Emotional Guy Lafleur reacts to Mike Bossy’s passing as he fights same cancer

This is with broken hearts that we learned on Friday morning that Hall of Fame member and New York Islanders great Mike Bossy had died. He was just 65 years old.

Bossy an eight-time All-Star had announced last October that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. The illness forced him to step away from his analyst job at TVA Sports. There were reports last week that he has entered palliative care, though his family had explained that he was at home, surrounded by loved ones. He passed earlier in the wee hours on Friday. 

It didn’t take long for social media to be flooded with tributes to the legendary player and man.

Amongst the many tributes offered by current and former players, insiders, teams and fans, one stood out as Montreal Canadiens’ great Guy Lafleur shared a moving message as he too is fighting lung cancer. After a cancerous white spot was found on his right lung in September 2019, Lafleur underwent a first surgery to remove both the upper lobe of his lung and lymph nodes at Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), the University of Montreal’s medical centre. Lafleur received more bad news in October 2020 that the cancer had was back and had to restart treatment. Lafleur is still fighting cancer and followed by his doctors but is back home, and share this emotional post this morning in memory of Mike Bossy.

This is what can be read from French: "With a heavy heart I learn of this sad news. I want to offer my sincerest condolences to Mike's family. We have lost a great man and a legend." 

In one of those incredible coincidences, the Islanders are in Montreal, his hometown, for tonight’s game.