How did former Chicago Blackhawks winner and NHL Hall of Famer Bobby Hull die?
The former Blackhawks star, will be remembered as much for the situations he found himself in off the ice, as on it. Yet, there is no denying that he truly was a legendary a player in the NHL.
The NHL is in mourning, following confirmation that the legendary winger, Bobby Hull, has passed away. Join us for a look back at the career of a former Stanley Cup winner and truly one of hockey’s great players.
NHL Hall of Famer Bobby Hull passes away
According to an announcement from the NHL Alumni Association, Hockey Hall of Fame winger Bobby Hull died on Monday. Hull was 84-years-old at the time of his death according. There has been no official cause of death given. The winger was honored in a statement from his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks.
“The Chicago Blackhawks are saddened by the passing of Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull, a superstar for our franchise between 1957 and 1972,” the Blackhawks said in a statement. “Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club. The Golden Jet helped the Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup and 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.”
A look at Bobby Hull’s career
Of the 17 seasons that he played in the NHL, Hull spent 15 of them with the Blackhawks and during that time he registered 604 goals and 549 assists. As you can probably guess, the star winger was picked up a number of awards during his career including three Art Ross Trophies, two of which came in back-to-back seasons (1964-65 and 1965-66). Hull was also named to the All-Star Game on 10 occasions, but his shining glory came in the 1960-61 season when he led the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup title, after defeating the Detroit Red Wings in six games. and was elected to 10 All-Star Games.
Hull would eventually retire during the 1978-79 season, but seemingly couldn’t resist the itch as he returned just one season later, following the merger between the WHA and the NHL. During the 1979-80 season he would play in 18 games for the then Winnipeg Jets, before he was traded to the now defunct Hartford Whalers, where he made nine appearances before announcing his retirement for the final time. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983, Hull saw his No. 9 jersey retired by the Blackhawks that same year.
Bobby Hull’s record still stand as does his allure
Known as the “The Golden Jet” because of his skating prowess, Hull was actually the first player in NHL history to score more than 50 goals in a single season. Indeed, after scoring 54 goals in the 1965-66 season he actually surpassed both Maurice “Rocket” Richard and Bernie Geoffrion as the only player to top 50 goals. Interestingly, Hull was named as an ambassador for the Blackhawks in 2008, however, following the death of fellow ambassadors Stan Mikita - another Blackhawks legend - and Tony Esposito, the team announced that he would no longer be serving in the role.
The other side of Bobby Hull
Of course, as is the case with much in life, there are always two sides. Hull was no different, as evidence by the number of controversies that he was involved in off the ice. Firstly, there was the abuse allegations from two of his three wives. Indeed, Hull’s third wife, Deborah, went to the extent of filing charges against him following an incident in 1984, but she later dropped them. On another occasion, the Canadian icon pled guilty after he attempted to punch a police officer during his arrest. He was later fined $150 as a result of the altercation. Yet, perhaps one of the most eye catching of his actions came when he complained about the black population in 1998, before going on to say that “Hitler had some good ideas” but “just went a bit too far.”