- Jun 24, 2012
- 84,333
- 152,520
It's with a heavy heart that we all woke up to news of Mike Bossy's passing.
So many memories for those of us who were lucky to watch him in real time or in person. However, there was a lot more to him.
By all accounts, he was a genuinely kind and good guy who chose to stand up against violence and who just wanted to play the game. Unfortunately for him, he played in the 80s, an era marred with goonery, gratuitous barbarism and where a lot of truly abhorrent deeds went unpunished.
All of which led to a shortened career but what a career it was. He came out of it as one of the best of all time.
Just heard Michel Goulet say about him, how workmanlike Bossy was. Said he was the type of guy who would be so stealthy. He was elusive and you'd not notice him as a player facing him, and yet by the end of the game, he had potted two goals.
Ref Ron Fournier expressed how Mike Bossy had stated that he refused to fight anyone and the pushback he endured from pundits and blowhards at the time, who ridiculed him as in their minds, you couldn't just play the game without fighting.
In many ways, Mike was ahead of his time. He may have done it for self-preservation or some other higher motive but Fournier mentions that the fighting culture was so ingrained in the league in those days, that even NHL executives and referees disagreed with his stance. Talk about hopeless, crusty dinosaurs.
So on this day, there is little incentive for levity.
Sure, Mike wasn't a Hab but he made it difficult not to like him. He disarmed goalies with his talent but disarmed us all with his charm, his smile, his gentle disposition. That part of him was truly on display during the past few years as a pundit on TVA Spanre. The stuff he'd do on air, would not only crack up his fellow hockey personalities but I caught myself laughing many times at some of his antics.
Despite all of his success, he stayed extremely humble. And was able to not take himself too seriously and would even laugh at himself. Can't tell you how many accounts from the hockey world saying that about him.
Dave Morissette who spent a lot of time on air with Mike at Spanre once told him he couldn’t handle huge crowds. “Too many compliments, too many people”, Bossy had said one time when turning down an event.
It is said that he never drank alcohol and was chided for it as he had entered the NHL in the goon days — naysayers both from opponent teams and his own team, dubbed him a "milk drinker." That’s when Bryan Trottier took him under his wing.
And he and Trottier would stay close friends for life. When Trottier fell ill in the last few years, Bossy visited him.
He was ridiculed for sitting at the front of the team bus, not partaking in celebrations that ran late, not drinking alcohol with teammates and going to bed early cause he wanted to be ready to play at his best the next day.
While his teammates would go out after games, Bossy would call his wife. And soon after, headed to bed. What a Canadian thing to do — reminded me of how members of the band Rush handled themselves while on the road and as was witnessed first hand by Kiss bass player Gene Simmons in the days when Rush were opening for Kiss. You could always find Rush members in their hotel room, reading in bed, calling their family and going to bed early.
Bossy showed character in spades. His longtime linemate, Bryan Trottier recounted an anecdote about how Mike's back issues had become so overwhelming one time, that he couldn't put on his shoes and tie his shoelaces. That night, the Isles were playing and Mike couldn't put on and tie his skates. So Trottier did it for him. And that night, Bossy scored a hat trick.
I know the Habs will be honoring him tonight and it will be poignant but above all, richly deserved.
Thank-you Mike, for all you've done.
But, most importantly, thank you for your sense of humor, for your kindness, for being you.
TVA Spanre confirming this morning that Wayne Gretzky texted Mike Bossy last week to let him know that he was thinking about him and to wish him well.
This old KFC commercial shows his lighter side, something that came naturally to him.
May one of the greatest natural scorers of all time open the Gates of Heaven with a snipe, top shelf -- a feat he made look so easy.
There are a lot of great pics of Mike out there. But, this is how I choose to remember him.
LINEUPS
HABS:
NY ISLANDERS:
Lee Nelson Beauvillier
Palmieri Pageau Bailey
Bellows Barzal Parise
Martin Cizikas Wahlstrom
Pelech Pulock
Chara Dobson
Greene Hutton
Sorokin
Appleby
Only a final note to underscore that Carey Price is slated to start tonight's game.
So many memories for those of us who were lucky to watch him in real time or in person. However, there was a lot more to him.
By all accounts, he was a genuinely kind and good guy who chose to stand up against violence and who just wanted to play the game. Unfortunately for him, he played in the 80s, an era marred with goonery, gratuitous barbarism and where a lot of truly abhorrent deeds went unpunished.
All of which led to a shortened career but what a career it was. He came out of it as one of the best of all time.
Just heard Michel Goulet say about him, how workmanlike Bossy was. Said he was the type of guy who would be so stealthy. He was elusive and you'd not notice him as a player facing him, and yet by the end of the game, he had potted two goals.
Ref Ron Fournier expressed how Mike Bossy had stated that he refused to fight anyone and the pushback he endured from pundits and blowhards at the time, who ridiculed him as in their minds, you couldn't just play the game without fighting.
In many ways, Mike was ahead of his time. He may have done it for self-preservation or some other higher motive but Fournier mentions that the fighting culture was so ingrained in the league in those days, that even NHL executives and referees disagreed with his stance. Talk about hopeless, crusty dinosaurs.
So on this day, there is little incentive for levity.
Sure, Mike wasn't a Hab but he made it difficult not to like him. He disarmed goalies with his talent but disarmed us all with his charm, his smile, his gentle disposition. That part of him was truly on display during the past few years as a pundit on TVA Spanre. The stuff he'd do on air, would not only crack up his fellow hockey personalities but I caught myself laughing many times at some of his antics.
Despite all of his success, he stayed extremely humble. And was able to not take himself too seriously and would even laugh at himself. Can't tell you how many accounts from the hockey world saying that about him.
Dave Morissette who spent a lot of time on air with Mike at Spanre once told him he couldn’t handle huge crowds. “Too many compliments, too many people”, Bossy had said one time when turning down an event.
It is said that he never drank alcohol and was chided for it as he had entered the NHL in the goon days — naysayers both from opponent teams and his own team, dubbed him a "milk drinker." That’s when Bryan Trottier took him under his wing.
And he and Trottier would stay close friends for life. When Trottier fell ill in the last few years, Bossy visited him.
He was ridiculed for sitting at the front of the team bus, not partaking in celebrations that ran late, not drinking alcohol with teammates and going to bed early cause he wanted to be ready to play at his best the next day.
While his teammates would go out after games, Bossy would call his wife. And soon after, headed to bed. What a Canadian thing to do — reminded me of how members of the band Rush handled themselves while on the road and as was witnessed first hand by Kiss bass player Gene Simmons in the days when Rush were opening for Kiss. You could always find Rush members in their hotel room, reading in bed, calling their family and going to bed early.
Bossy showed character in spades. His longtime linemate, Bryan Trottier recounted an anecdote about how Mike's back issues had become so overwhelming one time, that he couldn't put on his shoes and tie his shoelaces. That night, the Isles were playing and Mike couldn't put on and tie his skates. So Trottier did it for him. And that night, Bossy scored a hat trick.
I know the Habs will be honoring him tonight and it will be poignant but above all, richly deserved.
Thank-you Mike, for all you've done.
But, most importantly, thank you for your sense of humor, for your kindness, for being you.
TVA Spanre confirming this morning that Wayne Gretzky texted Mike Bossy last week to let him know that he was thinking about him and to wish him well.
This old KFC commercial shows his lighter side, something that came naturally to him.
May one of the greatest natural scorers of all time open the Gates of Heaven with a snipe, top shelf -- a feat he made look so easy.
There are a lot of great pics of Mike out there. But, this is how I choose to remember him.
LINEUPS
HABS:
NY ISLANDERS:
Lee Nelson Beauvillier
Palmieri Pageau Bailey
Bellows Barzal Parise
Martin Cizikas Wahlstrom
Pelech Pulock
Chara Dobson
Greene Hutton
Sorokin
Appleby
Only a final note to underscore that Carey Price is slated to start tonight's game.
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