Mike Bossy's back injury

[blood gin]

What exactly happened with him? He very rarely missed any games going into 86-87. Ends up missing 17 that year. His back gets so bad that he has to sit out all of 87-88 to explore various treatments but nobody can figure out how to alleviate it or even what's wrong. Finally he retires in 1988 when it's pretty clear nothing can be done


Did his back bother him throughout his entire career? Was it that result of something that happened on the ice? Wikipedia mentions he wasn't even able to exercise or play hockey after his career ended.

Click to read more...

 

[double5son10]

Thrown off equilibrium, due to a knee injury in youth hockey (I have the same issue from a broken leg as a teen). It only began to affect him his final two seasons, the last of which he was in agony.

"His doctors suspect the problem is caused by his skating style: because his right knee, which required surgery when he was barely a teen-ager, has progressively weakened, he has compensated by putting more pressure on his left side, hence the residual strain on his back. But to Bossy's dismay, the doctors haven't been able to follow up their suspicions with a plan to alleviate the problem."
FUTURE AT RISK, BOSSY BATTLES PAIN

 

[The Panther]

I never really understood this injury, either, and would like to know more.

From what Bossy said in an interview I watched, it seemed like he *could* have kept playing in 1987-88 but that he didn't want to play at a lesser level than what he was used to.

 

[tony d]

Such a solid player. Another great career that got cut short by injury (Same as Lemieux, Orr and Lindros).

 

[Heldig]

Back pain can be excruciating.

As for the therapy, if it took 15+ years of poor mechanics to get to that stage it would take years to undo it too. Sadly, Bossy couldn't play through it anymore and the game lost arguably the greatest pure goal scorer in the game way too early.

 

[Sentinel]

Given the abuse he regularly took on ice it's amazing he held on for as long as he did. He paid a price for every goal he scored.

 

[blood gin]

He was a very proud competitor. His final year still looks good though you can see something was taking its toll. He was still on pace for about 47 goals and 46 assists over a full 80 game season. I almost think it would've been embarrassing for him to settle into being "only" a 30 goal scorer playing through excruciating pain.

 

[mrhockey193195]

He was a very proud competitor. His final year still looks good though you can see something was taking its toll. He was still on pace for about 47 goals and 46 assists over a full 80 game season. I almost think it would've been embarrassing for him to settle into being "only" a 30 goal scorer playing through excruciating pain.

I will say this - a lot of people disparaged Chelios (in particular), Lindros, etc. for "hanging on too long", for "ruining their legacies". I totally understand the desire to go out on top, or to (as you put it for Bossy) not settle for being a lesser player. But at the same time, to me it's admirable that Chelly wanted to keep playing into his 40s when he was well past the point of being a HOF caliber player. Hell, I gained so much respect for him when he went down to the AHL and continued to play. The dude just loved the sport and loved competing, and found a way to put his ego aside. His stats suffered, and he didn't care.

Rant aside, back on topic - back injuries can be funny. I imagine Bossy played through a good amount of pain for most of his career, but 87-88 was the breaking point.

 

[Staniowski]

Great player. He wouldn't fight, but he wasn't at all timid. Wasn't scared of anything. Would do anything to score goals. And a beautiful goal scorer too, scored a lot of absolute gems.

 

[blood gin]

I will say this - a lot of people disparaged Chelios (in particular), Lindros, etc. for "hanging on too long", for "ruining their legacies". I totally understand the desire to go out on top, or to (as you put it for Bossy) not settle for being a lesser player. But at the same time, to me it's admirable that Chelly wanted to keep playing into his 40s when he was well past the point of being a HOF caliber player. Hell, I gained so much respect for him when he went down to the AHL and continued to play. The dude just loved the sport and loved competing, and found a way to put his ego aside. His stats suffered, and he didn't care.

Rant aside, back on topic - back injuries can be funny. I imagine Bossy played through a good amount of pain for most of his career, but 87-88 was the breaking point.

It was admirable to me as well. Though I did see it on my own team with Brodeur and it wasn't fun. It was sad. And hurt the greater good of the team. But what Chelios did was impressive. Right up until 45-46 he was not a liability at all. Anything after that he probably had no business being in the league.

 

[Moose Head]

Still recall an interview with Bossy saying he never planned on playing into his thirties, and this is before his last couple of seasons. So it seems he always planned on retiring young.

 

[Big Phil]

He was a very proud competitor. His final year still looks good though you can see something was taking its toll. He was still on pace for about 47 goals and 46 assists over a full 80 game season. I almost think it would've been embarrassing for him to settle into being "only" a 30 goal scorer playing through excruciating pain.

I get the feeling he still hits 50 though. Just a hunch. This is a guy who fits into one of those reputations in hockey history where you never saw him NOT come through. Remember the 50-in-50 year? He needs two goals and there is under 5 minutes and he does it. Then he gets an assist 19 seconds after the 50th goal. Throw in all of the postseasons he had and there is this mystique about Bossy where you never saw him age and you never saw him fail, not really at least.

I am glad others are talking about the pounding Bossy took to score goals. He was persistent. He chose not to fight, I'll give him credit. He stuck to it. Not everyone does. Phil Esposito took a pounding too and wasn't a fighter. No doubt this contributed to Bossy's back issues. If he had to stand in front of the net to score, he did. No shrinking violet whatsoever. You don't score 57 goals a year on average and 85 in the postseason if you aren't tough.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

I get the feeling he still hits 50 though. Just a hunch. This is a guy who fits into one of those reputations in hockey history where you never saw him NOT come through. Remember the 50-in-50 year? He needs two goals and there is under 5 minutes and he does it. Then he gets an assist 19 seconds after the 50th goal. Throw in all of the postseasons he had and there is this mystique about Bossy where you never saw him age and you never saw him fail, not really at least.

I am glad others are talking about the pounding Bossy took to score goals. He was persistent. He chose not to fight, I'll give him credit. He stuck to it. Not everyone does. Phil Esposito took a pounding too and wasn't a fighter. No doubt this contributed to Bossy's back issues. If he had to stand in front of the net to score, he did. No shrinking violet whatsoever. You don't score 57 goals a year on average and 85 in the postseason if you aren't tough.

Some of the games in the last year he only played a shift or two, 38 is very impressive when that is taken into account.

 

[The Panther]

Still recall an interview with Bossy saying he never planned on playing into his thirties, and this is before his last couple of seasons. So it seems he always planned on retiring young.

(Reviving this thread.) I think you are right, based on what Bossy says in this interview, late in his final season (early 1987):


He clearly states here that, since the early 80s, he had always planned to retire in 1988 at the expiry of his contract.


Also, we'd kind of heard about the Kings' reaching out to Bossy at some point in the late-80s, but I hadn't realized it went back to before Gretzky had even played a single game with L.A.: https://nypost.com/2019/09/28/islan...veals-he-almost-teamed-up-with-wayne-gretzky/

 

[hacksaw7]

(Reviving this thread.) I think you are right, based on what Bossy says in this interview, late in his final season (early 1987):


He clearly states here that, since the early 80s, he had always planned to retire in 1988 at the expiry of his contract.


Also, we'd kind of heard about the Kings' reaching out to Bossy at some point in the late-80s, but I hadn't realized it went back to before Gretzky had even played a single game with L.A.: https://nypost.com/2019/09/28/islan...veals-he-almost-teamed-up-with-wayne-gretzky/

I've heard (not sure where...) that Gretz and Bossy hate each other. That there has always been friction between them. This article plays it down...

 

[Moose Head]

I've heard (not sure where...) that Gretz and Bossy hate each other. That there has always been friction between them. This article plays it down...

Mutual admiration for each others talent, but yeah, not friendly. Gretzky once said something to the effect, Bossy is a great player, but I wouldn’t want to take a cab ride with him.

Another was when somebody asked Gretzky about playing with Bossy and Gretzky said they’d make a great combo. Bossy responded by saying, why would I want him as my Center, I already have the best.

 

[Nick Hansen]

He kind of reminds me of Gary Busey in that video, only his head tilts to the opposite side.

 

[The Panther]

I've heard (not sure where...) that Gretz and Bossy hate each other. That there has always been friction between them. This article plays it down...

I don't think they "hate" each other, but Bossy is certainly a prickly guy. Some of those Islanders guys acted mortally offended that the Oilers' dynasty got more love and respect back home (i.e., Canada) than their own did, but, I mean, what did they expect...?

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

I've heard (not sure where...) that Gretz and Bossy hate each other. That there has always been friction between them. This article plays it down...

Hate each other as in throwing punches at an old-timers game like Joliat and Broadbent, or just some of the competitive tension from the early 80s that never fully went away.

I don't think they "hate" each other, but Bossy is certainly a prickly guy. Some of those Islanders guys acted mortally offended that the Oilers' dynasty got more love and respect back home (i.e., Canada) than their own did, but, I mean, what did they expect...?

Funny now that I think of it Bossy is usually almost invisible in any sort of PR stuff surrounding the dynasty Isles. Trottier usually has a thing or two to say, Nystrom likes doing interviews, and Potvin never shuts up once you put a microphone in his face.

Even Billy Smith has been more media-friendly than Bossy

 

[The Panther]

Funny now that I think of it Bossy is usually almost invisible in any sort of PR stuff surrounding the dynasty Isles. Trottier usually has a thing or two to say, Nystrom likes doing interviews, and Potvin never shuts up once you put a microphone in his face.

Even Billy Smith has been more media-friendly than Bossy

I don't think Bossy is a bad guy or anything, but he's a bit of an odd duck.

Like, in that interview, he's saying, "My contract expires in 1988, and I signed it in 1981. Back in 1981, I decided to retire in 1988 and I haven't changed my mind yet!" It's like, who says that? At the time of this interview, he's barely 30 and he's telling us that he's been set on retiring at age 31 since he was 24.

 

[ForsbergForever]

I don't think Bossy is a bad guy or anything, but he's a bit of an odd duck.

Like, in that interview, he's saying, "My contract expires in 1988, and I signed it in 1981. Back in 1981, I decided to retire in 1988 and I haven't changed my mind yet!" It's like, who says that? At the time of this interview, he's barely 30 and he's telling us that he's been set on retiring at age 31 since he was 24.

I'm sure if he had still been in peak health in 1988 and a contender had offered him $1M per season on a three year deal he would've changed his mind. Scoring was still generally very high at that point so the chance to cash in while adding to his career totals might have swayed him.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

I don't think Bossy is a bad guy or anything, but he's a bit of an odd duck.

Like, in that interview, he's saying, "My contract expires in 1988, and I signed it in 1981. Back in 1981, I decided to retire in 1988 and I haven't changed my mind yet!" It's like, who says that? At the time of this interview, he's barely 30 and he's telling us that he's been set on retiring at age 31 since he was 24.

It is just about far back enough that an NHL player choosing to walk away from the money wouldnt seem completely out of his mind

I wouldnt be surprised if there are players in the NHL today who would retire if the money wasnt holding them in place what with mortgages, spouses, family expectations, etc

 

[Amazinmets73]

It was admirable to me as well. Though I did see it on my own team with Brodeur and it wasn't fun. It was sad. And hurt the greater good of the team. But what Chelios did was impressive. Right up until 45-46 he was not a liability at all. Anything after that he probably had no business being in the league.

Analytics show Chelios was well above average defensively ages 45-48.