April 21, 2022 Two scoring legends gone too soon.

This week the hockey world lost two of its greatest goal scorers. Mike Bossy passed away early this week and was followed to the hallowed halls of hockey heaven by Guy Lafleur. I’m sure they are sharing a toast to great careers. Two men gone too soon. 

Fucking Cancer.

My memories of growing up in a simpler time were punctuated by watching Saturday night Hockey Night In Canada with my parents. I will never forget watching the Montreal Canadians sweep to victory and one of my most potent memories were from 1979 when Guy Lafleur swept in on the wing, his hair flowing with the breeze and him blasting the winning goal past Gil Gilbert of the Boston Bruins to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

They are fuzzy memories at best. Feelings more than vivid images. I also remember watching the NY Islanders win four cups in a row when I was a child. I hated those teams but I always remember respecting and admiring number 22 Mike Bossy. He had flowing hair as well back in the day, before helmets were made mandatory and the league lost a bit of its colour.

The world is a sadder place having lost those two goal scoring machines. 

Hockey is a different sport than it was all those years ago. Back then fitness wasn’t a regime it was a catch-phrase on an advertising campaign. Athletes back then were more like regular people. They made money but were not elevated to millionaires.

They also smoked in the dressing room.

It’s hard to imagine now the idea of a hockey player smoking, let alone smoking in the dressing room at the intermission. But there they were puffing away. It’s not surprising they died from cancer forty years later.

There were many parallels between Mike Bossy and Guy Lafleur. They both played right wing and they both won four Stanley cups in a row. The similarities don’t end there. 

They were the two best goal scorers of their eras, succeeding each other as the game’s dominant sniper. In doing so each served on successive dynasties, each arguably the greatest of all time. And the two Quebecois right wingers were superstars despite regularly smoking.

Their hockey Hall of Fame resumes are among the best in history. Bossy with his 573 goals, 1126 points in just 752 games. Four Stanley Cups. One Conn Smythe trophy. Eight All Star recognitions in just ten seasons. Then there is Lafleur with 560 goals and 1353 points in 1126 games. Five Stanley Cups. Two Hart trophies. Three Art Ross trophies and three Pearson trophies.

There will never be men like these in hockey again. The world of hockey is a a little smaller now without them. My childhood got a little smaller now without them.

Rest In Peace you heroes of yesteryear.