Bobby Hull: The end is as important as the beginning Inbox

Bobby Hull had a stellar NHL career, left for the upstart World Hockey
Asociation, then re-joined the NHL when the two leagues merged
in 1979. Here he plays with the Winnipeg Jets in 1979 after they joined the NHL.
Source: https://www.nhl.com/jets/jetshof/bobby-hull
(May be subject to copyright)

His intersection with the ‘80s was brief, but it symbolized the end of a significant chapter in the history of the NHL.

Bobby Hull died a few months ago and, too many, he was the Golden Jet, one of the best players in the history of the game. When I was growing up, Bobby Hull was just an idea to me. I’d heard about his massive slap shot, curved sticks, shock of blonde hair, and 50-goal seasons, but that was all through my brother’s old issues of “The Hockey News”.

That’s because, when I started watching hockey, none of his games were actually televised. He played in a league without a television contract.

At the dawn of the decade, it would merge with the NHL and, finally, I got to see Bobby Hull play.

Million dollar man
Bobby Hull had many significant accomplishments with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was part of the 1961 Stanley Cup champions; won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player in 1965 and 1966; won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s top point scorer in 1960, 1962, and 1966; won the Lady Byng Trophy as the most gentlemanly player in 1965; was a first team all-star in 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, and 1972; and a second team all-star in 1963 and 1971.

However, as time wore on, he was becoming more and more disenchanted with the Blackhawks and the poor salary they paid him despite being one of the league’s stars.

Enter an upstart league, looking to take on the NHL and its de facto monopoly of professional hockey. The World Hockey Association was a rebel league, and it needed to make a statement to be taken seriously.

Bobby Hull was just the man to make that happen. He had joked he would jump to the new league for a million dollars. At the time that was an unheard of amount of money, especially in professional hockey. Winnipeg Jets owner Ben Hatskin had other ideas. He got other league owners to raise one million dollars to sign Hull because they knew it would give the new league instant credibility.

Hull joined the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA in 1972, signing a 10-year contract worth $1.75 million with a $1 million signing bonus.

Game changer
Bobby Hull did exactly what was expected. He was the league most valuable player for the 1972-1973 and 1974-1975 seasons and led the team to two AVCO Cup championships. In that 1974-1975 season he scored 77 goals, which was then a new professional record, one better than Phil Esposito’s NHL record of 76 goals. He added 65 assists for 142 points. Hull was also a first team all-star three times and a second team all-star twice.

In 411 games, he scored 303 goals and added 335 assists for 638 points.

The beginning of the end
Hull was hobbled by injuries in 1978-1979, the WHA’s final season, appearing in just four games, recording two goals and three assists for five points. He also missed the Jets run to their third AVCO Cup title.

It seemed as if he was heading for retirement.

Then it was announced the WHA was merging with the NHL and the Winnipeg Jets would be one of four teams joining the National Hockey League.

Hull came out of retirement and was heading back to the NHL.

Bobby Hull, at left, was traded to the Hartford Whalers part way through the 1979-1980 season, where he finally played with Gordie Howe, another living legend, at right.
Source: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/bobby-hull-and-gordie-howe-before-a-game-at-the-montreal-forum-in-the-197980-nhl-season-during-hulls-brief-tenure-as--105553184988932370/
(May be subject to copyright)

The return
I saw Bobby Hull play just once in the regular season, but I remember the game very well because it was the first time I watched the Winnipeg Jets play. It was on Hockey Night in Canada and Winnipeg hosted the Vancouver Canucks at the Winnipeg Arena. What I remember clearly is the Jets leading by a goal. Vancouver pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Then Jude Drouin stole the puck and went in all alone on the empty. He wound up as if he was taking this massive slap shot to the cheers of the crowd and put the puck in the empty net. I did not recall the exact date, but Hockey Reference revealed the game was held on Saturday, Nov. 24, 1979 and the final score was 5-3.

I was hyped to see Bobby Hull, especially because he did not wear a helmet. I did see him, but he really did not make an impact on the ice.

He played 18 games for the Jets before they traded him to Hartford where, at long last, he finally got to play with Gordie Howe. He had four goals and six assists with the Jets. He went on to play in nine games for the Whalers, getting two goals and five assists for seven points. He also appeared in all three playoff games for the Whalers, as they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in their first-round, best-of-five series.

That was the last time I ever saw Bobby Hull play.

Reunion
Bobby Hull had electrified the WHA with a line that had Swedes Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. I just started watching hockey in the 1978-1979 season, the year the New York Rangers signed the two Swedes. They helped propel the Rangers to the Stanley Cup final that year before losing in five to the Canadiens.

In 1981, Hull attempted a comeback with the Rangers by reuniting with Hedberg and Nilsson. He had a goal and an assist in five exhibition games before he, and the Rangers, agreed it was time to retire for good.

Parting thoughts
Bobby Hull, like Gordie Howe, had been one of the greatest hockey players of all time. However, by the time the 1980s rolled around, he was in the twilight of his career. Still, it was interesting that his career came full circle, in that he started in the NHL, breathed life into an upstart league whose goal was ultimately to merge with the NHL, then returned to the NHL for one last season.

I had heard about Bobby Hull my entire life, all nine years of it. Not only had he been in those old issues of “The Hockey News” I read, but my dad was a Chicago Blackhawks fan, and he told me about Hull and that slap shot of his.

So, I was anxious to see him play for the Jets, even if he was not the star he once was.

Because I was still seeing Bobby Hull play, and he was one of the greatest ever.