal scorers in NHL history.
When you consider perhaps your greatest achievement—50 goals in 50 games in 1980-81—what stays with you?
If you go by individual moments, the 50 goals in 50 games is my highlight. When I did it (scoring twice against Quebec's Ron Grahame, including the 50th with less than three minutes left in the third period), it was incredible. Maurice Richard sent me a telegram congratulating me. When I was honored the following summer, he was joking with me about it, and he sort of took me in a playful headlock. Maurice was such a proud individual—he was happy for me—but I'm sure he wanted to keep the record. For me, it was a little disappointing the next year because the record was pulverized when Wayne Gretzky scored 50 goals in 39 games. But I can always look back and say I was the first one after Maurice.
Does your career numbers amaze you?
To be completely honest, yes, I even impress myself scoring more than 50 goals in nine straight seasons. It's comes from the fact that I had great players to play with.
Who were the unsung heroes of the islander dynasty?
Honestly, every player that wasn't considered a “star”' was an unsung hero. Guys like Gord Lane, Dave Langevin, Billy Carroll and Anders Kallur—all of them contributed. The best thing about our team was that each guy knew his role. That's what made us winners.
What are your favorite moments of the cup run?
The first Stanley Cup was fantastic because we finally won it after previous playoffs hardships (in 1978 and 1979), and the fourth one was great because we weren't supposed to win that year against Edmonton. I don't think the game today lends itself to a team winning four straight Cups. When I look back at how close we came to winning five straight, I think Edmonton had an unbelievable team, and they went on to prove it. I don't look at it as us losing. We played a better team.''
Who were your toughest opposing players?
I scored 573 goals in 10 years, so there weren't any goalies I couldn't handle. But seriously, I never took any goalie or defensive player for granted. Many opposing left wings shadowed me, such as Bob Gainey, Don Marcotte and Tiger Williams. They were all tough.
What was your most important attribute?
Consistency. I prided myself on being a threat every time I was on the ice. If there was one thing I worked on it was being in the right position and getting a lot of shots on net.
What's your opinion of the new NHL?
I love the new game, though some games lack a little in the physical aspect. People may find that funny coming from me. The physicality has always been part of the game, and it should be. There will always be collisions and hits. It's a physical game. There's a lot of skating with the new rules. It's a matter of finding the right mix since players are adapting. It's a work in progress that should develop into a great product.'
Do you wish you could play in this new era?
I don't dream of it. But watching games sometimes, I have wished I could turn back the clock and stand in front of the net with so much time without getting cross-checked in the back.
Which current players remind you of you?
Alex Ovechkin is one. I like watching him play. He shoots the puck very well, and he has so much energy out there. And Ilya Kovalchuk is a pure shooter. They can both score from everywhere and anywhere, and they enjoy scoring goals. You really have to like to score to do it well, and these two guys do. |
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