Way-back Playback: Mike Bossy scores 50 in 50
It seemed no player would ever score 50 goals in 50 games after Maurice Richard accomplished the feat in the 1944-45 season, but Mike Bossy, who turned 58 on Thursday, rewrote the record books 36 years later.
Bossy was a scoring machine for the New York Islanders during their dynasty days in the early 1980s. He recorded 573 goals in 752 regular season games and added 85 in 129 playoff contests - enough to earn him a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But Bossy is best remembered for proving the 50-in-50 feat was more than a one-off achievement during the 1980-81 season.
Bossy and Los Angeles Kings forward Charlie Simmer were both on pace to match Richard's record during the season, and the Kings and Islanders were fortuitously scheduled to face each other for their 50th game. Simmer had 46 goals and Bossy had 48.
Bossy was without a goal in the contest by the time Simmer scored a hat trick, but he scored twice in the final five minutes to get to 50. Richard was present to congratulate him.
Jarome Iginla recently tied Bossy for 20th on the NHL's all-time goals list, reminding the hockey world of one of the game's greatest goal-scorers.