Mike Bossy’s life has been told numerous times on TV, radio, and in newspapers. But the last touch was missing to complete the circle: a book dedicated to his life… in French. Monday evening, this box could finally be checked.
Telling the story of the legendary hockey player who won four Stanley Cup rings — won in a row with the New York Islanders between 1980 and 1983 — was no small task, but it was a challenge that the journalist and author Mikaël Lalancette, who wrote the work with Bossy’s younger daughter, Tanya.
According to Mikaël Lalancette, the story of Mike Bossy “deserved to be told”, and above all, “in French”.
“By embracing this project last year, I knew that I was tackling a giant from Quebec,” admitted the author at the launch of his book “50 days in the life of Mike Bossy”, which had held Monday evening in the historic premises of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal.
“I’m too young to have seen him play, but from the first times we met in the corridors of TVA Sports, I couldn’t help but be intimidated,” he added, speaking of Mike Bossy as the one “who was and still is the best sniper in the history of hockey”.
Even though he was on his fifth book, Mikaël Lalancette admitted to having been “particularly touched” by the writing of this biography of Mike Bossy. This is among other things because the book was written in collaboration with the family of the legendary right winger, including his wife Lucie, his daughters Josiane and Tanya, as well as his granddaughters Alexe and Gabrielle.
However, it was after a meeting with Tanya Bossy, a few weeks after the death of the eternal number 22 of the Islanders, in April 2022, that the idea of telling the life of Mike Bossy in 50 days was born.
“Five minutes after our first meeting, our first coffee, we knew we were going to write a book together,” said Mr. Lalancette.
The result finally came to fruition with the launch of “50 Days in the Life of Mike Bossy,” which traces the life of Mike Bossy by revisiting 50 pivotal moments from his life on and off the ice.
“It’s more fun to talk about hockey”
The atmosphere was festive Monday evening for the launch of the book, which attracted the elite of the sporting world, in addition to a few personalities from the political world.
Prime Minister François Legault traveled for the occasion, wishing to pay tribute to “a great player, a great man”, of whom Quebecers “were proud”.
“He’s a guy who had an extraordinary sense of humor, exceptional charisma,” underlined Mr. Legault, referring to the many moments when he listened to Mike Bossy’s analyzes after National Hockey League games. (LNH) broadcast on TVA Sports.
After a press scrum, the Prime Minister quickly came face to face with the former leader of the Bloc Québécois Gilles Duceppe, who also wanted to come and participate in the evening.
“It’s fun to talk about politics, but it’s more fun to talk about hockey,” said Mr. Legault to Mr. Duceppe who, straight away, replied that “it’s fun to talk about politics too.”
The Prime Minister then spent a long time talking with Mike Bossy’s family, at the end of which Mikaël Lalancette offered him a copy of the book. After refusing the offer, preferring to buy the book himself, Mr. Legault finally accepted the book when he saw that the copy handed to him by Mr. Lalancette was autographed.
“You are going to have some (reading) work to do,” however, warned Mr. Lalancette.
Asked by journalists whether a tribute would be paid to Mike Bossy by the Quebec government, Mr. Legault assured that “people are working on this currently, with the family”.
A posthumous award
Even if Mike Bossy is best remembered for his exploits on the ice – including his nine consecutive seasons of 50 goals or more, a record that is still unmatched – his work as an ambassador of the French language was also praised Monday evening.
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal posthumously awarded him the Maurice-Richard prize, which it awards to reward sporting excellence.
“The strongest action to protect our French language is our desire to pass it on to our children and also share it with newcomers. And Mike Bossy, in fact, was an indisputable model of this will and this responsibility,” said the general president of the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal, Marie-Anne Alepin.
Bossy’s 10-season NHL career, cut short due to injuries and back pain, will go down as one of the most impressive of all time. He totaled 573 goals and 1,126 points in 752 games, in addition to playing a leading role in the Islanders dynasty in the early 1980s.
He also won the Calder Trophy (1977-78) as rookie of the year, a Conn Smythe Trophy (1981-82) as NHL MVP and three Lady Byng Trophies (1983, 1984, 1986). awarded to the player demonstrating the best sportsmanship.
In 1991, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame; in 1995, at the Panthéon des sports du Québec; and in 1998, in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame. On the occasion of the NHL’s centennial in 2017, he was honored as one of the 100 greatest players in history.