Mike Bossy.

J0e Th0rnton · April 4, 2022

Seeing reports that he may have passed away? But this could be untrue as I do not see official news sources anymore and a few retractions.

I met him once when he was a spokesman for Stihl and they had an event at my old Hotel. They asked all the managers who wanted to meet him and bring him into the back area before his presentation and I jumped at the chance. I actually have an autographed picture somewhere in my old workplace stuff. He was a very nice guy and way taller than I thought he would be. im 6 feet tall and he was a few inches taller than I am, or he was wearing boots that made him way taller.

The man was the straw that stirred the drink on the Isles.

Often forgotten is how Bossy could play on any line with any 2 linemates, and score the exact same amount as he would with Trottier and Gillies. While those two suffered if Bossy was not on their line. Bossy was also excellent defensively, as anyone on an Al Arbour defensive system had to be, but overshadowed by his more physical defensive teammates in that regard to the point that kids today who did not see how good defensively he was assume he was carried. Nobody carried Boss. but Boss carried many. Trottier needed knee surgery one offseason and gillies was banged up too near retirement and was visibly not playing well, so he got bumped down the lineup in 85 and they put Sutter, a pure defensive center with not a lot of offensive talent with Bossy and Toneli.

And yeah, Sutter hit 42 goals and 102 points for the first and only time in his career of 49-60 point averages. Tonelli had a career year too with 42 goals and 100 points. Bossy was one of those guys who just elevated his teammates no matter who they were. He was that good.

The man would take something like 20 cross checks to the back and neck a night and just keep getting up like a cyborg and scoring. Tough as nails, and still stood by his principles not to fight or goon it up.

The last time I thought of Bossy and of modern players wondering if anyone had the heart and relentless will to keep getting up that Bossy had was when Captain American was getting back alley mugged by the Preds.

and that was mild compared to what Bossy put up with in the goon era

RonJeremy · April 4, 2022

39 minutes ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

Seeing reports that he may have passed away? But this could be untrue as I do not see official news sources anymore and a few retractions.

I met him once when he was a spokesman for Stihl and they had an event at my old Hotel. They asked all the managers who wanted to meet him and bring him into the back area before his presentation and I jumped at the chance. I actually have an autographed picture somewhere in my old workplace stuff. He was a very nice guy and way taller than I thought he would be. im 6 feet tall and he was a few inches taller than I am, or he was wearing boots that made him way taller.

The man was the straw that stirred the drink on the Isles.

Often forgotten is how Bossy could play on any line with any 2 linemates, and score the exact same amount as he would with Trottier and Gillies. While those two suffered if Bossy was not on their line. Bossy was also excellent defensively, as anyone on an Al Arbour defensive system had to be, but overshadowed by his more physical defensive teammates in that regard to the point that kids today who did not see how good defensively he was assume he was carried. Nobody carried Boss. but Boss carried many. Trottier needed knee surgery one offseason and gillies was banged up too near retirement and was visibly not playing well, so he got bumped down the lineup in 85 and they put Sutter, a pure defensive center with not a lot of offensive talent with Bossy and Toneli.

And yeah, Sutter hit 42 goals and 102 points for the first and only time in his career of 49-60 point averages. Tonelli had a career year too with 42 goals and 100 points. Bossy was one of those guys who just elevated his teammates no matter who they were. He was that good.

The man would take something like 20 cross checks to the back and neck a night and just keep getting up like a cyborg and scoring. Tough as nails, and still stood by his principles not to fight or goon it up.

The last time I thought of Bossy and of modern players wondering if anyone had the heart and relentless will to keep getting up that Bossy had was when Captain American was getting back alley mugged by the Preds.

and that was mild compared to what Bossy put up with in the goon era

I know Clarke Gillies recently passed away, I haven't heard anything on Bossy.

OccamsRazor · April 4, 2022

51 minutes ago, J0e Th0rnton said:

Seeing reports that he may have passed away?

I hadn't seen he was gone. I hope not.

JR Ewing · April 5, 2022

@J0e Th0rnton I had read an article, yesterday, which said that Bossy had entered palliative care, but his family says that wasn't correct, and that he's resting at home these days.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/mike-bossy-islanders-resting-at-home-cancer-battle-1.6407895

SaucyJack · April 6, 2022

You’ll excuse another of my jaunts down Capitals Playoffs Memory Lane (Pain) but Mike Bossy was the First in the long line of Cap Killers. Here’s the story of the first-ever Washington playoff series from April 1983. Firewall should let you read one article I hope.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1983/04/11/capitals-depart-1st-playoff-but-not-meekly/777499a0-919f-4c68-ac66-ab65fd23fb50/

Good ol’ Mike Bossy could always be depended upon to thwart the hopes of those young Capitals squads. Hall of Famer in Caps’ eyes for that alone.

Edited April 6, 2022 by SaucyJack