Hockey's Golden Jet: Bobby Hull
Sunday, 20 June 2010 07:53 | 
Written by Ross Everett |
Nicknamed The Golden Jet for his blond hair and his jet-like slap shot, Bobby Hull was the most feared goal scorer of the 60s and 70s He and teammate Stan Mikita were the first NHL players to use curved stick blades, which made his already wicked slapshot even more difficult to stop.
Nicknamed The Golden Jet for his blond hair and his jet-like slap shot, Bobby Hull was the most feared goal scorer of the 60s and 70s He and teammate Stan Mikita were the first NHL players to use curved stick blades, which made his already wicked slapshot even more difficult to stop.
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'61, he played an important role in the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup championship victory.
Hull made history in'66 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.
Hulls tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks ended in'72, when he jumped to the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA). Hull signed for an at the time unprecedented $1,000,000 signing bonus. Initially, Hulls response that he would jump ship for a million bucks was an offhanded joke but when the WHA ownership agreed to contribute to that sum thinking that it would provide instant credibility for the league it became a reality.
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'77 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'79-80. 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'81 that was the end of his professional hockey career.
Modern fans may be more familiar with Hulls third son, Brett Hull, who earned NHL superstar status in his own right. The Hulls are the only father/son combination to ever score 50 goals in an NHL season. Brett Hull wore his dads retired #9 in the final games, and will be inducted 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.
Nicknamed The Golden Jet for his blond hair and his jet-like slap shot, Bobby Hull was the most feared goal scorer of the 60s and 70s He and teammate Stan Mikita were the first NHL players to use curved stick blades, which made his already wicked slapshot even more difficult to stop.
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'61, he played an important role in the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup championship victory.
Hull made history in'66 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.
Hulls tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks ended in'72, when he jumped to the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA). Hull signed for an at the time unprecedented $1,000,000 signing bonus. Initially, Hulls response that he would jump ship for a million bucks was an offhanded joke but when the WHA ownership agreed to contribute to that sum thinking that it would provide instant credibility for the league it became a reality.
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'77 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'79-80. 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'81 that was the end of his professional hockey career.
Modern fans may be more familiar with Hulls third son, Brett Hull, who earned NHL superstar status in his own right. The Hulls are the only father/son combination to ever score 50 goals in an NHL season. Brett Hull wore his dads retired #9 in the final games, and will be inducted 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 experienced freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.