‘GOLDEN JET’ AN NHL GREAT
When Bobby Hull got the puck, he was tough to stop. He had blazing speed, a hard slap shot and tons of confidence.
Long before today’s biggest stars took the ice, “The Golden Jet” put on quite a show.
Hull, a Hall of Fame winger and two-time NHL MVP who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961, died. He was 84.
The Blackhawks and the NHL Alumni Assosciation announced Hull’s death on Monday. There were no further details provided by either organization.
The Blackhawks said Hull “delivered countless memories to our fans, whom he adored. Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby’s shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership that led to 604 career goals, a franchise record that remains to this day. We send our deepest sympathies to the Hull family.”
Hull was one of the most prolific forwards in NHL history, scoring 610 times during his 16-year career with Chicago, Hartford and Winnipeg. Nicknamed “The Golden Jet” for his speed and blond hair, he also collected 303 goals while playing for the Jets in the World Hockey Association for seven seasons.
While Hull starred on the ice, he faced legal and family issues in his personal life.
Hull was convicted of assaulting a police officer who intervened in a dispute with then-wife Deborah in 1986. He also was accused of battery, but that charge was dropped after Deborah told authorities she didn’t want to testify against her husband, a state attorney told the Chicago Tribune.
Hull’s second wife, Joanne, accused him of abuse
during an interview with ESPN for a 2002 show.
A Russian newspaper reported in 1998 that Hull said Adolf Hitler “had some good ideas.” Hull denied making the comment, calling it “false and defamatory.”
Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and his No. 9 sweater retired by Chicago that same year. He was named a Blackhawks ambassador with former teammate Stan Mikita in 2008. Hull and Mikita have adjacent statues outside the United Center.
The franchise announced in February 2022 that Hull had retired from any official team role, calling it a joint decision.
“Bobby Hull will always be remembered as one of the greatest Blackhawks players of all time. He was a beloved member of the Blackhawks family,” owner Rocky Wirtz
said in a statement.
“When I assumed leadership of the organization upon my father’s passing in 2007, one of my first priorities was to meet with Bobby to convince him to come back as an ambassador of the team. His connection to our fans was special and irreplaceable.”
Hull’s brother, Dennis, played for Chicago for most of his 14 years in the league, and Bobby’s son, Brett, spent 19 years in the NHL. Bobby and Brett each won the Hart Trophy as league MVP, becoming the first father-son duo to accomplish the feat. Bobby won in 1964-65 and 1965-1966, while Brett won in 1990-1991.
In a statement released by the St. Louis Blues, for whom he works as an ambassador, Brett Hull said his father gave his family and others “a tremendous amount of great memories.”
“Those of us who were lucky enough to spend time with him will cherish those forever,” Hull said. “He will be greatly missed.”
Bobby Hull posted 13 consecutive seasons with 30 goals or more from 1959-72, becoming a perennial fixture at the All-Star Game and a regular candidate for the league’s top awards.
Hull and Mikita powered Chicago to the franchise’s third championship in 1961, beating Montreal and Detroit in the playoffs. Hull had two goals and five assists as Chicago eliminated Detroit in six games in the final.
The Pointe Anne, Ontario, native remains Chicago’s career leader for regular-season and playoff goals. He is second to Mikita on the team’s points list with 1,153.