Maven's Memories: How the Trio Grande Happened

The formation of hockey's greatest lines often happen by accident, as well as design.
In the Islanders case, Al Arbour had been seeking a super trio ever since he signed on as coach in 1983. The boss, Bill Torrey, was there to help.
Granted, they came close early in franchise history.

When Torrey swung a deal with the Minnesota North Stars and obtained Jude Drouin and J.P. Parise, he had two-thirds of a starry trio but one ace was missing.
Same with Clark Gillies and Bryan Trottier. Billy Harris was as solid a right wing as any team could want. But, alas, he was short of being a superstar.
So, Bowtie Bill and Radar kept looking and hoping.
"One thing I learned early on in this business," said Torrey, "is that you never know when you'll find that needle in the haystack."
Then, came the 1977 Entry Draft when, remarkably, Torrey nabbed Mike Bossy with the 15th pick.
MAVEN'S MEMORIES
WRITTEN COVERAGE
Chico Resch's Unforgettable Game
Denis Potvin's Road to the Isles
Ziggy Palffy, Underrated Islanders Hero
Bill Torrey's Origin Story
The Heals and Flats Show
1993 Run Ends in Montreal
Unusual Draft of 1979
Isles Upset Pens in 1993
Prelude to Penguins Upset
Maven's Haven
Bossy signed his Isles contract, got married, went on a honeymoon with Lucie to the Bahamas and showed up at autumn camp with, really, no idea how he'd crack the varsity lineup.
At first, it didn't look good. The rookie right wing suffered an eye injury before he actually met any of his future linemates.
Matter of fact, Bossy was stretched out on the infirmary table while trainer Ron Waske tended to Mike's wound.
Suddenly, who should appear but center Bryan Trottier. They had never met before. "He introduced himself," Bossy recalled, "and just like that invited me to dinner."
A good meal at the Trottier's wasn't going to guarantee a spot in the lineup, but it was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.
Bossy admittedly was hardly knocking the brass dead with his pre-season efforts until two weeks of pre-season workouts had elapsed.
An exhibition game against the Canucks at Vancouver was next on the schedule and Arbour had a hunch. He summoned Bossy and told the freshman he would be working the left side with Trots at center.
"Al already had Clark (Gillies) working with Trots and Harris," Bossy remembered. "This time Radar put me in Billy's place and we clicked; just like that."
Writing in his autobiography, "Boss," ghosted by Barry Meisel, Mike noted that just one superb line rush convinced the general staff to keep them together.
Bossy: "Bill and Al recalled one rush that first game when Trots and I passed the puck back and forth together 10 times and I ended up with a good scoring chance.
"Al rubbed his hands together and told Bill, 'I think we've got something here.'"
The threesome made sense on paper and on the ice. Gillies -- alias "Jethroe" -- was a big, powerful shooter who dominated corner work and was totally fearless.
Trots already had emerged not only as a scorer but one of the finest two-way centers in NHL history.
"I was hoping to be their goal-scorer on the right," Bossy allowed, "but my first order of business was just making the team."

Finally, Bossy's doubts were erased when Arbour uttered the deathless words, "Go get a place; you've made the team."
Not that Mike needed more reassurance, but he got it when assistant trainer Jim Pickard asked which number Mike preferred. His number in Junior hockey was 17 but that already belonged to Drouin.
"Actually," Bossy allowed, "there were three numbers available, 7, 16 and 22. I didn't want a single digit and 16 didn't mean much to me but 22 was my birthdate and that's what I chose."
Hard as it may be to believe but starting with Mike's first NHL game at Buffalo, he lived in fear of being demoted to the American Hockey League.
But his fears were erased in his NHL opener at The Aud in Buffalo. Working smoothly with Trots and Gillies, Mike beat goalie Don Edwards for his first major league red light. Bryan and Clark got the assists.
"I did a little jig," Bossy laughed, "and fetched the puck."
Bossy tallied 20 goals in his first 22 games en route to the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.
"Gillies, Trots and I became one of the highest-scoring lines in the NHL," Mike said.
And that's how "Trio Grande" was born and was to become one of the legendary lines in major league annals!
Not that a postscript is necessary, but if there was any doubt that Bossy felt as snug as a hand in a glove with his linemates, he concluded his freshman season with 53 -- count 'em fifty-three -- goals!
It was a new, rookie record for red lights.
"And," Boss concluded, "I can thank Trots and Jethroe for that!"