Bobby Hull was difficult to stop when he had the puck. He was lightning quick, possessed a powerful slap shot, and was very sure of himself.
There was quite a spectacle put on by “The Golden Jet” even before today’s top players went to the rink.
Hull, a winger with the Chicago Blackhawks who helped them win the Stanley Cup in 1961 and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, has passed away. He was 84.
On Monday, the Blackhawks and the NHL Alumni Association broke the news of Hull’s passing. Neither group offered any more explanations.
The Blackhawks released a statement saying Hull “gave innumerable moments to our fans, whom he cherished. Bobby’s shooting power, skating ability, and general team leadership resulted to 604 career goals, a club record that stands to this day and has impressed generations of Chicagoans. For the Hull family’s loss, please accept our heartfelt condolences.
Career of Boby Hull
Hull had a 610-goal career with Chicago, Hartford, and Winnipeg throughout his 16 years in the NHL, making him one of the league’s all-time great forwards. He played with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association for seven years, earning the nickname “The Golden Jet” for his lightning quickness and platinum blonde hair.
Despite his success on the ice, Hull had to deal with personal concerns including legal troubles and family strife.
In 1986, Hull was convicted of assaulting a police officer who interfered in a fight he was having with his then-wife Deborah. A state attorney informed the Chicago Tribune that he was also accused of violence, but the allegation was withdrawn when his wife said she did not want to testify against him.
Source: NBC Sports
For an ESPN episode in 2002, Hull’s second wife Joanne made allegations of violence against him.
An article from 1998 in a Russian publication quotes Hull as saying that Hitler “had some nice ideas.” Hull said the statement was “false and defamatory” and that he had not made it.
Hull’s No. 9 jersey with the Blackhawks was retired and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the same year, 1983. After a long period off from the organisation, he was formally inducted as an ambassador for the Blackhawks in 2008 with his old colleague Stan Mikita. Outside the United Center, monuments of Hull and Mikita stand next to one another.
Jointly, the team and Hull decided in February 2022 for Hull to resign from all team activities.
Bobby Hull will go down in Blackhawks history as one of the franchise’s all-time greats. “He was a very special and much valued part of the Blackhawks family,” club owner Rocky Wirtz said.
After my father passed away in 2007, I took over as president of the team and one of my first orders of business was to have a meeting with Bobby to persuade him to return as an ambassador. The bond he had with our audience was unique and priceless.
Brett Hull, Bobby’s son, played for the NHL for 19 years, while Hull’s brother Dennis played there for 14 years. Bobby and Brett became the first father-and-son combination to win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. In 1964 and ’65, Bobby won, and in ’66, he and Brett shared the title.
Brett Hull, who serves as an ambassador for the St. Louis Blues, stated that his father offered him and his family “a huge number of beautiful memories.”
