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Michael "Mike" Bossy, hockey player (born 22 January 1957 in Montreal, QC; died 15 April 2022 in Montreal). After starring for the Laval Nationals in junior, Bossy joined the New York Islanders in 1977-78. He scored 53 goals that year, becoming the
first rookie in National Hockey League history to record a 50 goal season, a feat that earned him the
Calder Trophy. He proved this was not a fluke by registering 50 or more goals for each of the next eight seasons, including a remarkable 50 goals in the first 50 games of the 1980-81 season, equalling the 26-year-old record established by
Maurice Richard.
His prolific scoring propelled the Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cups (1980-83) and earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1982. His 85 playoff goals was a league record when he retired. As gentlemanly as he was prolific, he received the Lady Byng Trophy three times (1983, 1984, 1986).
Bossy suffered a back injury during his 10th season in the league (1986-87) that hampered his play and reduced his playing time. He retired after the season, the only year he did not score 50 goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991. He remained a staunch advocate against rough play on the ice. In 2006, he was named the New York Islanders' Executive Director of Corporate Relations. He died of lung cancer in 2022 at the age of 65.
