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.
In'66, Hull broke a hallowed NHL scoring mark by becoming the first player to net more than 50 goals in a season. His 51st goal broke the record of 50 goals held by Montreal Canadien greats Bernie Boom Boom Geoffrion and Maurice Rocket Richard. Hull would go on to score 54 goals in the'66 and would surpass that mark by scoring 58 in'68.
In'72, Hull signed a then unprecedented deal to jump to the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA). His compensation included a $1 million US signing bonus which all of the league's owners contributed to realizing the significance of landing Hull in terms of publicity and credibility.
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 it eventually forced his retirement from hockey in'79. 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.
Hull's legacy lived on in flesh and blood with his third son, Brett Hull. The Hulls are the only father/son combination to ever score 50 goals in an NHL season and Brett will follow his father into the Hall of Fame this year.
Hull is still in good health and splits his time between Canada and Chicago, IL. 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.
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