Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull, the first NHL player to score more than 50 goals in a season, has died at the age of 84, the Chicago Blackhawks said Monday.
A Canadian player who had a feared slapshot and was known as the “Golden Jet” for his blond hair and speed on the ice, Hull helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup championship in 1961 that ended a drought. of 23-year titles for the franchise.
“Hull is part of an elite group of players who have made a historic impact on our hockey club,” the Blackhawks said in a statement. “Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby’s shooting prowess, skating prowess and overall team leadership.”
The electric left winger helped resurrect the fortunes of a Blackhawks franchise that, prior to his arrival, had missed the playoffs in 11 of the previous 12 seasons.
Hull, who with teammate Stan Mikita popularized the hockey stick’s curved blade that gave shooters more speed and caused the puck to move differently at times, played 15 seasons with Chicago and his 604 goals remain the highest. a franchise record.
Hull was a five-time 50-goal scorer, led the NHL in goal scoring seven times, won the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player twice, and was voted first-team star at left wing 10 times.
“When Bobby Hull finished to take a hit, NHL fans were on their feet with anticipation and opposing goaltenders braced themselves,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “During his prime, there was no more prolific scorer in all of hockey.”
In 1972, Hull joined the upstart World Hockey Association when he signed the first million-dollar contract in hockey history to play for the Winnipeg Jets, who moved to Phoenix in 1996 and became the Coyotes.
The decision cost Hull the chance to play for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union when the NHL blocked their participation. The series, won by Canada, remains a defining moment for a generation of Canadians.
Hull’s son, Brett, also played in the NHL, scoring 741 goals and winning the Stanley Cup with Dallas and Detroit before joining his father in the Hall of Fame in 2009.
