Bobby Hull, the legendary and controversial Blackhawks
died at the age of 84, according to the NHL Alumni Association.
Hull, nicknamed “The Golden Jet,” is the Blackhawks’ all-time leading goal-scorer,
with 604 career goals.
He played 15 seasons for the Blackhawks, winning a Stanley Cup in 1961 and two Hart
trophies. Hull later spent seven seasons in the WHA playing for the Winnipeg Jets,
then played one NHL season for them before finishing his career with the Hartford
Whalers.
With his rocket of a slap shot, Hull scored 610 career NHL goals, 18th-most all time.
While Hull starred on the ice, he faced legal and family issues in his personal life.
Hull was convicted of assaulting a police officer who intervened in a dispute with
then-wife Deborah in 1986. He also was accused of battery, but that charge was
dropped after Deborah told authorities she didn’t want to testify against her
husband, a state attorney told the Chicago Tribune. Hull’s second wife, Joanne,
accused him of abuse during an interview with ESPN for a 2002 show.
A Russian newspaper quoted Hull in 1998 as saying that Adolf Hitler “had some good
ideas” and that the black population in the United States was growing too quickly.
Hull denied he made those statements.
Read Also:Kyle Smaine: US freestyle skier dies aged 31 in avalanche in Japan
Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and his No. 9 sweater was
retired by the Blackhawks that same year. He was estranged from the team for a while
before he was named a Blackhawks ambassador in a ceremony with former teammate
Stan Mikita in 2008. Hull and Mikita have adjacent statues outside the United Center.
The franchise announced in February 2022 that Hull had retired from any official
team role, calling it a joint decision.
“Bobby Hull will always be remembered as one of the greatest Blackhawks players of
all time. He was a beloved member of the Blackhawks family,” team owner Rocky
Wirtz said in a statement.
http://nationalsportslink.com.ng
