Great Islanders, 4 instances Cup Champion Bossie died

Wonderful Islanders, 4 times Cup Champion Bossie died

Mike Posey, one in all hockey’s most prolific scorers and a star New Yorker in the course of the Eighties dynasty, has died. He was 65 years outdated.

The Islanders and TVA Sports activities, the French-speaking community in Canada the place he labored as a hockey analyst, confirmed Posey’s dying Thursday night time. A group spokesperson stated Posey was in his hometown of Montreal.

Busy had stated in October in a letter to TVA Sports activities that he had been identified with lung most cancers.

“It’s with nice disappointment that I must get away out of your screens to take a essential pause,” Bossi wrote in French. “I intend to battle with all of the dedication and hearth that I’ve seen on the ice.”

It is the islanders’ third period loss this 12 months after fellow Hockey Corridor of Famer Clark Gillis died in January and Jan Botvin handed away in March.

“The New York Islanders group mourns the lack of Mike Posey, an icon not solely on Lengthy Island however your entire world of hockey,” Lou Lamoreillo, Islanders President and Basic Supervisor, stated in a press release. “His quest to be the very best each time he steps on the ice has been second to none. Collectively along with his teammates, he helped win 4 consecutive Stanley Cup championships, shaping the historical past of this franchise without end.”

Daughter Tania Bossi stated her father was “not in ache”.

“My father definitely liked hockey, however he liked life before everything,” she stated in a press release in French on behalf of the Bossy household. “Till the tip of his journey, he caught. He needed to dwell greater than something.”

Bossey helped the islanders win the Stanley Cup from 1980 to 1983, and gained the Conn Smith Cup as play-off participant of the 12 months in 1982. He scored the 2 cup-winning objectives in 1982 and 1983.

“The Nationwide Hockey League mourns the passing of Mike Posey, a dynamic winger with a knack for objectives throughout his sensible 10-year profession, by nearly any measure, as one of many best gamers in NHL historical past and pushing the New Yorkers to 4 Stanley Cups in a row.” Nationwide Hockey League Commissioner Gary Pittman stated in a press release. “…Though containing it was the obsession of opposing coaches and checking the main focus of opposing gamers, Boss’ brilliance was unstoppable and relentless all through his profession. He impressed followers like few others.”

A primary-round decide in 1977, Bossy performed his full 10-year NHL profession with New York. He gained the Calder Cup as Rookie of the Yr, gained the Woman Ping Trophy for his well mannered conduct 3 times and led the league in goalscoring twice.

Bossy scored 50 or extra objectives in every of his first 9 seasons – the longest working streak within the league. He and Wayne Gretzky are the one two gamers in hockey historical past with 9 seasons of fifty objectives.

One in all solely 5 gamers to attain 50 objectives in 50 video games, Bossy stays the all-time chief in goals-per-game within the common season at 0.762, and solely 39 Bossy gamers have scored extra hat-tricks.

He’s third in factors per recreation and seventh in skilled scoring. These are all within the common season, when Bossy set among the greatest numbers within the recreation’s historical past. Within the playoffs, Posey was extra amenable. He’s the one participant to win 4 video games in the identical qualifying sequence, and rating three objectives in extra time.

Led by Posey, Gillies, Brian Trotier and Dennis Botvin, islanders of the Montreal Canadiens succeeded Scotty Bowman within the Seventies as the subsequent NHL dynasty earlier than the Edmonton Oilers of Gretzky took over.

Busy was an eight-time All-Star and completed with 573 objectives and 553 assists for 1,126 factors in 752 common season video games. He was the quickest participant to achieve 100 objectives and ranks Twenty second within the profession objectives checklist. Within the playoffs, Bossy earned 160 factors in 129 video games.

Finally, again and knee accidents ended his profession in 1987. He scored 38 objectives however was restricted to 63 video games and was unable to return for an eleventh season.

Bossy was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 1991 and in 2017 he was named one of many 100 Biggest Gamers within the NHL. The island’s Twenty second-ranked residents retired in March 1992.

Earlier than reaching the NHL, Bossy performed 5 seasons within the Main League Hockey League in Quebec with Laval Nationwide. He had 602 factors in 298 QMJHL matches. Busy additionally represented Canada within the Canada Cup in 1981 and 1984, lengthy earlier than NHL gamers began going to the Winter Olympics.

The Related Press contributed to this report.