Bobby Hull, Hockey Hall Of Famer, Dies At 84

A game-changer both on the ice and in the economics of pro hockey, Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84.

Hull’s legacy has been tarnished by allegations of domestic abuse and racism. But he was one of the biggest stars in the NHL when he made the decision to jump to the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972, becoming the first player ever to sign a contract worth $1 million when he inked a 10-year deal worth $1.75 million with the Winnipeg Jets.

A controversial decision at the time, Hull’s move opened the door for other top stars to sign big deals with the new league, and forced NHL clubs to start raising their own wages to keep their players in the fold.

Per Scott Edmonds of The Canadian Press, Hull’s Chicago Blackhawks teammate Stan Mikita, also a Hall of Famer, “once said he got down on his knees and thanked his former teammate and the Jets — his salary doubled almost overnight because of the competition.”

Born in Point Anne, Ontario on Jan. 3, 1939, Hull joined the Blackhawks in the six-team NHL as an 18-year-old in the 1957-58 season. In just his third season, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer with 39-42-81 in 70 games. In 1961, he helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup and in the 1965-66 season, he became the first NHL player ever to score more than 50 goals in a single season (54-43-97 in 65 games).

Known for his booming slap shot and blazing speed which earned him the nickname ‘The Golden Jet,’ Hull posted 604 goals and 549 assists for 1,153 points in 1,036 games over 15 seasons with the Black Hawks before jumping to the WHA.

There, in seven seasons in Winnipeg, he added 303-335-638 in 411 regular-season games, winning two MVP awards and two Avco Cup championships. He left the Jets early in the 1978-79 season, the last for the WHA before the Jets became one of four teams to merge into the NHL for the 1979-80 season, along with the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques and New England Whalers (who then became the Hartford Whalers).

Hull played his final pro games in that 1979-80 season: 18 with the Jets and nine with the Whalers.

Hull is also the father of another Hockey Hall of Famer, Brett Hull, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion who inherited his father’s scoring touch. From 1990-92, Brett Hull led the NHL in goals in three straight seasons, peaking at 86 goals and 131 points with the St. Louis Blues in the 1990-91 season.

Bobby and Brett Hull are the only father-son duo to both win the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player, and the only father and son to have been named to the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players list in 2017.

Off the ice, Bobby Hull leaves a difficult legacy. Two of his three wives alleged domestic abuse incidents, and he was fined $150 and placed on six months court supervision after being found guilty of assaulting the police officer who intervened in an argument between Hull and his then-wife, Deborah, in 1986. A charge of battery was dropped when Deborah chose not to testify against her husband.

Also, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, “In 1997, a Russian publication quoted Hull praising Hitler for ‘good ideas,’ claiming the Black population was growing too fast and expressing support for genetic breeding. Hull denied the comments and sued the publication at the time.”

In 2008, Hull became a Blackhawks team ambassador, alongside Mikita, Tony Esposito and Denis Savard, with Chris Chelios coming on board in 2018. After the passing of Mikita and Esposito, the Blackhawks announced in February of 2022 that Hull was retiring from an official team role.

“The Chicago Blackhawks are saddened by the passing of Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull, a superstar for our franchise between 1957 and 1972,” said the team in a statement on Monday. “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.”