Bossy helped lead the Islanders to four championships
Hockey Hall of Famer and New York Island great Mike Bossi has died, the team announced Friday. He was 65 years old. According to the Associated Press, Bossi died of lung cancer. He publicly announced his initial diagnosis in October.
Bossy helped lead the Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the early 1980s and is statistically still one of the greatest goal scorers ever to play in the NHL.
"The New York Islanders organization mourns the loss of Mike Bossi, an icon not only on Long Island but throughout the hockey world," Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement. "His campaign to be the best every time he stepped on the ice was second to none. Together with his teammates, he helped them 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 Bossi family and to all those who mourn this tragic loss."
After being selected as the 15th overall pick in the 1977 NHL Draft, Bossy was a member of the Islanders dynasty that won the Stanley Cup championship from 1980 to 1983. Bossy still leads the Islanders with the most goals (573) in franchise history, and the star winger also scored 1,126 points (the third-highest in franchise history) and 553 assists (the third-highest in franchise history). The Islanders legend played 10 seasons with the franchise before announcing his retirement in 1987 due to a back injury.
Bossi was one of the fastest players to reach 500 goals, with only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux achieving the faster goal. His 573 goals currently rank 22nd on the league's all-time goalscoring list. This is far from the only scoring accolade he has.
The Islanders winger scored 50 or more goals in each of his first nine seasons, which is still the longest streak in NHL history. Bossi and Gretzky are the only two players in league history to have scored nine 50-goal seasons in their entire careers. Bossy is also the only player to score four game-winning goals in a single playoff series, which he achieved against the Boston Bruins in the 1983 Stanley Cup Final.
Bossi won the Conn Smyth Trophy during the 1981–82 season, being awarded the MVP of the playoffs. The Islanders Star led the league in scoring during the 1978–79 and 1980–81 campaigns.
Bossy still holds the Islanders record for most playoff goals (85) and an NHL record with 19 consecutive playoff series wins. The seven-time All-Star had his number 22 retired by the Islanders on March 3, 1992.