Bobby Hull was a popular Canadian professional ice hockey player born on 3 January 1939 in Point Anne, Belleville, Canada.
He developed a love of hockey at a young age and had a solid debut year, finishing second in the Calder Memorial Trophy.
He initially wore numbers 16 and 7 as a Blackhawk, but later changed to his famous number 9, a tribute to his childhood idol Gordie Howe, a Canadian professional ice hockey player (born 31 March 1928 – died 10 June 2016).
Hull rose through the ranks to become one of the game’s most sought-after players. During his 23-year career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League.
He is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, scoring ability, end-to-end rushes and ability to shoot the puck at high speed earned him the nickname “The Golden Jet”.
Hull ended his NHL career with 1,063 games played in which he scored 610 goals, 560 assists, 1,170 points and 640 penalty minutes. His number 9 jersey was retired by the Black Hawks, Jets and Arizona Coyotes.
He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. Bobby received the Wayne Gretzky International Award in 2003 and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in History in 2017.
Bobby Hull died on Monday 30 January 2023 at the age of 84. The cause of his death has not yet been announced, but at the time of writing, the family was making final arrangements for his funeral and details are still being finalized. We will keep you updated
How fast could Bobby Hull skate?
Bobby’s slapshot was once clocked at 118.3 mph (190.5 km/h) and he could skate 29.7 mph (47.8 km/h). 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.
Hull had long been unhappy with his low salary, despite being one of the game’s preeminent superstars. In 1972, he responded to overtures from the upstart Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association by joking that he would join them for $1 million, a sum considered absurd at the time. The league’s other owners came together to match the unprecedented sum, as the signing of such a major star lent instant credibility.