Before Michael Jordan came onto the scene in the Chicago sports landscape, things had quieted down at Chicago Stadium, which is home to the Bulls and Blackhawks. The entire sports landscape during most of the 1970’s and a few years into the 1980’s, was all quiet on the home front. Some teams had their moments, but it was not like the 1960’s and early 1970’s when the Golden Jet skated the ice of Chicago Stadium. Number 9 Bobby Hull and his wicked slap shot heard around the world that could reach up a speed of 118 MPH. The Golden Jet at the time made goalies sweat with fear, not wearing a mask at the time, & seeing something come at you with the speed of light could make anybody in the net uneasy. Hull put 610 goals into the net in his entire NHL career which had 15 seasons wearing the Indian sweater. Hull was the Michael Jordan of the 1960’s in Chicago before Walter Payton became the Chicago Bears. It was all about the blonde bomber skating on the ice at a high speed with a shot that rocketed off his stick helping the Blackhawks hoist the Stanley Cup in 1961. Hull passed away this week at the age of 84 years old. The House of Madison the Chicago Stadium was the house that Hull built, like Jordan’s house he built was the United Center. Both Jordan and Hull at their time playing in Chicago were the best at their game. Legends!! The bigger they are, the harder they fall in life as their legacy becomes tarnished after their careers. For Jordan, it was The Last Dance when you learned the darker side of your Airness. Hull’s legacy was tarnished in a 2002 documentary ESPN made. These stories were always out there about Hull. Some fans will always deny anything their heroes did off the ice or court, field etc etc.

On the ice we will start, and Bobby Hull was one of best players in the NHL and to wear the Indian Head sweater. The Golden Jet Hull was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. The Blackhawks retired his jersey number 9 in 1983 at the old Chicago Stadium, now hanging at the United Center. Hull was the first NHL player to score 50 something goals in a season as he did that in the 1965-66 season with 54 tallies that season. Hull would reach 50 goals or more, four more times after doing it first ever in the NHL. Hull’s 604 goals is still the tops in the Blackhawks organization. Hull still holds the Blackhawks record for most hat tricks ever with 28. That’s a lot of hats flung on to the ice. Hull ranks third in points for the Blackhawks as his teammate Stan Mikita and Patrick Kane are ahead of him. Hull was a three time winner of the Art Ross Trophy 1960-62-66 for the league’s top goal scorer. Hull has won the Hart Memorial trophy twice in 1965 and 1966 which is the league’s MVP. Hull also won the sportsmanship award in 1965 which is the Lady Byng Memorial trophy. Hull played 15 seasons with the Blackhawks & then left the NHL to play for the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA, World Hockey Association. Hull would score 303 more goals in the WHA. Hull then returned to the NHL and played two more seasons with the expansion teams the Winnipeg Jets and the Hartford Whalers.

Like many great Chicago athletes over the years, players leave because suddenly the relationship goes sour with the player and ownership. To be honest it always comes down to money. Bobby Hull signed with the Jets because they were offering him a ton of money as he hoped the Blackhawks ownership would have paid him. Instead, Hull left the Blackhawk organization like many players have left Chicago teams complaining, griping, and with a few bad words muttered out the door. The relationship becomes sour and at the time there’s no way to repair or rekindle any kind of return in the future. Chicago is notorious for cheap owners wanting all the money, as they were mostly greedy business men. After Bill Wirtz, one of the worst owners in sports passed away, his son Rocky would reconnect with the Blackhawks legend in 2008. Rocky signed Hull up to be an ambassador and threw in statue out in front of the United Center of the Golden Jet. The relationship is rekindled.

In The Last Dance, the documentary showed Michael Jordan as the ultimate competitor. It also showed how any little thing slighted against him, or loss in a card game, or a mention of a name that could compete with your Airness… something would snap in Jordan’s mind. Jordan would have to win that card game or die trying. Jordan would have to slay that name on the court to prove he was the basketball God. In Bobby Hull’s case, it’s different as womanizing comes into play with domestic abuse. Hull is not the first legend in a sport to not get along with his wife, girlfriend, or mistress. In 1986 living in Willowbrook, Illinois, Hull was charged with battery. Hull’s wife Deborah, at the time, did not testify so charges were dropped. Hull did plead guilty to swinging his fists at the Police officers. In the 2002 ESPN documentary are details of all the other allegations of spousal abuse and the women that he needed. Some guys need a different woman like a change of underwear. In Hawaii, he and his wife at the time, Joann McKay, got into an argument. Hull beat her up and threw her off the balcony, but held on to her then pulled her in as she thought she was going to die. Hull went off the rails as his drinking became a problem and his true colors came out with racist remarks. Hull once told the Moscow times that Adolf Hitler had some good ideas. Hull would say the Russian newspaper writer at the time misunderstood what he said at the time. Eventually the Blackhawks took away his ambassador status in 2022.

I don’t like speaking ill of the dead. I only know about Bobby Hull from reading about him or being told stories about him from people that saw him play. I love sports history and the Hull family is very interesting. Bobby’s brother Dennis played in the NHL with his brother back in the 1960’s as they were teammates a few seasons on the Blackhawks. Dennis played in the NHL 13 seasons and scored 303 goals as he played 12 years with the Blackhawks & then finished his career in 1977 with the Detroit Red Wings. Then Bobby’s son Brett played 19 seasons in the NHL mostly with the St. Louis Blues. Brett was like father, like son, scored 741 goals, & was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. It’s a shame when some of these guys you root for are very different off the ice & off the court. I really don’t like to know much about sports legends or movie stars about their personal life because most likely I’ll hate their guts. I make sure I don’t buy a complete douche bag’s jersey to wear, that’s for sure. Sometimes wait 5 years after they retire to buy a jersey so their skeletons don’t come out of the closet and bite you on the rear. The 1961 Blackhawks had other great guys on that Stanley Cup team beside Hull. Hull you can’t deny was something special for the city of Chicago when he played at Chicago Stadium during the 1960’s as he started in 1957. Hull scored his first goal of his career against the Bruins. If you could only freeze time to that magic moment like a snow globe and enshrine Hull as a hockey player only. I’m sure he, Bobby Hull, had great moments off the ice as a father, friend, and a husband. Life is hard. I’m sure he wanted to take some things back like many people would love to have a do over from time to time in their lives. We are all human, so rest in peace Bobby.