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Bobby Hull

Born:January 3, 1939Draft:Undrafted Black Hawks
Hometown:Point Anne, ONPosition:LW
Known For:“Golden Jet”Shoots:Left
National Team:Canada

Robert Marvin Hull OC (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian former ice hockey player who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blonde hair, legendary skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high velocity all earned him the name “The Golden Jet”. His talents were such that one or two opposing players were often assigned just to shadow him—a tribute to his explosiveness.

In his 23 years in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA), Hull played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Winnipeg Jets, and Hartford Whalers. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player twice and the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point scorer three times while helping the Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961. He also led the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets to Avco Cup championships in 1976 and 1978. He led the NHL in goals seven times, the second-most of any player in history, and led the WHA in goals one additional time while being the WHA’s most valuable player two times. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and received the Wayne Gretzky International Award in 2003. In 2017 Hull was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history.

Bobby Hull Winnipeg Jets
Bobby Hull of the Winnipeg Jets, Novermber 1979. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)

Bobby Hull Statistics

Deeper Dive

Achievements

  • Jersey (#9) was retired by the Blackhawks in 1983 and Jets in 2016
  • Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983
  • Canada Cup Champion (1977)
  • NHL First All-Star Team (1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972)
  • NHL Second All-Star Team (1963, 1971)
  • Stanley Cup Champion with the Black Hawks (1961)
  • Three-time Art Ross Trophy winner (1960, 1962, 1966)
  • Seven-time Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy winner (1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)
  • Two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner (1965, 1966)
  • Lady Byng Trophy (1965)
  • Lester Patrick Trophy (1969)
  • Two-time WHA Most Valuable Player (Gordie Howe Trophy) (1973, 1975)
  • Two-time WHA Avco World Trophy winner (1976, 1978)
  • WHA First All-Star Team (1973, 1974, 1975)
  • WHA Second All-Star Team (1976, 1978)
  • NHL All-Star game MVP (1970, 1971), the only player to win consecutive All-Star game MVP awards
  • Retired as the second leading goal scorer and ninth leading point scorer in NHL history (currently 17th and 50th respectively)
  • In 1998, he was ranked number 8 on The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players, the highest-ranking left winger
  • Honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
  • Member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame
  • Inaugural member of the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame
  • Honoured member of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
  • In 2011, statues of Hull and Stan Mikita were installed outside the United Center, where the Blackhawks currently play

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