Blackhawks Blast from the Past: The Golden Jet

Jim Neveau, PIB Co-conspirator

On Wednesday night at the United Center, the Chicago Blackhawks will honor one of their greatest players in a “Heritage Night” ceremony.

He has been honored as part of a tandem with Center Stan Mikita, but tonight, the ice at the UC will belong to the Golden Jet, Bobby Hull.

After seeing his son Brett get inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday, Hull returns to Chicago for a ceremony of his own.

Bobby Hull on the red carpet Opening Night (photo property of Pam Rodriguez)

In the spirit of this celebration, we here at PIB want to pay a tribute to quite possibly the greatest left winger in the history of the game.

Taking a look at Hull’s stats, it’s not surprising that so many people look at him with such esteem. He is the Hawks’ all-time leading goal scorer, potting 604 goals in 14 seasons with the team. He also had 549 assists, which pushed his point total to 1153, second all-time in franchise history (behind only Mikita’s 1467).

Hull was also a big-time force in the playoffs, scoring 62 goals and adding 67 assists in 119 post-season games. 102 penalty minutes were also racked up by the Jet in those playof games.

Bobby didn’t just win scoring titles (he won three Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season), but he also won other awards. In addition to the 1961 Stanley Cup (the last one the franchise has won), Hull also picked up the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1965 and 1966 (NHL MVP), the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy(sportsmanship combined with ability) in 1965, and the Lester Patrick Trophy(significant contribution to hockey in the US) in 1969.

He also earned the admiration of some of his peers, who marvelled at not only his legendary slap-shot, but also how fast the “Jet” really was.

“Bobby’s forte was picking up the puck and bringing the crowd out of their seats as he proceeded down the ice and with each stride he would pick up a little more steam”, Stan Mikita told Hawkcast back in March 2008. “What made this great was when they caught on to what he was trying to do. They double-teamed him and all he did was throw it away to another one of our teammates, because those guys would remain open, and that’s what made him so tough.”

Hull elaborated on the crowd reaction in the book “One Goal”, saying “the further I got (down the ice), the faster I went and the more they got out of their seats. By the time I was at the blue line ready to crank one up they were up and skating every stride with me.”

Bobby Hull, on skates? What a moment (photo property of Pam Rodriguez)

When asked about Hull’s wicked slap shot, Tony Esposito weighed in on another edition of Hawkcast, saying “I still think Bobby Hull was the hardest shooter in the history of hockey. I can tell by standing up at the glass how hard a guy shoots and I think he was probably just as hard a shooter as anybody ever.”

With these words of praise from such illustrious teammates, it’s no wonder that Hull is being recognized tonight as one of the most important components of the history of the Hawks. When the Wirtz family invited Hull to come back into the fold as a Hawks ambassador, it took him a little while to warm up to the idea.

“Bobby was very suspect of why I was calling,” Blackhawks president John McDonough said in “One Goal”. “Rocky (Wirtz) and I ultimately met with him because he needed to hear it from Rocky too. It was really important that it was from a Wirtz.”

With Hull back in the fold, and honored previously along with Stan Mikita at a Heritage Night celebration in 2008, it seems fitting that he will get a night all to himself. He is a popular draw amongst fans wherever he goes, and he loves the adulation and the fans themselves.

“I was fortunate enough to come to the greatest city in the world with the greatest fans in the world,” Hull said. “I spent 15 years here and I thought that’s all I was going to get out of it, but time went by and here I am getting a second chance.”

With his jersey number hanging from the rafters, and with the roar of the crowd freshly renewed in his ears, Hull will again be celebrated for his contributions to the team, and to the city. PIB salutes you, Bobby. You deserve it.

Tags: Blast from the Past, Bobby Hull, Brett Hull, Chicago Blackhawks, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito