Michael Whiteacre
Registered User
Bobby Hull spent his first 15 seasons in the NHL representing one of the Original Six franchises in the Chicago Blackhawks where he won the 1960-61 Stanley Cup at 22 years old. By the time he left the Blackhawks and the NHL after 1971-72, the elder Hull joined the WHA where he found a home with the Winnipeg Jets. Sure, Bobby Hull was a perennial All-Star caliber player in Chi-Town, but he only cracked the 100+ point mark once with them.
It wasn't until he moved to the WHA and the Winnipeg Jets that Bobby Hull had more seasons where he had 100+ points. He continued to be an All-Star caliber player for the Jets. It's debatable as to whether Bobby Hull had his best years and made the most impact. Some say his best years were with the Chicago Blackhawks where he played for the longest time at 15 seasons where he was a perennial All-Star, while others say his best years were with the Winnipeg Jets where he remained an All-Star type of player but more importantly, his best seasons in terms of individual statistics and numbers.
After the WHA was about to close and fold, Bobby Hull had no choice but to go back to the NHL after 1978-79, when the Chicago Blackhawks apparently took him back prior to 1979-80. You'd think he'd have a nice homecoming with the team he had his best team-oriented success with, but for some reason, he didn't don the Hawks jersey in '79-'80 as a 40 something year old guy. Instead, his old WHA team the Winnipeg Jets took him as WPG integrated into the NHL.
Either way, Bobby Hull did not last long with the newly NHL-integrated Winnipeg Jets in 1979-80 as he had 10 points in 18 games, and so he was dumped to another newly NHL-integrated team in the Hartford Whalers where he would team up with another fellow aging big name star Gordie Howe. Bobby Hull could've maintained his elite years, but instead, he couldn't even outperform a 51-52 year old Howe despite being a decade younger than him, and despite Howe not being what he used to be.
Bobby Hull finished his NHL career as a member of the Whalers, when he could've fittingly retired as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1979-80, which would've marked his first season with the team since 1971-72.
Why did Chicago even reclaim him with the understanding that he would never play a single game with the team in 1979-80?
It wasn't until he moved to the WHA and the Winnipeg Jets that Bobby Hull had more seasons where he had 100+ points. He continued to be an All-Star caliber player for the Jets. It's debatable as to whether Bobby Hull had his best years and made the most impact. Some say his best years were with the Chicago Blackhawks where he played for the longest time at 15 seasons where he was a perennial All-Star, while others say his best years were with the Winnipeg Jets where he remained an All-Star type of player but more importantly, his best seasons in terms of individual statistics and numbers.
After the WHA was about to close and fold, Bobby Hull had no choice but to go back to the NHL after 1978-79, when the Chicago Blackhawks apparently took him back prior to 1979-80. You'd think he'd have a nice homecoming with the team he had his best team-oriented success with, but for some reason, he didn't don the Hawks jersey in '79-'80 as a 40 something year old guy. Instead, his old WHA team the Winnipeg Jets took him as WPG integrated into the NHL.
Either way, Bobby Hull did not last long with the newly NHL-integrated Winnipeg Jets in 1979-80 as he had 10 points in 18 games, and so he was dumped to another newly NHL-integrated team in the Hartford Whalers where he would team up with another fellow aging big name star Gordie Howe. Bobby Hull could've maintained his elite years, but instead, he couldn't even outperform a 51-52 year old Howe despite being a decade younger than him, and despite Howe not being what he used to be.
Bobby Hull finished his NHL career as a member of the Whalers, when he could've fittingly retired as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1979-80, which would've marked his first season with the team since 1971-72.
Why did Chicago even reclaim him with the understanding that he would never play a single game with the team in 1979-80?