Mike Bossy Named No. 5 on CHL's Top 50 Players List
Published on May 10, 2026 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) News Release
TORONTO, ON - The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce that Laval National and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) alumnus Mike Bossy has been ranked No. 5 on the CHL's Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list, a marquee initiative of the CHL's 50th anniversary season.
The countdown recognizes the greatest players from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) since 1975-76, celebrating the stars who have defined major junior hockey over the past five decades. As part of the initiative, a panel of media members first selected the Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years. The final ranking order was then determined using a weighted formula that combined media and fan voting to rank the players from No. 1 through No. 50.
Bossy stands as one of the most prolific goal scorers in CHL history, with a legacy built through his record-setting tenure with the QMJHL's Laval National, a Hall of Fame career in the NHL, and a decorated international résumé with Team Canada.
A native of Montreal, Que., Bossy played four full seasons with the Laval National from 1973-77, producing 532 points - 309 goals and 223 assists - over his QMJHL regular-season career. His 309 career goals remain the most by any player in CHL history, while Bossy remains the only CHL skater to have topped 300 career goals in major junior hockey.
Bossy's dominance was immediate. In 1973-74, he recorded 118 points, including 70 goals and 48 assists, before adding 22 points in 11 playoff games. The following season in 1974-75, Bossy delivered a career-best 149 points, highlighted by 84 goals and 65 assists, while adding 38 points in 16 playoff contests and earning QMJHL First All-Star Team honours.
He followed that performance with another elite campaign in 1975-76, totaling 136 points with 79 goals and 57 assists, earning QMJHL First All-Star Team recognition for the second straight season. In 1976-77, while serving as captain, Bossy recorded 126 points, including 75 goals and 51 assists, before adding 10 points in seven playoff games. That season, he was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team and earned the QMJHL Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year Award.
Across his four full QMJHL seasons, Bossy never scored fewer than 70 goals, making him the only player in league history to achieve the feat. His 532 career QMJHL points remain among the highest totals in league history, ranking ninth all-time, while his CHL-record 309 career goals have stood since the end of the 1976-77 season - nearly 50 years.
Following his standout QMJHL career, Bossy was selected 15th overall by the New York Islanders in the first round of the 1977 NHL Draft. He went on to spend his entire 10-year NHL career with the Islanders from 1977-87, becoming one of the greatest goal scorers in hockey history and a central figure in one of the NHL's most successful dynasties.
Bossy made an immediate impact in the NHL, scoring 53 goals as a rookie in 1977-78 to set what was then an NHL rookie record, while capturing the Calder Trophy as the league's top first-year player. From there, he recorded nine consecutive 50-goal seasons - a streak unmatched in NHL history - and led the NHL in goals twice, in 1978-79 and 1980-81.
A key piece of the Islanders' four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1980-83, Bossy won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1982 as the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also captured the Lady Byng Trophy three times, was later named one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players in 2017, and remains tied for the most 50-goal seasons and 60-goal seasons in NHL history.
Internationally, Bossy represented Canada at the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cup tournaments. In 1984, he helped Canada capture gold, highlighted by his overtime-winning goal against the Soviet Union in the semifinals of a 3-2 victory.
In recognition of his impact on the QMJHL, the Michael Bossy Trophy was established in 1980-81 and is awarded annually to the league's top NHL Draft prospect. Bossy was inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 1998 and was later selected as the Laval National's right wing on the club's All-Time Team in 1999. In 2019, he was chosen by a panel of distinguished members of the hockey community as the No. 6 player in QMJHL history.
Bossy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991, while his No. 22 was retired by the New York Islanders. His No. 17 is also retired by the Newfoundland Regiment, the modern incarnation of the former Laval franchise.
The remaining players ranked in the Top 10 on the CHL's Top 50 Players of the Last 50 Years list will be revealed over the coming days, with full player bios available at chl.ca/chl50.
CHL Top 50 Evaluation Criteria and Eligibility
The CHL's Top 50 Players were selected by a panel of more than 40 media members who submitted ranked 1-50 ballots guided by a weighted evaluation framework designed to ensure consistency across eras. Panelists considered a player's impact beyond the CHL - including NHL and international success, major awards and championships, and Hall of Fame recognition - alongside on-ice achievement in the Member Leagues, reflecting what players accomplished during their time in the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL through production, individual honours, team success, and sustained dominance. Selections also accounted for historical significance, recognizing milestones, era-defining influence, generational impact, and lasting contributions to CHL history.
To be eligible, players must have competed in at least one full season in the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL during the CHL's 50-year history beginning in 1975-76; for players who competed in 1975-76 and also played prior to that season, their entire CHL career was considered when evaluating on-ice accomplishments.
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