PASSING: Bobby Hull, 1939-2023
NHL Hall of Famer(HOF) passed away on January 30th. of this year. Mr. Hull was 84.
Bobby Hull was a historic player only 1/2 a notch below Orr, Ruth, Russell and Gogolak.
Hull, along with Chicago Blacks Hawks’ teammate Stan Mikita, was the earliest adopter of the curved stick. This enabled Hull to lift the puck to the eye level of the goalie, adding elevation to his 118 MPH shot which was powered by Hull’s 29 MPH skating speed.
Old sports nicknames are invariably corny but “the Golden Jet” was apt.
To maximize leverage Hull shot with a long backswing while skating full speed; placing his weight on his front leg.
“Imitation is the highest form of flattery” is a corny adage but more than apt in this case. Hull inspired a generation of slap-shooters including his brother Dennis “the Silver Jet” Hull, Yvan Cournoyer and the Rangers’ Rod Gilbert all of whom were mainstays of my youthful NHL fandom.
A secondary effect of the curved stick was to convince goalies to play with a mask. To be sure early masks, such as that adopted by Jacques Plante in 1959, obstructed vision, but the heat seeking missiles launched by Hull and his imitators made personal safety paramount.
In 1967 the Gallanters moved from Merrick, N.Y. on the South Shore of Long Island to Port Washington, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. In Merrick WOR 9, the station of the Mets and Rangers, was plagued by “flipping” and “snow,” 2 maladies that are now extinct. Port Washington was blissfully better even on our household’s 12″ B & W General Electric.
Baseball cards had been an obsession since I was 6 but now the Rangers were on my radar screen. I was not an ice skater so even watching the Rangers had a certain exotic appeal.
After prolonged begging Dad brought me to see the Rangers vs. the Chicago Black Hawks on December 30, 1967 at the new Madison Square Garden.
The game instantly transfixed Dad and I as it was his first NHL game as well.
Bobby Hull scored in the 3-3 tie; as this was long before the amateurish tie-breaker shootout. I thought that it was kind of neat that there was a tie. So unlike baseball!
Bobby Hull Hockey entered my life in 6th. grade when I played it against Ernie Jenkins while watching Bobby Hull get his jaw broken by Montreal Canadian “enforcer” Johnny Ferguson.
Bobby Hull Hockey consisted of a 36″ linoleum rink which had 5 positional players traveling up and down slots in the “ice”, and a goaltender. All of the hockey players were controlled by rods beneath the surface which were manipulated by the players via gears underneath the hockey players. This enabled players to pass, shoot and defend.
After prolonged begging Dad bought me Bobby Hull Hockey which became the bestest of Christmas gifts…and not so coincidentally another neighbor of ours also received Bobby Hull Hockey for Christmas.
Road games!
Bobby Hull Hockey was really 3 games as the game had 3 different pucks which offered 3 very different playing styles.
-A hard plastic puck with a ball bearing center which enabled slap shots…just like Bobby Hull!
-A magnetic puck which stayed stuck to the stick of the hockey player thus enabling stick-handling and flinging backhands.
-A wooden puck which knuckle-balled across the linoleum ice and sometimes turned into a shot on one’s own goal.
Of course there was a double-sticked center, “Le Gross Bill/Big Bill” for when you pull your goalie to replace with “Stubby.”
Bobby Hull left a mark on this life.
Bit by byte childhood recedes.