View source for Bobby Hull

{{short description|Canadian ice hockey player (1939–2023)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = {{br entries | Bobby Hull | {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OC}} }}
| halloffame = 1983
| image = Bobby Hull Chex card.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Hull with the [[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago Black Hawks]] in the 1960s
| birth_date = {{birth date|1939|1|3}}
| birth_place = [[Point Anne]], Ontario, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|1|30|1939|1|3}}
| death_place = [[Wheaton, Illinois]], U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 191
| position = [[Winger (ice hockey)|Left wing]]
| shoots = Left
| played_for = {{ubl|[[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago Black Hawks]]|[[Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)|Winnipeg Jets]]|[[Hartford Whalers]]}}
| ntl_team = CAN
| career_start = 1957
| career_end = 1980 
| website = {{URL|www.bobbyhull.ca}}
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Country | {{ih|CAN}} }}
{{Medal|Sport | [[Ice hockey]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Canada Cup (ice hockey)|Canada Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | [[1976 Canada Cup|1976 Canada]] |}}
}}

'''Robert Marvin Hull''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|OC}} (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional [[ice hockey]] player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high velocity all earned him the nickname "'''the Golden Jet'''". His talents were such that an opposing player was often assigned just to shadow him.

During his 23-year playing career, from 1957 to 1980, he played in both the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) and [[World Hockey Association]] (WHA) with the [[Chicago Black Hawks]], [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)|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 [[Gordie Howe Trophy|most valuable player]] two times; his 77 goals scored in the [[1974–75 WHA season]] was the [[List of WHA players with 50-goal seasons|most in league history]].

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bobby Hull |url=http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/78-bobby-hull |publisher=Ontario Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=September 24, 2014 |archive-date=June 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628015719/https://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/78-bobby-hull |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/sports/bobby-hull-wins-gretzky-award/article25288290/?ref=https://www.theglobeandmail.com&service=mobile|title=Bobby Hull wins Gretzky award|date=July 31, 2003|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|access-date=March 19, 2018}}</ref> In 2017 Hull was named one of the '[[100 Greatest NHL Players]]' in history.<ref>{{cite web|title=100 Greatest NHL Players|url=https://www.nhl.com/fans/nhl-centennial/100-greatest-nhl-players|publisher=National Hockey League|access-date=January 27, 2017|date=January 27, 2017}}</ref>

Off the ice, Hull was noted for domestic violence allegations<ref name="LATimes" /><ref name="ESPNClassic" /> and allegedly making comments supporting [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref name="moscow" /><ref name="denies" />

==Early life==
Hull was born in [[Point Anne, Ontario]], on January 3, 1939.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2019/01/03/UPI-Almanac-for-Thursday-Jan-3-2019/1811546209344/|title= UPI Almanac for Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019|work=[[United Press International]]|date=January 3, 2019|access-date=September 3, 2019|archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190103223323/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/2019/01/03/UPI-Almanac-for-Thursday-Jan-3-2019/1811546209344/|url-status=live|quote=hockey Hall of Fame member Bobby Hull in 1939 (age 81)}}</ref> He was the son of Lena Cook and Robert Edward Hull, a cement company foreman.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rayner|first=William|editor=Nicole Chaplin|title=Canada on the Doorstep: 1939|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s91HjbxUaGYC&q=%22Robert+Edward+Hull,+a+cement-company+foreman,+and+Lena+Cook+Hull%22&pg=PA36|year=2011|publisher=Dundurn Press|location=Canada|language=en|isbn=978-1-55488-993-8|page=36}}</ref> He played his minor hockey in nearby [[Belleville, Ontario|Belleville]], and then Junior B hockey for the Woodstock Warriors in the fall of 1954. Hull led the Warriors to the 1955 [[Sutherland Cup]] as Ontario champions. Later, he played for the [[Galt Black Hawks]] and the [[St. Catharines Teepees]] in the [[Ontario Hockey Association]], before joining the [[Chicago Black Hawks]] in [[1957–58 NHL season|1957]] at the age of 18.

==Playing career==

===NHL career===
[[File:Hastings County Archives HC01957A (38140064474).jpg|thumb|upright|Hull with the Black Hawks in 1968]]
Hull had a solid debut year, finishing second in voting for the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]]. Hull originally wore numbers 16 and 7 as a Black Hawk but later switched to his famous number 9, a tribute to his childhood idol [[Gordie Howe]]. By his third season (1959–60), he led the league in goal- and point-scoring (the [[Art Ross Trophy]]), a double feat which he also achieved in 1961–62 and 1965–66. He led Chicago to the [[1961 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup in 1961]]—their third overall and first in 23 years. He finished second in point-scoring three further times.

On March 12, 1966, Hull became the first NHL player to score more than 50 goals in a season, surpassing [[Maurice Richard]]'s, [[Bernie Geoffrion]]'s, and his own mark of 50 goals. His 51st goal, scored on [[Cesare Maniago]] of the [[New York Rangers]], earned him a seven-minute standing ovation from the [[Chicago Stadium]] faithful. Hull eventually scored 54 goals that season, the highest single-season total of the [[Original Six]] era. That same year, Hull set the record for the most points in a season with 97, one more than the previous record set by [[Dickie Moore (ice hockey)|Dickie Moore]] 7 years earlier. His point total was tied the next year by teammate [[Stan Mikita]] and their record was broken three years later by [[Phil Esposito]]. Hull led the league in goal-scoring seven times during the 1960s. In [[1968–69 NHL season|1968–69]], despite Hull breaking his own goals in a season record by four goals (netting 58) and setting a career NHL high of 107 points (second in the league that year), the Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since his rookie season. By his final [[1971–72 NHL season|NHL season]], he had scored 50 goals or more a remarkable five times. This was only one time less than all other players in NHL history combined up until that point in time.

In his 15 full NHL seasons he was voted the First-Team All-Star left winger ten times and the Second-Team All-Star left winger twice. His slapshot was once clocked at 118.3&nbsp;mph (190.5&nbsp;km/h) and he could skate 29.7&nbsp;mph (47.8&nbsp;km/h).<ref name='Hawk on the Wing'>{{cite magazine | title=Hawk on the Wing | date=March 1, 1968 | url =https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,941234,00.html | magazine =[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | access-date = January 25, 2021}}</ref> During his drive to be the first to eclipse the 50 goal mark, Hull's [[wrist shot]] was said to be harder than his [[slapshot]].<ref>{{cite magazine|author=William Leggett |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1965/01/25/606983/go-bobby-goto-beat-the-magic-50 |title=In the boldest attack yet on hockey's seemingly impassable barrier, Bobby Hull has sent his lightning-fast slap and wrist shots into the net 36 times to put him and Chicago on the road to a championship |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |date=January 25, 1965 |access-date=April 17, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114004138/https://www.si.com/vault/1965/01/25/606983/go-bobby-goto-beat-the-magic-50 |archivedate=November 14, 2016}}</ref>

===="Bobby Hull Rule"====
Hull and teammate [[Stan Mikita]] were catalysts for a 1960s craze where players curved the blades of their hockey sticks, which became widely referred to as "banana blades".<ref name=YahooAugust2010>{{cite news|last=Wyshynski|first=Greg|title=The 10 best player-inspired NHL rules changes|url=https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/10-best-player-inspired-nhl-rules-changes--nhl.html|work=Yahoo! Sports|date=August 19, 2010}}</ref> Hull is the player typically linked most to the rule that banned this practice because of the potential danger to goalies, few of whom wore masks in that era.<ref name=YahooAugust2010/> The curved blade made the puck's trajectory unpredictable. The rule originally limited the blade curvature to between {{cvt|0.5|in|mm}} and {{cvt|0.75|in|mm}}; in 1970, it was set at {{cvt|0.5|in|mm}}.<ref name=YahooAugust2010/> NHL Rule 10.1 currently limits the curvature to {{cvt|0.75|in|mm}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/rules/2018-2019-NHL-rulebook.pdf|title=Official rules 2018–2019|publisher=National Hockey League}}</ref>

===WHA career===
Long unhappy with his poor salary despite being one of hockey's preeminent superstars, Hull responded to overtures from the upstart [[World Hockey Association]]'s [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)|Winnipeg Jets]] in [[1972–73 WHA season|1972]] by jesting that he would jump to them for a million dollars, a sum then considered absurd. Gathering the other league owners together to contribute to the unprecedented amount on the grounds that inking such a major star gave instant credibility to the new rival league that was competing directly against the entrenched NHL, Jets owner [[Ben Hatskin]] agreed to the sum, and signed Hull as a [[player-coach]] for a contract worth $1.75&nbsp;million over 10 years plus a $1&nbsp;million signing bonus.<ref name="wapo_obit">{{cite news |last1=Sumner |first1=Ben |title=Bobby Hull, hockey's 'Golden Jet' of the ice, dies at 84 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2023/01/30/bobby-hull-hockey-dead/ |access-date=November 16, 2024 |work=Washington Post |date=January 30, 2023}}</ref> Although his debut with Winnipeg was held up in litigation by the NHL, Hull instantly became the WHA's greatest star, winning the [[Gordie Howe Trophy]] as league MVP in that very first season despite being bugged by bone chips in his elbow that still saw him score 51 goals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-may-15-1973-p-52/|title=Operating Table For Dunc, Danny|first= Reyn |last=Davis|date=May 15, 1973|work=Winnipeg Free Press}}</ref> He then won the MVP award again in the 1974–75 season. With Swedish linemates [[Anders Hedberg]] and [[Ulf Nilsson (ice hockey)|Ulf Nilsson]] he formed one of the most formidable forward lines of the 1970s (known as "The Hot Line"), leading the Jets to two [[Avco World Trophy|AVCO Cup]]s during his time with the club. His best performance was during the [[1974–75 WHA season|1974–75 season]], when he [[List of WHA players with 50-goal seasons|scored 77 goals]] to set a new professional mark, while adding 65 assists for a total of 142 points, five behind the league leader, one of two times he finished second in the point-scoring race in the WHA; he set a then record for goals in a professional season at home in Winnipeg on April 6, 1975, in his 78th and last game played that season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/billings-gazette-apr-08-1975-p-25/|title=Hull sets scoring record|work=Billings Gazette|agency=Associated Press|date=April 8, 1975}}</ref> In October of 1975, Hull sat out a game as a form of protest against hockey violence, stating, “Setting an example for kids should be hockey's main theme. Body‐checking and aggressiveness is part of hockey. So is the odd fight because of the tempo. But not the stuff that's going on. The intimidation. The stick‐swinging, flailing it like an ax. The high stick. The spear. That's not hockey. Intimidation isn't hockey.”<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/30/archives/dave-anderson-why-bobby-hull-made-hockey-blush.html|first=Dave|last=Anderson|date=October 30, 1975|work=The New York Times|title=Why Bobby Hull Made Hockey Blush}}</ref> In the five WHA seasons in which he played more than half the schedule, he was voted a [[WHA All-Star Team|First-Team]] All-Star thrice and a Second-Team All-Star twice, while tallying 50 goals and 100 points four times each. The Jets won the [[1978 WHA playoffs]] with Hull delivering eight goals in the postseason run. In the Game 4 victory over the New England Whalers, Hull scored in the third period to make it 4–2 in the eventual 5–3 victory that meant Hull delivered the series-clinching goal. As it turned out, this was his last postseason goal in his career. Hull scored 43 goals in the WHA playoffs, the most in WHA postseason history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/leaders/goals_career_p.html|title=NHL & WHA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Goals|website=Hockey Reference|date=July 22, 2025}}</ref>

Because he joined the rival league, Hull was not allowed to represent [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Team Canada]] in the [[1972 Summit Series]], which pitted Canada's top NHL players against the [[Soviet Union national ice hockey team|USSR's national team]]. Two years later, a [[1974 Summit Series|second Summit Series]] was held in which Hull and other top WHA stars (including [[Gordie Howe]], who had been retired from the NHL at the time of the initial Summit Series) competed against the Soviet national team. The WHA lost the series four games to one (three ending in a tie), despite Hull's seven goals. He was a key member of the Canadian squad that won the [[1976 Canada Cup]], though, scoring five goals and three assists in seven games.

===Later career and retirements===
Slowed by injuries and age, Hull played only a few games in the WHA's final season of [[1978–79 WHA season|1978–79]]. However, after the 1979 merger of the two leagues (including the Jets) and reportedly in financial straits, Hull came out of retirement to play once more for the NHL Jets. He played in eighteen games before being traded to the [[Hartford Whalers]] for future considerations, bringing the two-time [[Gordie Howe Trophy]] winner together with the 51-year-old Howe himself (who, after Hull's initial contest with the Whalers, told the press, "The kid looks good in his first game."). Hull played effectively in nine games (two goals and five assists) as the Whalers reached the postseason. In the Preliminary Round against the [[Montreal Canadiens]], Hull did not record a statistic as the Whalers were swept with an overtime loss at the [[Hartford Civic Center]] on April 11. As it turned out, this was Hull's last game as a professional player, as he retired soon after to care for his partner, who had been injured in an automobile accident.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|last=Clarity|first=James|title=Hull Shows Spirit in Ranger Tryout|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/10/sports/hull-shows-spirit-in-ranger-tryout.html|date=September 10, 1981|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

In September 1981, Hull attempted one final comeback with the [[New York Rangers]] at age 42, at the suggestion of Rangers coach [[Herb Brooks]], who wanted to try reuniting Hull with his former Jets teammates, Hedberg and Nilsson.<ref name="comeback">{{cite web |last1=Clarity |first1=James F. |title=Hull Fails to Make Rangers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/09/sports/hull-fails-to-make-rangers.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 27, 2019 |date=October 9, 1981}}</ref> The comeback attempt lasted five exhibition games, during which Hull had one goal and one assist, before he and the Rangers both decided it was best to end the comeback.<ref name="comeback" /> It was the second time in Hull's career that he had played exhibition games with the Rangers; in 1959, after missing the playoffs the previous spring, the Rangers and the [[Boston Bruins]] had been sent on an exhibition tour of Europe, and then-emerging star Hull and [[Eddie Shack]] were added to the Rangers' roster for the tour. Hull and Shack co-led the Rangers in scoring, each netting 14 goals over the 23-game tour.<ref name="Rangers 1">{{cite book|last=Kreiser|first=John|title=The New York Rangers : Broadway's longest-running hit|year=1996|publisher=Sagamore Pub.|location=Champaign, IL|isbn=1571670416|page=139|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sSlinBzTL0QC&q=%22bobby+hull%22%22rangers%22%22tour%22%22europ%20e%22&pg=PA139|author2=Smith, Lou Friedman |author3=foreword by Neil }}</ref>

Hull ended his career having played in 1,063 NHL games, accumulating 610 goals, 560 assists, 1,170 points, 640 penalty minutes, three [[Art Ross Trophy|Art Ross Trophies]], two [[Hart Memorial Trophy|Hart Memorial Trophies]] (he finished second or third in the voting an additional six times), a [[Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]], and a [[Stanley Cup]] Championship, adding 62 goals and 67 assists for 129 points in 119 playoff games. He played in 411 WHA games, scoring 303 goals, 335 assists, and 638 points, adding 43 goals and 37 assists in 60 playoff games. His North American major league professional total of 1,018 goals (NHL and WHA including playoffs) is the third most of all-time after [[Wayne Gretzky]] (1,072) and Gordie Howe (1,071), although the NHL does not recognize scoring statistics from the WHA in players' career totals.

==Post-playing career==
In 1978, he was made an Officer of the [[Order of Canada]]. Besides his Hall of Fame induction, Hull's no. 9 jersey has been retired by the Black Hawks, the Jets, and their successor team, the [[Arizona Coyotes]]. When Bobby's son [[Brett Hull]] joined the Coyotes, they unretired the number for Brett to wear during his brief stint there to honour his father. [[Evander Kane]], who wore number 9 for the [[Atlanta Thrashers]] when they became the current [[Winnipeg Jets]] franchise, sought and received Hull's permission to wear the number.

In 2003, he was named the figurehead commissioner of a new [[World Hockey Association (proposed)|World Hockey Association]], intended to operate during the [[2004–05 NHL lockout]]; it never entered play, and the organization subsequently ran several ephemeral low-minor league and unsanctioned Tier II junior leagues. Hull served as an ambassador for the Blackhawks through part of the 2021–22 season until the organization announced, "When it comes to Bobby, specifically, we jointly agreed earlier this season that he will retire from any official team role."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/bobby-hull-no-longer-serving-as-chicago-team-ambassador-1.6359410|title=NHL legend Bobby Hull no longer team ambassador for Chicago|agency=Associated Press|date=February 21, 2022|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=January 30, 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life and death==
[[File:Bobby Hull.jpg|thumb|upright|Hull in 2006]]

Hull's younger brother [[Dennis Hull|Dennis]] (nicknamed "the Silver Jet") starred alongside him with the Chicago Black Hawks for eight seasons, scoring over 300 goals in his own right. When Bobby was excluded from the [[1972 Summit Series]] because he had signed to play in the WHA, Dennis initially planned to boycott the event as well as a show of support for his brother, but Bobby persuaded him to stay on Team Canada.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Hull's marriage to Joanne McKay ended in divorce in 1980 after several abusive incidents.<ref name="ESPNClassic" />

In 1986, he was arrested and charged with assault and battery after allegedly hitting his third wife, Deborah, after an argument.<ref name="LATimes">{{cite web |date=December 11, 1986 |title=LA Times - Bobby Hull Charged With Assault on Wife |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-11-sp-2174-story.html |access-date=January 30, 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> She eventually dropped the charges.<ref name="ESPNClassic">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Hull_Bobby.html |title=ESPN Classic – Hull helped WHA into hockey family |publisher=ESPN |access-date=November 21, 2011}}</ref>

<!---YOU MUST USE A RELIABLE SOURCE IF ADDING THE NAMES OF ANY SUPPOSED RELATIONSHIPS PER [[WP:PROVEIT]]--->
Hull was romantically involved with a woman named Claudia Allen. In 1980, Hull retired from the Hartford Whalers to take care of Allen, who was injured in a severe automobile accident.<ref name=NYT /> The couple never married.

In 1998, Hull allegedly made pro-[[Nazism|Nazi]] comments to ''[[The Moscow Times]]''. He was quoted as saying, "[[Hitler]], for example, had some good ideas. He just went a little bit too far."<ref name="moscow">{{cite web |title=Bobby Hull to Moscow Paper: Hitler Had Some Good Ideas |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-08-26-9808270083-story.html |website=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=November 26, 2018 |date=August 26, 1998}}</ref> Hull later denied having complimented Hitler and said journalists had raised the subject.<ref name="denies">{{cite web |title=Hull Denies Remarks on Hitler, Blacks |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-aug-27-sp-17129-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=November 26, 2018 |date=August 27, 1998}}</ref> The incident was parodied on the Canadian [[news satire]] show ''[[This Hour Has 22 Minutes]]'', with [[Rick Mercer]] reading a spot saying Hull had been misquoted, and had actually said, "''[[Darryl Sittler|Sittler]]'' had some good ideas."

===Children===
[[Brett Hull]] (the "Golden Brett"), was also a hockey star, finishing his NHL career with 741 goals (currently the fifth-highest goal total in NHL history). Bobby and Brett are the only [[List of professional sports families|father-and-son tandem]] to achieve the marks of more than 50 goals in an NHL season and more than 600 NHL goals. They are also the only father-and-son duo to win the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]] (Bobby twice and Brett once) and [[Lady Byng Trophy]], and to lead the league in goal scoring (Bobby seven times and Brett three times). While playing for the [[Phoenix Coyotes]] in 2005, Brett donned his father's retired No. 9 for the last five games of his career.

[[Bart Hull]] was a standout [[running back]] for the [[Boise State University]]' [[Boise State Broncos football|Broncos football]] team and played with the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] and [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] in the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL) as well as one season of professional [[Indoor American football|indoor football]] prior to recurring injuries. Post football, he briefly played professional hockey with the [[Idaho Steelheads]].

Bobby Jr. and Blake both played junior and senior hockey. Bobby Jr. won the [[Memorial Cup]] with the 1980 [[Cornwall Royals]]. Later, the brothers played together for the [[Allan Cup]]-winning Brantford Mott's Clamatos of the [[OHA Senior A Hockey League]] (AAA Men's Amateur) in 1987.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Hull's daughter, Michelle, was an accomplished figure skater, becoming British Columbia Pre-Novice Champion at the age of 11. After many knee injuries, she ended her figure skating career and is now an attorney licensed in two states.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} She works with battered women as a result of witnessing her father's treatment of her mother, Joanne McKay.<ref name="wapo_obit"/>

===Bobby Hull Community Rink===
[[File:Bobby-hull-community-ice-arena.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue of Hull at the Bobby Hull Ice Rink (Cicero, Illinois)]]
[[File:Bobby-hull-community-ice-arena-1.jpg|thumb|upright|Bobby Hull Ice Rink (Cicero, Illinois)]]

The Town of [[Cicero, Illinois]] created a public outdoor rink in his name. The rink hosts skating lessons, public skate, public Stick & Puck, High School Hockey games, and more.

===Death===
On January 30, 2023, Hull died at his home in [[Wheaton, Illinois]], at the age of 84.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bobby Hull dies at 84, legendary Blackhawks goal-scorer, Cup champion |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/bobby-hull-dead-at-age-84/c-340587082 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=January 30, 2023 |date=January 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20230130/former-blackhawks-great-bobby-hull-dies-at-84|title=Former Blackhawks great Bobby Hull dies at 84|date=January 30, 2023|website=Daily Herald}}</ref><ref name="wapo_obit"/> His son Brett released a statement following his father's death via the Twitter account of the [[St. Louis Blues]].<ref>{{cite tweet |user=StLouisBlues |number=1620163012131983363 |date=January 30, 2023 |title=A message from Brett Hull. |access-date=January 31, 2023}}</ref>

In February 2025, Hull's family released a statement saying that researchers had determined that Hull had stage 2 [[chronic traumatic encephalopathy]] (CTE) at the time of his death.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=Hockey great Hull had CTE, researchers confirm |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/43918445/hall-famer-bobby-hull-had-cte-researchers-find |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Awards and achievements==
* [[Art Ross Trophy]] winner ([[1959–60 NHL season|1960]], [[1961–62 NHL season|1962]], and [[1965–66 NHL season|1966]])
* [[National Hockey League|NHL]] First All-Star Team left wing (1960, 1962, [[1963–64 NHL season|1964]], [[1964–65 NHL season|1965]], 1966, [[1966–67 NHL season|1967]], [[1967–68 NHL season|1968]], [[1968–69 NHL season|1969]], [[1969–70 NHL season|1970]], and [[1971–72 NHL season|1972]])
* [[Stanley Cup]] champion ([[1960–61 NHL season|1961]])
* [[National Hockey League|NHL]] Second All-Star Team left wing ([[1962–63 NHL season|1963]] and [[1970–71 NHL season|1971]])
* [[Hart Memorial Trophy]] winner (1965 and 1966)
* [[Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]] winner (1965)
* [[Lester Patrick Trophy]] winner (1969)
* 7x NHL goalscoring leader (1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969).
* Became third hockey player to appear on the [[List of covers of Time magazine (1960s)|cover of ''Time'' magazine]]<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19680301,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203005500/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19680301,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 3, 2007 | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] | title=Chicago's Bobby Hull |date=March 1, 1968 |at=Cover}}</ref>
* NHL All-Star game MVP ([[23rd National Hockey League All-Star Game|1970]], [[24th National Hockey League All-Star Game|1971]]), only player to win consecutive All-Star game MVP awards
* [[World Hockey Association|WHA]] First All-Star Team ([[1972–73 WHA season|1973]], [[1973–74 WHA season|1974]], and [[1974–75 WHA season|1975]])
* WHA Second All-Star Team ([[1975–76 WHA season|1976]] and [[1977–78 WHA season|1978]])
* WHA Most Valuable Player (1973 and 1975)
* [[Avco Cup]] (WHA) champion (1976, 1978, and [[1978–79 WHA season|1979]])
* Inducted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 1983
* When he moved to the WHA, he was the second leading goal-scorer and ninth leading point-scorer in NHL history.
* Second in WHA history in goals, sixth in assists and third in points
* In 1998, he was ranked number 8 on ''[[The Hockey News]]''{{'}} [[List of 100 greatest hockey players by 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]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Honoured Members Database - Bobby Hull |url=http://honouredmembers.sportmanitoba.ca/inductee.php?id=101 |website=honouredmembers.sportmanitoba.ca |access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref>
* Inaugural member of the [[World Hockey Association Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whahof.com/hofmembers.html |title=WHA Hall of Fame Members |website=Whahof.com |date=January 1, 2004 |access-date=March 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826175702/http://www.whahof.com/hofmembers.html |archive-date=August 26, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Honoured member of the [[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/78-bobby-hull |title=Bobby Hull |website=oshof.ca |publisher=[[Ontario Sports Hall of Fame]] |access-date=March 11, 2017 |archive-date=June 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628015719/https://oshof.ca/index.php/honoured-members/item/78-bobby-hull |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* In 2011, statues of Hull and [[Stan Mikita]] were installed outside the [[United Center]], where the Blackhawks currently play<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kuc |first1=Chris |title=Moving moment for Hull and Mikita |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2011/10/22/moving-moment-for-hull-and-mikita/ |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 17, 2024 |date=October 22, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023224519/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10-22/sports/ct-spt-1023-hull-mikita-blackhawks-statues-chicago-20111023_1_hull-and-mikita-statue-omri-amrany |archive-date=October 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Marvin 'Bobby' Hull Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=244147 |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[[Regular season]]
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[[Playoffs]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! [[Season (sports)|Season]]
! Team
! League
! GP !! [[Goal (ice hockey)|G]] !! [[Assist (ice hockey)|A]] !! [[Point (ice hockey)|Pts]] !! [[Penalty (ice hockey)|PIM]]
! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
|-
| [[1954–55 OHA season|1954–55]]
| [[St. Catharines Teepees]]
| [[Ontario Hockey Association|OHA]]
| 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1955–56 OHA season|1955–56]]
| St. Catharines Teepees
| OHA
| 48 || 11 || 7 || 18 || 79
| 6 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 9
|-
| [[1956–57 OHA season|1956–57]]
| St. Catharines Teepees
| OHA
| 52 || 33 || 28 || 61 || 95
| 13 || 8 || 8 || 16 || 24
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1957–58 NHL season|1957–58]]
| [[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago Black Hawks]]
| [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| 70 || 13 || 34 || 47 || 62
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[1958–59 NHL season|1958–59]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 70 || 18 || 32 || 50 || 50
| 6 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1959–60 NHL season|1959–60]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 70 || 39 || 42 || 81 || 68
| 3 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 2
|-
| [[1960–61 NHL season|1960–61]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 67 || 31 || 25 || 56 || 43
| 12 || 4 || 10 || 14 || 4
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1961–62 NHL season|1961–62]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 70 || 50 || 34 || 84 || 35
| 12 || 8 || 6 || 14 || 12
|-
| [[1962–63 NHL season|1962–63]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 65 || 31 || 31 || 62 || 27
| 5 || 8 || 2 || 10 || 4
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1963–64 NHL season|1963–64]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 70 || 43 || 44 || 87 || 50
| 7 || 2 || 5 || 7 || 2
|-
| [[1964–65 NHL season|1964–65]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 61 || 39 || 32 || 71 || 32
| 14 || 10 || 7 || 17 || 27
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1965–66 NHL season|1965–66]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 65 || 54 || 43 || 97 || 70
| 6 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 10
|-
| [[1966–67 NHL season|1966–67]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 66 || 52 || 28 || 80 || 52
| 6 || 4 || 2 || 6 || 0
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 71 || 44 || 31 || 75 || 39
| 11 || 4 || 6 || 10 || 15
|-
| [[1968–69 NHL season|1968–69]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 74 || 58 || 49 || 107 || 48
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1969–70 NHL season|1969–70]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 61 || 38 || 29 || 67 || 8
| 8 || 3 || 8 || 11 || 2
|-
| [[1970–71 NHL season|1970–71]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 78 || 44 || 52 || 96 || 32
| 18 || 11 || 14 || 25 || 16
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1971–72 NHL season|1971–72]]
| Chicago Black Hawks
| NHL
| 78 || 50 || 43 || 93 || 24
| 8 || 4 || 4 || 8 || 6
|-
| [[1972–73 WHA season|1972–73]]
| [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)|Winnipeg Jets]]
| [[World Hockey Association|WHA]]
| 63 || 51 || 52 || 103 || 37
| 14 || 9 || 16 || 25 || 16
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1973–74 WHA season|1973–74]]
| Winnipeg Jets
| WHA
| 75 || 53 || 42 || 95 || 38
| 4 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 4
|-
| [[1974–75 WHA season|1974–75]]
| Winnipeg Jets
| WHA
| 78 || 77 || 65 || 142 || 41
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1975–76 WHA season|1975–76]]
| Winnipeg Jets
| WHA
| 80 || 53 || 70 || 123 || 30
| 13 || 12 || 8 || 20 || 4
|-
| [[1976–77 WHA season|1976–77]]
| Winnipeg Jets
| WHA
| 34 || 21 || 32 || 53 || 14
| 20 || 13 || 9 || 22 || 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1977–78 WHA season|1977–78]]
| Winnipeg Jets
| WHA
| 77 || 46 || 71 || 117 || 23
| 9 || 8 || 3 || 11 || 12
|-
| [[1978–79 WHA season|1978–79]]
| Winnipeg Jets
| WHA
| 4 || 2 || 3 || 5 || 0
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]]
| Winnipeg Jets
| NHL
| 18 || 4 || 6 || 10 || 0
| — || — || — || — || —
|- 
| 1979–80
| [[Hartford Whalers]]
| NHL
| 9 || 2 || 5 || 7 || 0
| 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"| NHL totals
! 1,063 !! 610 !! 560 !! 1,170 !! 640
! 119 !! 62 !! 67 !! 129 !! 102
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"| WHA totals
! 411 !! 303 !! 335 !! 638 !! 183
! 60 !! 43 !! 37 !! 80 !! 38
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"| Major League Hockey totals
!1,474 !! 913 !! 895 !! 1,808 !! 823
! 179!! 105 !! 104 !! 209 !! 140
|}

===International===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:50em"
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#e0e0e0;"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| [[1974 Summit Series|1974]]
| Canada
| [[1974 Summit Series|SS74]]
| 8
| 7
| 2
| 9
| 0
|-
| [[1976 Canada Cup|1976]]
| [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Canada]]
| [[Canada Cup|CC]]
| 7
| 5
| 3
| 8
| 2
|}

==Head coaching record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="6"|[[Regular season]] !! [[Postseason]]
|-
! G !! W !! L !! T !! Pts !!Finish !! Result
|-
! [[1972–73 Winnipeg Jets season|WPG]]
! [[1972–73 WHA season|1972–73]]
| 78 || 43 || 31 || 4 || 90
| 2nd in Western || Lost in [[Avco Cup]] Finals
|-
! [[1973–74 Winnipeg Jets season|WPG]]
! [[1973–74 WHA season|1973–74]]
| 78 || 34 || 39 || 5 || 73
| 4th in Western || Lost in Quarterfinals
|-
! [[1974–75 Winnipeg Jets season|WPG]]
! [[1974–75 WHA season|1974–75]]
| 13 || 4 || 9 || 0 || 8
| Resigned || —
|-
! colspan="2"| WHA totals !! 169 !! 81 !! 79 !! 9 !! — !! — !! 2 playoff appearances
|}

==See also==
* [[List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame]]
* [[List of NHL statistical leaders]]
* [[List of family relations in the NHL]]
* [[List of professional sports families]]
* [[List of NHL players with 1,000 points]]
* [[List of NHL players with 500 goals]]
* [[List of NHL players with 1,000 games played]]
* [[List of Canadian sports personalities]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Bobby Hull}}
{{Commons category|Bobby Hull}}
* {{Ice hockey stats |legendsm=P198302}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080126092833/http://www.cshof.ca/hm_profile.php?i=260 Bobby Hull's biography] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20120209135501/http://www.cshof.ca/index.php Canadian Sports Hall of Fame]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090214025852/http://www.mbhockeyhalloffame.ca/honoured/players.html?category=8&id=35 Bobby Hull's biography] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20141004060054/http://www.mbhockeyhalloffame.ca/index.html Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame]
* [https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00014266.html Career Overview and Biography] by ESPN
* [http://www.conacher-rosenfeld.ca/les_gagnants-winners/conacher/bobby_hull-eng.html Bobby Hull, winner of the Lionel Conacher Award and the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award: Virtual Museum of Canada Exhibit]
* {{IMDb name|1423876}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box | before = [[Jean Béliveau]] | title = Winner of the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]] | years = [[1964–65 NHL season|1965]], [[1965–66 NHL season|1966]] | after = [[Stan Mikita]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Dickie Moore (ice hockey)|Dickie Moore]] | before2 = [[Bernie Geoffrion]] | before3 = [[Stan Mikita]] | title = Winner of the [[Art Ross Trophy]] | years = [[1959–60 NHL season|1960]]<br />[[1961–62 NHL season|1962]]<br />[[1965–66 NHL season|1966]] | after = [[Bernie Geoffrion]] | after2 = [[Gordie Howe]] | after3 = [[Stan Mikita]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Jean Béliveau]] | before2 = [[Bernie Geoffrion]] | before3 = [[Gordie Howe]] | before4 = [[Norm Ullman]] | title = [[Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy|NHL goals leader]]| | years = [[1959–60 NHL season|1960]]<br />[[1961–62 NHL season|1962]]<br />[[1963–64 NHL season|1964]]<br />[[1965–66 NHL season|1966]], [[1966–67 NHL season|1967]], [[1967–68 NHL season|1968]], [[1968–69 NHL season|1969]] | after = [[Bernie Geoffrion]] | after2 = [[Gordie Howe]] | after3 = [[Norm Ullman]] | after4 = [[Phil Esposito]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Ken Wharram]] | title = Winner of the [[Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]] | years = [[1964–65 NHL season|1965]] | after = [[Alex Delvecchio]]}}
{{succession box | before = Position created | before2 = [[Rudy Pilous]] | title = [[List of Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996) head coaches|Head coach of the original Winnipeg Jets]] | years = [[1972–73 WHA season|1972]]–[[1973–74 WHA season|1974]]<br />[[1974–75 WHA season|1975]] | after = [[Rudy Pilous]] | after2 = [[Bobby Kromm]]}}
{{succession box | before = Position created | title = Commissioner of the [[World Hockey Association (proposed)|WHA]] | years = 2003–2005 | after = Position abolished}}
{{s-end}}

{{Lionel Conacher Award}}
{{The NHL Network (1975–79)}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hull, Bobby}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Art Ross Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches]]
[[Category:Canadian ice hockey left wingers]]
[[Category:Chicago Blackhawks players]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States]]
[[Category:Galt Black Hawks players]]
[[Category:Hart Memorial Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Hartford Whalers players]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Hockey Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Ice hockey player-coaches]]
[[Category:Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Lester Patrick Trophy recipients]]
[[Category:Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Hockey League All-Stars]]
[[Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:People from Addison, Illinois]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from DuPage County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Belleville, Ontario]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from Belleville, Ontario]]
[[Category:St. Catharines Teepees players]]
[[Category:Stanley Cup champions]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996) coaches]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) players]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Jets (WHA) players]]
[[Category:World Hockey Association broadcasters]]
[[Category:Ice hockey players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy]]