Mike Bossy: Canucks remember their 1982 nemesis

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Mike Bossy, the New York Islanders sniper who later became a passionate advocate for clean, skilled hockey, has died of lung cancer.

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He was 65.

Bossy achieved many heights as an NHL player, scoring 50 goals in nine of his 10 seasons with the Islanders, the only season he didn’t hit the legendary mark was his last, when a debilitating back injury cut his career short aged just 30.

In retirement, he was outspoken about how violence was ruining hockey and that the game should be a clean one. It was a controversial position in an era dominated by Don Cherry’s rock ’em sock ’em view of the game, but Bossy never backed down.

For years he was involved with the Safe and Fun Hockey program, alongside Bobby Orr and Cassie Campbell-Pascal, teaching young players what he believed where the essentials of the sport.

He often spoke of how he hoped to work for an NHL team, but thought his outspoken nature made him a pariah. He worked in media for years as well as in sales for several companies. In 2006 the Islanders finally brought him back into the fold, working in a team ambassador role.

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In Vancouver he was best remembered for how he haunted the Canucks in the 1982 Stanley Cup final. He scored seven goals, leading the Islanders to a 4-0 series sweep over the Canucks.

His performance equaled Jean Béliveau’s record for most goals in a Cup final series at the time.

Stan Smyl, now the Canucks’ vice-president but the team’s captain in 1982, recalled what a dominant force Bossy was.

“What amazed me with everything, the clutch and grab — the ’80s defensively that’s how we were successful was being that way, trying to slow them down — was how good he was despite all that,” Smyl told Postmedia on Friday. “That cross-checking they call now it was a standard, and you paid a price. There were a lot of different kind of players who played mean and tough.

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“As a player you had to be able to find those areas, you couldn’t be afraid and he wasn’t.”

Colin Campbell was a defenseman on the 1982 team. In an email relayed to Postmedia via the Canucks’ Alumni Association, he recalled how unstoppable Bossy was in that series.

“There is a video snippet of me in the net trying to make ‘a ball hockey’ save on Mike. Meanwhile, Sneptsy is tripping him and he is in the air prone but still focused on shooting. We could not stop him that year. He was incredible despite Tiger Williams checking him every shift, every game.”

In an era of wood sticks, there were plenty of good shooters, but Bossy was a breed apart. He has scored more than a goal per game in junior. In his first nine seasons in the NHL, he scored more than 50 goals, setting an NHL record for most consecutive seasons with more than 50 goals.

He’s tied with Wayne Gretzky for most career 60-plus goal seasons with five. His career goals per game, .762, is an all-time record. He has eleven scored hat tricks in three consecutive games, an NHL record he shares with Joe Malone.

“He had a wicked shot especially coming down the right side — being a left winger I played against him many times throughout our careers. Always a great offensive threat,” Rota said.

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Smyl recalled what an accurate shooter Bossy was, practically one of a kind.

“For me two things, his release and his accuracy, it was just so natural. I don’t think it was the hardest shot and he knew where it was going,” he said.

Smyl was a rough and tumble player but said he admired Bossy’s willingness to speak out in retirement about how the game should be played.

“I only met him a couple times and that jumped out at me,” he said.

“The knowledge he had about the game, most guys don’t like to do that but he was pretty outspoken and rightly so, he could see the skill and talent wasn’t being used as it should be.”

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