Canadian Bobby Hull, a legendary 1960s ice hockey player, has died at age 84, his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks, a North American championship franchise (NHL), announced on Monday.
Known as the "
Golden Jet
" for his blond hair and his speed on the ice, Bobby Hull won the Stanley Cup in 1961 as part of the Blackhawks hockey team, where he remains the leading scorer ( 604 units).
"
Generations of Chicagoans have been blown away by Bobby's unique shot, remarkable skating and leadership qualities
," the Blackhawks tweeted.
Bobby Hull (left) with his son, Brett, in November 2009. Mike Cassese / REUTERS
In 17 seasons, including fifteen with Chicago, the hockey icon played 1,063 games, scored 610 goals and made 560 assists, according to the official NHL website.
"
In the prime of his life, there was no such prolific goal scorer in all of hockey
," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement referring to a "
superstar
."
"
When Bobby Hull turned to take a shot, fans across the NHL rose in anticipation and opposing goaltenders braced
," he added.
Bobby Hull twice won the trophy for best player of the season (MVP) in 1964-65 and 1965-66 and then another as the NHL's leading scorer.
He is also known for being the first in hockey history to sign a contract worth over a million dollars.
Off the ice, he was accused of domestic violence by several of his companions.
He was also convicted of assaulting a police officer who intervened in an argument with his wife in 1986.
In 1998, he came to prominence for his racist remarks after telling the Moscow Times that the black population of the United States was growing too quickly and that "
Hitler had good ideas
" but had "
gone a little too far
”.
