Maven's Memories: How the 50-in-50 Idea was Born

Before actually signing his first contract with the Islanders, rookie right wing Mike Bossy promised his new boss, Bill Torrey, that he'd score 50 goals.
After Bow Tie Bill finished gasping at the lad's braggadocio, Torrey signed the eager Montrealer and over his freshman season, 1977-78, Bossy made good on his promise.

But the 50 figure had become an obsession with Boss for one particular reason. He had followed the fortune of his hometown Habs and was well aware of a seemingly out-of-reach record.
During the 1944-45 season the Canadiens exalted right wing, Maurice (The Rocket) Richard had, remarkably, tallied 50 goals in 50 games.
In his autobiography, "Boss -- The Mike Bossy Story," the greatest natural goal scorer in National Hockey League history detailed how the idea flew from Mike's chat with his brother-in-law, Bob, to action.
"Bob was the first to know," Mike revealed. "We were sitting in his house one night in the summer of 1980. We were talking about the Islanders, the (first) Stanley Cup and my three straight 50-goal seasons.
"I told Bob that scoring 50 goals was a thrill, but next year it wasn't going to be enough. I needed a greater challenge. 'I'm going for 50 in 59,' I declared. 'That hasn't been done in 30 years."
As it happened, Mike was off by six years, but Bob wasn't complaining; just listening to his brother-in-law explain what was behind his crusade.
Bossy: "My confidence level was at an all-time high. There was nothing I thought I couldn't do. Also, Bob loved the idea. He believed I could do anything. I could have said I wanted to score 100 goals in 50 games and he would have said, 'Yeah, you can do that.'"
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Trottier Wins Hart Trophy
Behind the Scenes with Bryan Trottier
Stan's Fans: Jake April
Terrific Pierre Turgeon
Mike Bossy, My Son and a Third Cup
The 1988 Division Title
Catching Up With Darius Kasparaitis
My Mike Bossy Moments
Maven's Haven
Bob and Mike agreed that they would keep the 50-in-50 crusade a secret. And not a word was spoken about it as August gave way to September and training camp opened on Long Island.
Mike wanted someone else close to him --apart from brother-in-law Bob -- to be in on his goal secret. For that, he chose his best friend on the team, center Bryan Trottier.
"I quietly told Trots," Mike revealed, "and he said it was a great idea, but I later found out that he thought it was unrealistic. But at the time he said that it would be greater motivation for him as well as for me."
Both the Islanders and Bossy seemed to be skating in mud at the start of the 1980-81 campaign. But then Boss found his groove and by the team's 23rd game, Mike was halfway to his target with 25 red lights.
"I still kept the 50 in 50 a secret," he added. "I didn't want any more pressure than was self-imposed. I knew that as I got closer, some reporter would ask me about it. I decided to wait until the story came to me."
It wasn't until the Christmas holiday season that Bossy picked the puck rabbit out of his bag. He now had 34 goals in 35 games when the Isles jetted into Chicago.
The game itself revealed two indicators of the 80-81 season: A. The Islanders were playing like champions as the 9-0 victory over the Blackhawks indicated. And B: Bossy's sixth hat trick of the season had the press pushing him for comments.
And that's when Mike's "secret" wasn't a secret anymore.
Covering the game for his home newspaper, the Chicago Sun-Times, reporter Mike Perricone was also "stringing" for Newsday. He asked Bossy if Mike was thinking about equaling Phil Esposito's 76-goal record.
Mike respectfully denied that he had Espo in mind. Then, a pause:
"What I have on my mind right now is 50 goals in 50 games. I know that I have 37, and I know I need 13 in the next 14 games. The team is going well, my linemates are going great, and that just makes it easier."

No longer was 50-in-50 the private secret held only by brother-in-law Bob but teammate Trottier, it now was out in the open.
"There, I had done it," Bossy wrote in his autobiography. "Now everybody knew."
And, as just about everyone in the civilized hockey world knows by now, Mike scored the necessary final two goals at the Coliseum against Quebec in his Game 50.
Number 49: Bossy from Trottier and Stefan Persson at 15:50.
Number 50: Bossy from Trottier and John Tonelli at 18:31.
Besieged by reporters -- and ever the humorist -- Mike came up with a good punch line in the crowded dressing room, post-game.
For starters, he read a gracious telegram sent by Rocket Richard, himself, congratulating Bossy on tying the 50-in-50 record.
"I know what Rocket's going to say when I see him," quipped The Boss. "He'll claim he still holds the record because I scored my 50th in the last minute or so and he scored his with two minutes to go!"