Bobby Hull died and left us another hockey icon.
A player who was more famous than the NHL here in Sweden in the 50’s and 60’s.
King of the goal with a sledgehammer on shots is still debated today.
How difficult is that really?
I met Bobby Hull many times in different contexts in Canada and at tournaments.
A packet of powder even in the old days and a handshake so tight and tough that only Lasse Björn can compete with all the ones I have.
Block weighed almost 100 kilograms, despite the fact that he was no taller than 178 centimeters.
Golden Gate as it was called because of its tremendous speed.
Add the most difficult shot in the world of hockey at the time, and the name Bobby Hull spread around the world.
Even for Sweden, though, the NHL was barely mentioned in newspapers and on television until well into the 1970s.
But I myself remember my childhood winters on outdoor skating rinks in the 60s, when everyone wanted to be Bobby Hull.
The catchy and easy-to-pronounce name may have also contributed to its popularity.
He also had a dark side
Now we are left and it would be easy to just pay tribute to hockey player Bobby Hull.
Not least his seasons in series with Swedes Anders Hedberg and Ulf “Lill-Pröjsarn” Nilsson for the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA league.
It was considered by many to be the best hockey series of the time and was given the nickname – The Hot Streak.
But Bobby Hull also had a dark side.
He was also known for his hot temper, drinking, and numerous allegations of domestic violence from two of his ex-wives.
As recently as last year, he had to leave his ambassadorial role for the Chicago Blackhawks, the NHL club that still holds the scoring record, scoring 50 or more goals in five of 15 total seasons.
Perhaps his greatest piano beat was in 1998, when The Moscow Times quoted a statement about Adolf Hitler.
– Hitler, for example, had many good ideas. He pushed them a little too far…
Bobby Hall denied what he was said to have said the next day, but by then the news had already traveled the world and overshadowed the hockey legend.
But as a hockey player, Bobby Hull was forever a shining star, who won everything there was to be won and for several seasons was the best player in the NHL.
In 1965 and 1966, he was awarded the Hart Trophy, respectively, as the league’s most valuable player.
But he may have gained even more attention when he signed the first million-dollar contract in professional ice hockey history in 1972.
The career lasted forever
In a high-profile move, he went to the WHA Pirates for $1 million, an amount no player came close to at the time.
It was also there that he formed a series with the Swedes Hedberg and Lill-Pröjsarn and it was rewritten here at home.
But how difficult is that shot really?
Legend has it that his shot hit 190 kilometers per hour and that his wrist shot him 169.
Those were the numbers that circulated when he was at his best and created mystery among all hockey players.
He was definitely one of the first to start playing with a strong hook on the blade, but it was still with the old wooden clubs.
Thanks to modern measuring technique and a powerful composite stick, Czech defender Zdeno Chara still holds the NHL record
His 175 kilometers per hour shot was the hardest to score.
So Bobby Hull was shooting almost as hard as Musharraf, so his unofficial numbers should be taken with several pinches of salt.
But legend or not, it made Bobby Hull a star.
And the career lasted forever.
He made his debut in the NHL at the age of 18 and ended his professional career at the age of 40.
He was 84 years old when he fell asleep.
But he is still remembered as one of the all-time greats.
Even in Little Sweden.