from John Dietz of the Chicago Daily-Herald,
Bobby Hull, the Blackhawks' all-time leading goal scorer, died Monday morning, two people close to Hull told the Daily Herald.
No other immediate details were available. Hull just celebrated his 84th birthday on Jan. 3.
The controversial Hull, who possessed a howitzer of a shot that allowed him to score 610 NHL goals, broke into the league in the 1957-58 season. He scored 30 or more goals for 13 consecutive seasons then left for the World Hockey Association in 1972 when the league agreed to pay him $1 million.
Hull, Stan Mikita and others led the Hawks to a Stanley Cup title in 1961.
Below watch a Legends of Hockey feature on Hull.
At the Olympia, you could stand right next to the players as they left the dressing room headed to their bench. The only thing separating fans from the players were saw horses.
I was about ten and as Hull approached, I let out a big boo as he walked past me. Then over his shoulder he shot me the meanest stare, scared me half to death.
Good story Paul
The dressing rooms were under the stands from what I recall. They had to move ramps to bridge the gap. One of my favorite memories of the Olympia was the main escalator. That thing seemed to go to heaven it was so long.
The escalator was huge. At the time it was install, maybe the late 60's, a rumor was floating around that it was the longest in the world. I don't know if that is true or not, but it was also very steep, like 79 degrees steep.
I remember those saw horses which blocked nothing. My buddy and I went to a playoff game and went downstairs two minutes before the game ended to wait for Hull to come out of the dressing room. Got his autograph and he gave me a nice smile (not a mean look, but then again, I didn't 'boo' him). Ha!
My Girlfriend and I would watch the players come off the ice after warmups many times. One time Hull came off the ice and gave her a wink. I remember the playoff series against Chicago. I was there when Bugsy Watson drove Hull nuts. The Red Wings won that series. Now Hull and Bugsy are playing hockey against each other in heaven.
from Steven Ellis of The Daily Faceoff,
When Hull retired in 1980, he finished as the second-leading goal scorer and ninth-leading point scorer in NHL history before falling to 17th and 50th, respectively. His son, fellow Hall of Famer Brett, surpassed him to sit fifth and 25th, respectively.
Hull, along with Gordie Howe, is considered to be the biggest star to have an impact in both the NHL and the rival WHA. While at the top of the NHL in 1972, Hull joined the upstart Winnipeg Jets of the WHA and signed what was seen as the biggest contract in hockey at the time with a $1.75 million deal over 10 years. Hull finished with 303 goals in 411 WHA games while still in his prime before finishing one last year in the NHL in 1979-80.
Hull went on to be named to the Hockey Hall of fame in 1983, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and was listed as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in History list put out by the league in 2017.
While his on-ice talent put him in the spotlight, his post-career days were rife with controversy. In 1987 he was convicted of assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest him during an altercation with his third wife Deborah. In 2002, Hulls second wife Joanne alleged in an ESPN documentary interview that Hull beat her with a steel-healed shoe and held her off a balcony while she was covered in blood and fearing for her life during a 1966 trip to Hawaii. Hull was never charged.
Hull was also quoted in 1998 by a Russian media outlet as saying that Adolf Hitler had some good ideas, though he denied ever saying such things in a statement issued through the Los Angeles Times.
more
NEW YORK (January 30, 2023) National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman today released the following statement on the passing of Bobby Hull:
When Bobby Hull wound up to take a slapshot, fans throughout the NHL rose to their feet in anticipation and opposing goaltenders braced themselves. During his prime, there was no more prolific goal-scorer in all of hockey.
As gregarious a personality as he was explosive as a player, Hull was a true superstar and the face of the Chicago Blackhawks throughout the 1960s and early 70s. A five-time 50-goal scorer, he led the NHL in goal-scoring seven times, twice won the Hart Trophy as Most Valuable Player, was voted a First-Team All-Star on left wing 10 times, and won the Stanley Cup in 1961. His 604 goals as a Blackhawk are the most in franchise history.
The National Hockey League mourns the passing of one of its most iconic and distinctive Players. We send our deepest condolences to his son, fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Brett; the entire Hull family; and the countless fans around the hockey world who were fortunate enough to see him play or have since marveled at his exploits.
More pics of Hull bailing hay here.
My sincere condolences to the entire Hull family. RIP Bobby Hull. Where did the time go?
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