Legendary hockey player Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84, the NHL Alumni Association announced on Monday.
Hull spent 15 seasons with the Blackhawks, where he remains the team’s all-time leading scorer with 604 goals. The “Golden Jet,” as he was known, is also the father of Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull.
Bobby Hull ranks third overall for the Blackhawks with 1,153 career points, fifth with 549 assists and sixth with 1,036 games played.
In 1961, Hull helped Chicago win its third Stanley Cup title. His name was forever etched into the fabric of the Blackhawks franchise when his No. 9 was retired in ’83, the same year he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2011, the United Center dedicated a statue of Hull outside of the arena.
Because of his huge impact on the Blackhawks franchise, the team issued a statement about Hull’s death on Monday.
“The Chicago Blackhawks are saddened by the passing of Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull, a superstar for our franchise between 1957 and 1972,” the team’s statement read. “Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club. ... Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby’s shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership that led to 604 career goals, a franchise record that remains to this day. We send our deepest sympathies to the Hull family.”
The Canadian joined the World Hockey Association’s Winnipeg Jets in 1972. He earned the league’s MVP award twice, and he also broke his personal best by scoring 77 goals in one season with the upstart league.
However, Hull’s public life wasn’t without controversy. Two of his wives said he was abusive, and a Russian newspaper reported that he made a sympathetic comment about Adolf Hitler in 1998. (Hull denied making that comment.) The Blackhawks cut ties with Hull as a team ambassador in 2022.
