Also: The end for Bossy and Potvin
After beginning life on a four- to five-year cycle, the Canada Cup — the precursor to this month’s World Cup of Hockey — was contested three times between 1981 and 1987.
This coincided with the New York Islanders dynasty, of course, which meant each of these preseason tournaments involved a lot of Islanders participation. It’s definitely worth suggesting that level of wear and tear helped contribute to the dynasty’s end in 1983 and the fast descent of so many of its key figures.
The cover of the November 1987 Islanders News captures this transition perfectly: A headline of “Potvin to Retire, Bossy Out Indefinitely” (never to return, it turned out) foretold what was hitting the franchise, with Al Arbour already a year into his first retirement.