'The Golden Jet' Bobby Hull was the most feared goal scorer of the 1960's and 1970's and arguably the greatest left wing to ever play professional hockey. Along with teammate Stan Mikita, Hull made the Chicago Blackhawks one of the NHLs true offensive powerhouses. He and Mikita were the first NHL players to use curved stick blades, which made his already wicked slapshot even more difficult to stop. This was a very significant development in pro hockey, and now its rare to find a player that plays with the flat stick blade that was once commonplace before Hull and Mikita's revolutionary modification.
Born in rural Belleville, Ontario Hull rose quickly through the ranks of junior hockey and by the time he was 18 had joined the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. He was a very effective rookie, and by his third year in the league was leading the NHL in scoring. In 1961, he played an important role in the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup championship victory.
Hull made history in 1966 by becoming the first player to score more than 50 goals in a season. His 51st goal surpassed Montreal Canadiens' legends Bernie Boom Boom Geoffrion and Maurice Rocket Richard and earned him a 7 minute standing ovation from the home crowd at Chicago Stadium.
In 1972, Hull signed a then unprecedented deal to jump to the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA). His compensation included a $1 million US signing bonus which all of the league's owners contributed to realizing the significance of landing Hull in terms of publicity and credibility.
Hull would quickly resume his offensive onslaught in the upstart league for his new team, the Winnipeg Jets. He would lead the Jets to two league championship AVCO Cup victories and in 1977 set a new professional hockey record with 77 goals in a season.
Hull suffered from knee trouble throughout his career and was off the ice more than on it during the WHAs final season of 1979-80. After appearing in a handful of games for the Jets, he was shipped to the Hartford Whalers for future considerations. He would play in a few games for the Whalers before calling it a career. With the exception of an abortive comeback attempt with the New York Rangers in 1981 that was the end of his professional hockey career.
Hull's legacy lived on in flesh and blood with his third son, Brett Hull. The Hulls are the only father/son combination to ever score 50 goals in an NHL season and Brett will follow his father into the Hall of Fame this year.
Now 70 years old, Hull is still in good health and splits his time between Ontario and Chicago. He currently serves as a PR ambassador for the Blackhawks organization. He is expected to formally induct his son into the Hall of Fame at the ceremonies later this summer.
Born in rural Belleville, Ontario Hull rose quickly through the ranks of junior hockey and by the time he was 18 had joined the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. He was a very effective rookie, and by his third year in the league was leading the NHL in scoring. In 1961, he played an important role in the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup championship victory.
Hull made history in 1966 by becoming the first player to score more than 50 goals in a season. His 51st goal surpassed Montreal Canadiens' legends Bernie Boom Boom Geoffrion and Maurice Rocket Richard and earned him a 7 minute standing ovation from the home crowd at Chicago Stadium.
In 1972, Hull signed a then unprecedented deal to jump to the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA). His compensation included a $1 million US signing bonus which all of the league's owners contributed to realizing the significance of landing Hull in terms of publicity and credibility.
Hull would quickly resume his offensive onslaught in the upstart league for his new team, the Winnipeg Jets. He would lead the Jets to two league championship AVCO Cup victories and in 1977 set a new professional hockey record with 77 goals in a season.
Hull suffered from knee trouble throughout his career and was off the ice more than on it during the WHAs final season of 1979-80. After appearing in a handful of games for the Jets, he was shipped to the Hartford Whalers for future considerations. He would play in a few games for the Whalers before calling it a career. With the exception of an abortive comeback attempt with the New York Rangers in 1981 that was the end of his professional hockey career.
Hull's legacy lived on in flesh and blood with his third son, Brett Hull. The Hulls are the only father/son combination to ever score 50 goals in an NHL season and Brett will follow his father into the Hall of Fame this year.
Now 70 years old, Hull is still in good health and splits his time between Ontario and Chicago. He currently serves as a PR ambassador for the Blackhawks organization. He is expected to formally induct his son into the Hall of Fame at the ceremonies later this summer.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer specializing in hockey, sports betting and fight sports including boxing and mixed martial arts. He is a well known expert on how to successfully bet on UFC fights, as well as a creative consultant for a number of casinos, sports books and other clients. He will be hosting a hockey themed streaming audio podcast starting in late 2009.
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