Height: 5-10
Weight: 195
Shoot: L
Born: 3 Jan 1939, Pointe Anne ON (d. 2023)
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The Legacy of Bobby Hull Bobby Hull passed away on January 30, 2023. He was 84 years old. By the summer of 1972, Hull was a 15-year veteran of the National Hockey League, playing for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was a five-time 50-goal scorer, leading the NHL in goals in seven seasons, points in three. He had 604 goals at the close of the 1971-72 season. He won the Stanley Cup in 1961. Had he retired then, we would have been an immediate inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Then the World Hockey Association happened. The new league, announced in 1971 with plans to start play in 1972, planned to go up against the 55-year old National Hockey League as a second North American major league. It was folly at best, foolish at worst. The new league needed a marquee player. Not just any marquee player. That player had to be Bobby Hull. Some greats transcend the sport, some don't. Bobby Hull did. He had all the makings of a superstar: aside from being a fabulously-talented player, he was handsome and charismatic, not afraid to speak his mind, and always good for a quote or five. He was not a perfect man, but many of us aren't. He was relatable in that way. Even his name made him sound like a star. He was the kind of player that someone who never followed hockey, never saw a game in their life, would have heard of. Ben Hatskin, co-owner of the new Winnipeg Jets, won the rights to Hull, and approached "his people" with an offer too good to refuse: $1.5 million for five years, plus a million-dollar signing bonus. Hatskin was serious with the offer. Much to his surprise and that of the league's, so was Hull. A million dollars would set a man up for life. Anyone would consider such an offer. But Hull was no dummy. He wasn't doing this for just himself. He knew that if he went to Winnipeg, he would forever change hockey history, both on the ice, and off it. He had the stature to have such a profound effect. In 1972, the NHL consists of 14 teams, 8 new ones since 1967. Large swaths of Canada and the United States are unrepresented. Teams employ the reserve clause, which essentially binds a player to his team for as long as the team wants him, by renewing his contract at will under the previous year's terms. Players have no leverage. Salaries are kept artifically low. Free agency does not exist in any form. Now the WHA comes along, declares it will not honor the reserve clause. That alone gets the players' attention... but who's going to make the big leap to the new league? If it fails, those who went for it may not be welcomed back to the NHL. Some may be black-balled. It is a huge gamble. Hull's signing in late June 1972 was enormous news at the time. One of the game's greats ... suddenly he's going to where? The average fan back then probably knew nothing about the reserve clause or did not care. For Hull to pull up roots and move to Winnipeg was a shocking event. It is hard to comprehend how profound this was in 1972. The sports landscape now just doesn't compare to how it was in 1972. There is no "need" for a new major league these days. In 1972, hockey needed to have its reckoning. The WHA was a catalyst, and Bobby Hull made it happen. Without Hull, the WHA does not get off the ground. The other big names who moved to the WHA don't make the move. Gerry Cheevers, J.C. Tremblay, Derek Sanderson and Ted Green, for example, all stay put. The WHA lingers along as a glorified minor league. The working-class player, the penalty killer, the third line forward, guys buried on the depth charts or in the minors, don't get a chance to show off their skills. Not only did the star players benefit, but so did all players. A rising tide raises all ships. Without Hull, there is no compulsion for teams to look to Europe for talent, or in other non-traditional places. Twelve new teams in 1972 (and two more in the NHL) means about 300 players need to be found. Some teams get clever. The Whalers scout the college hockey scene in New England. The Minnesota Fighting Saints go local and sign numerous Minnesota-born (and Wisconsin, Michigan et al) players. The Quebec Nordiques scour the province for their players. In 1974, the Jets (along with the Whalers and the Toronto Toros) aggressively scout Europe for talent. Not just a couple token players or the one-off star, but many players, some to be stars themselves. The Jets pick up (among others) Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. With Hull, the three form perhaps the best line in hockey history, a perfect blend. They skate all over the ice. No one stays in position. That was the whole point. The Jets dominate the WHA for its final 5 seasons, with three championships. The European style of play is now gaining a foothold in North America. It was a marriage between Europe and North America that sustains through today. Without Hull, four teams currently in the NHL don't happen. There is no Edmonton Oilers. There is no Quebec Nordiques (by extension, the Colorado Avalanche). There is no Hartford Whalers (the Carolina Hurricanes) and there is no Winnipeg Jets (now the Arizona Coyotes). Without Hull, Gordie Howe doesn't come out of retirement to play alongside his sons in Houston and later, New England/Hartford. (And later later, spend a couple weeks as a linemate with Hull late in the 1979-80 season) Without Hull, a young skinny kid named Wayne Gretzky does not take a non-traditional route into the NHL, essentially bringing with him 4 teams. Hockey does not gain traction in the non-traditional markets. No teams in the Deep South. No teams in the Canadian prairies. No teams in the deserts, of all places. Without Hull agreeing to hear the Winnipeg Jets' offer in 1972, and signing with them that summer, none of this happens. The NHL would have survived just fine, but it would be an entirely different league today. Ironically, looking back over 50 years, Hull's signing with Winnipeg and the WHA was the best thing that ever happened to the NHL. Most great players change the way the game is played on the ice, very few change it off the ice. Bobby Hull is a legend among legends for this reason. |
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | Winnipeg | |||||||||||
| 1973-74 | Winnipeg | |||||||||||
| 1974-75 | Winnipeg | |||||||||||
| 1975-76 | Winnipeg | |||||||||||
| 1976-77 | Winnipeg | |||||||||||
| 1977-78 | Winnipeg | |||||||||||
| 1978-79 | Winnipeg | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
• Winner, Gary Davidson Trophy (Most Valuable Player), 1972-73.
• Winner, Gordie Howe Trophy (Most Valuable Player), 1974-75.
• Member, Hockey Hall of Fame.
Hull's First Game, Nov 8, 1972
Regular Season & Playoff Coaching Record
| Regular Season | Playoffs |
| year | team | finish | finish | |||||||||
| 1972-73 | Winnipeg | 1-W | Finals | |||||||||
| 1973-74 | Winnipeg | DNF | ||||||||||
| 1974-75 | Winnipeg | DNF | ||||||||||
• Turned over head coach role to Nick Mickoski from start of 1972-73 season through Nov 14, 1972.
• Turned over head coach role to Nick Mickoski, March 11, 1974.
• Assumed coaching duties from Rudy Pilous, January 19 to February 14, 1975.
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1975-76 (by Dan Proudfoot)
Chicago Black Hawks tried to tell Bobby Hull six years ago that he had to slow down if he was going to last. He had to pace himself more, restrict his skating, concentrate on defensive play while downplaying his explosive rushes, or so the team instructed. Bobby slowed down conspicuously, and some of the joy seemed to disappear from his game. Today, however, he seems to be constantly gaining speed, and the Black Hawks, once one of the more entertaining in the National Hockey League, now are one of the duller. The WHA is the winner in the exchange. Hull, perhaps the most dynamic player in hockey, scored 77 goals for the Winnipeg Jets in 1974-75. He exceeded Phil Esposito's professional record by one. It was the eighth time Hull had scored 50 goals or more in a season, and this time he shot his first 50 in the first 50 games — equalling the record Maurice (The Rocket) Richard set in 1944. What's behind the miraculous recovery — from approaching middle age in 1969 to youth today at the age of 36 — is the new company Hull is keeping. "I played on some great lines in my career," Hull said after his run at the record, "but there's no doubt in my mind that this was the best line I've ever played on. "It was the greatest season of my career because of Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg." Hedberg, the right winger, was such a dangerous shooter that defenders couldn't afford to concentrate on Hull. Hedberg's speed approached Hull's, so the two wingers were able to criss-cross and outspeed their opponents with dazzling, crowd-pleasing ease. Nilsson, the center, somehow had the presence of mind to make the combination work, so the trio ended up with 156 goals, the most of any forward unit in the league. Hull also was able to concentrate on hockey more in 1974-75. He had been Jets' playing coach in previous years and, semi-officially, a league public relations and promotions manager. His incredible off-ice load eased slightly, and Hull seemed less fatigued — despite his role in the Team Canada-Soviet Union Nationals series in the fall of 1974. He signed for $2.75 million in 1972, to be paid by the Jets and the league. So far, he has 181 WHA goals, he's signed thousands of autographs, and he's promoted the league non-stop. There's no question of the WHA getting its money's worth, even though Hull has 1975-76 and 1976-77 remaining on his playing contract and another five years beyond that as an executive. The WHA names a most-valuable-player each year. For promoting the league, for giving it its reputation when it started, for providing its biggest moments today, the league should do the only proper thing and — without delay — name Bobby Hull the most valuable player in its history. |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander Complete Hockey Handbook, 1975-76 (by Reyn Davis) On his broad shoulders the WHA was built... For the first two years, he hardly had a minute to himself... Immensely popular around the world... Coming off his most productive season ever and he thanks two rookies — the cagey center Ulf Nilsson, and the Swedish Express right wing, Anders Hedberg... Together, they set Major League hockey records as a line, accounting for 156 goals and 362 total points... Hull set a Major League record for goals in one season with 77, eclipsing Phil Esposito's five year old mark of 76, and matched the legendary Maurice "The Rocket" Richard's 30-year-old feat of 50 goals in 50 games... Dad had a credo that work can accomplish wonders and instilled that principle into his son, and he his approach to hockey in particular, and life in general... Brother Dennis is a member of the Chicago Black Hawks... Though the brothers are leagues apart, they remain very close... Flock of awards in 1974-75 included Gary L. Davidson Trophy as Most Valuable Player and unanimous election to the All-Star team for the third straight year... Marked the second time he's won the Davidson Trophy... It was Gordie Howe's in 1973-74... Famed for his slapshot and curved stick, he scored a vast majority of his 77 goals with wrist shots... Claimed he didn't have time to wind up with finely timed passes from his linemates, often arriving in heavy traffic. |
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Excerpts from Pro Hockey, WHA 1976-77 (by Dan Proudfoot)
For Bobby Hull, 1975-76 was the year he proved himself to be the most complete player in hockey. He got more than 50 goals for the fifth year in a row - and there was a time when just one 50-goal season assured a player of lifetime fame. ... He displayed a conscience unequalied in major league hockey, speaking out against the excessive violence that was threatening to ruin the sport. He sat out one game to make his point and then returned to dominate the league. Cynics suggested Hull spoke out to influence referees, but the fact was that it took incredible courage to say what he did publicly. He knocked coaches, managers and owners - the very fellows who butter his bread. But Hull commands respect with a stature greater than anyone associated with the WHA. So, people listened, Hull made his point, and just went on scoring. |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander's Guide to Pro Hockey, 1978-79 (by Reyn Davis)
The WHA based its credibility on his broad shoulders ... Hockey's champion of fair play, he once sat out a game to protest violence in the game ... Loved by hockey fans all over the world ... Never refuses an autograph ... Ranks No. 2 among hockey's all-time scorers with 905 goals, only 36 behind Gordie Howe ... Has had more 50-goal seaons (9) than any other player ... Pioneered the slapshot and the curved stick ... Has a title behind his name --- OC (Order of Canada) ... The honorary big brother of Canada ... Holds the record for most goals (77) in a season ... Owns a ranch and has substantial interests in a leather company, car dealership and travel agency ... Formed the left side of a devastating line with Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson for the past four seasons |
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