I appreciate all the replies -- I still disagree with a lot of it, but at least both sides have now documented our reasoning.
In 18 seasons Trottier finished in the top ten six times. Bossy, in only 10 seasons, finished in the top ten eight times. Six of those eight seasons he finished in the top five, as opposed to Bryan's three top five finishes.
Being in the top five twice as much is more than just a small advantage for me.
The bottom line is that while they were both in the league, Bossy outscored Trottier by around 9 points per year (
source). I think Trottier's Selke-calibre defense and checking abilities more than offset Bossy's additional 9 points per year. For whatever it's worth, all of the Hart trophy voters who covered their careers agree.
I can understand how they look similar. Heaven knows that Bossy was the guy running that Offense up front though.
It should be noted that Trottier's fluke "Off" year, was a result of his injury, and that they were not playing together for most of that year. Bossy's linemates that year were Sutter and Tonelli, and he for the most part, elevated them quite well and gave them career years.
Bossy's scoring did not miss a beat without Trottier, unless anyone think s 2-3 goals and a point or two is missing a beat. His points and goals totals barely changed at all, and his +/- did not suffer either.
Trottier & Bossy had great chemistry -- Bossy even said that he would have preferred to play with Trottier (rather than Gretzky) because they complemented each other so well (
source). It's possible Bossy was just complimenting his friend & teammate, but it also shows how they both helped each other (and obviously their team succeed.
The fact that Bossy basically maintained his scoring pace without Trottier is a plus -- it shows that Bossy was not the product of Trottier, but nobody was suggesting that was the case. (That's definitely not what I was suggesting, I hope it didn't sound like I was).
I would not say "Vastly" superior myself. Having watched both many many times, I still think Bossy is an underrated defensive player.
He was never a liability as some might claim, nor was he the last guy back. He was always in position, responsible and reliable.
Trottier does get bonus points for more PK time in this category.
First, for the record, I'll acknowledge you've watched Trottier & Bossy more than I have.
I don't dispute that Bossy was a responsible defensive player. However, among history's elite forwards, Trottier is generally considered one of the very best defensively. I know this from watching him play -- but more objectively you have the multiple years with serious Selke consideration (1981, 1984, 1986, 1988), his willingness to accept a purely defensive role to help his team win ('91 & '92 Pens), a significantly higher plus/minus than his linemate Bossy (
source), and the fact that he played more on the PK (not reflected in the plus/minus stat). Trottier was also one of the best face-off winning centres ever.
In short I feel that Bossy was basically average, defensively, for a star player, while Trottier was among the very best ever -- that's a big advantage.
This is the part I hate. Hart voting does indeed go to Trottier. It should be noted however, that Bossy was always in the voters Doghouse. He was the guy coming into the league vocally demeaning the league for its violence and fighting and his lack of a physical game, advocating that the league should ban fighting. He was labeled as "Soft" early on, and the label stuck with him, even though he was anything but soft. He would take any amount of punishment, go into any corner or stand anywhere and take crosschecks repeatedly to get a goal.
Trottier by contrast, was always hitting everything in sight and being more "noticeable" in his style. But for my money, Bossy was always right there with Trottier, even if the voters were a bit biased against him.
I'm not convinced that the voters were out to penalize Bossy -- remember, the people that vote for the Hart trophy are the same people who vote for the year-end all-star teams, where Bossy fared extremely well. I think I need something a little more specific to show there was a bias. Both Potvin and Trottier fared better in Hart voting than Bossy and I think that's a good indication of their value to the Islanders franchise.
