Brett Hull

At 59 years old, Brett Hull has this physical status:

Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964) is a Canadian-American former ice hockey player and general manager, and currently an executive vice president of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL).

He played for the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes between 1986 and 2005.

His career total of 741 goals is the fourth highest in NHL history, and he is one of five players to score 50 goals in 50 games.

He was a member of two Stanley Cup winning teams - 1999 with the Dallas Stars and 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings.

In 2017 Hull was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.Known as one of the game's greatest snipers, Hull was an elite scorer at all levels of the game.

He played college hockey for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, where he scored 52 goals in 1985–86.

He scored 50 the following year with the Moncton Golden Flames of the American Hockey League (AHL) and had five consecutive NHL seasons of at least 50 goals.

His 86 goals in 1990–91 is the third highest single-season total in NHL history.

Hull won the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award that year as the league's most valuable player.

He was named a first team all-star on three occasions and played in eight NHL All-Star Games. Having dual citizenship in Canada and the United States, Hull was eligible to play for either Canada or the United States internationally and chose to join the American National Team.

He was a member of the team that won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and was a two-time Olympian, winning a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, joining his father Bobby to become the first father-and-son pair of players in the Hall.

They are the only pair to each score 1,000 career points in the NHL.

Hull's nickname, "the Golden Brett" is a reference to his father's nickname of "the Golden Jet".

His jersey number 16 was retired by the St. Louis Blues

Early life

Hull was born August 9, 1964, in Belleville, Ontario. His father, Bobby, was a long-time professional hockey player in both the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA). His mother, Joanne (McKay), was an American professional figure skater and taught him how to skate. He has three brothers: Bobby Jr., Blake and Bart, and a younger sister: Michelle. Bart played professional football in the Canadian Football League. His uncle Dennis was also a long-time NHL player.

As his father was playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, Hull's early life was spent in Illinois, and he first played organized hockey in the Chicago area at the age of four. He and his brothers often skated with the Black Hawks where they watched their father play. The family moved back to Canada when Bobby signed with the original Winnipeg Jets in 1972. As a youth, he and teammate Richard Kromm played in the 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Winnipeg South Monarchs minor ice hockey team. Brett moved to Vancouver with his mother and two youngest siblings shortly before his parents' acrimonious divorce in 1979. Hull was not close to his father following the breakup, though the two spoke periodically.

Personal life

Hull currently lives in Dallas, Texas with his second wife, Darcie. He has three children by his first wife, Alison: son Jude and daughters Jayde and Crosby. Jude also played hockey, as a goaltender. He attended St. Olaf College until 2018, he never played professionally. Jayde attends Colgate University.

In business, Hull was twice involved in the operation of restaurants. He owned two eateries in St. Louis while he was a member of the Blues, and partnered with Mike Modano and others on a Dallas restaurant called "Hully and Mo Restaurant and Tap Room" following his playing career. He lent his name to a 1995 Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game called Brett Hull Hockey. Hull was a co-owner of the St. Louis Bandits, a junior team in the North American Hockey League. In November 2020, Hull returned to restaurant operation in the St. Louis area with the opening of Brett Hull's Junction in Wentzville, Missouri.

Hull is an avid golfer, often stating during his career that he preferred the sport to hockey. He is a frequent participant in the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic and his best finish at the tournament is a tie for fifth in 2008. He competes in several charity and celebrity tournaments, and in 2009 was ranked as the sixth best athlete golfer in North America by Golf Digest.

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Playing career

Hull said in his autobiography that he was not surprised that he failed to pique the interest of a junior team, despite admitting to being a "pudgy, fun-loving, music-crazed bum" in his youth. He was first eligible for the NHL Entry Draft in 1982, but he was turned down without intention because he was still playing in a youth league. In the 1982-83 season, he played for the Penticton Knights of the tier-II British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL), where he scored 48 goals in 50 games. At the 1983 Entry Draft, he was again passed over for the second time as teams remained unconvinced of his contribution to the game and his fitness. Following Hull's 1983-84 season, in which he scored 105 goals in 56 games and tied for the BCJHL's scoring record with 188 points, NHL teams finally took notice of him. In the sixth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, the Calgary Flames selected him 117th overall.

Hull accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD), and in 1984–85, he scored 32 goals as a freshman. opposition goaltenders were terrified by the violence of his shot. He was named the Jerry Chumola Award as the school's rookie of the year, and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association gave him similar recognition (WCHA). Hull's mentors at Minnesota-Duluth were taught that he should improve his skating, and he did record-breaking goals in a single season in 1985-86. Hull was named as the top player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for right wing in the WCHA.

Hull's two seasons as an assistant at UMD set numerous school scoring records. He has the most goals by a rookie (32) and most goals in a single season (52). The school's single-game playoff record of four goals, seven hat tricks, and 13 multiple-goal games in 1985–86 are all records, according to his 20 power play goals, seven hat tricks, and 13 multiple-goal games. In 2006, the school stopped using the number 29.

Following his sophomore season, Hull signed a deal with the Calgary Flames and joined the team during the 1986 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In game three of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens on May 20, 1986, he made his NHL debut in 1986. In his first shift of the game, he had his best scoring chance when he struck the post. In two games of the Flames' five-game series loss to Montreal, he appeared in two games.

Hull was assigned by the Flames to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Moncton Golden Flames, for the majority of the 1986–87 season. He scored 50 goals, tying an AHL rookie record, and his 93 points were third-best in the league. He received the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the league's rookie of the year and was selected to the first all-star team. During the season, he was sent for a short time to Calgary. He made his regular-season debut against the Hartford Whalers on November 13, 1986, and scored his first NHL goal against Steve Weeks on a breakaway. In a 4–3 win, it was the game-winning goal. Hull appeared in five regular-season games for the Flames and also in four playoff games in which he scored two goals and added an assist.

Hull was on the Flames from 1987-1988, but the team continued to work with him on his conditioning. He appeared in 52 games for the Flames, scoring 26 goals and 50 points. However, he did not complete the season in Calgary. Hull was traded along with Steve Bozek to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Rob Ramage and goaltender Rick Wamsley.

In 1988–89, Hull ruled the St. Louis Blues for 41 goals, but the club was plagued by his inattention to his defensive duties. Brian Sutter, Hull's head coach, persuaded the Hull to strengthen his conditioning over the summer. He arrived in 1989-1990 in a much improved shape and demonstrated a dramatic increase in his skating. Center Adam Oates, who was acquired over the summer, joined Hull on the top line. The pair, who were dubbed "Hull and Oates" as a play on the band Hall and Oates, were prolific scorers, with Oates being a natural passer and Hull being an excellent shooter. Hull scored 228 goals between 1989–92 and 1991–92, the second-highest three-season total in NHL history, behind only Wayne Gretzky's 250 tallies between 1981–82 and 1983–84. In 1990–91, he became the fifth player in NHL history to score 50 goals in 50 games, including Maurice Richard, Mike Bossy, Gretzky, and Mario Lemieux—all three players.

During three seasons, he led the league in goal scoring and was named to the first All-Star team each year. He has received numerous league awards, including winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1990 as the league's most sportsmanlike player, and then winning the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award in 1991 as the NHL's Most Valuable Player as chosen by the league and his coworkers respectively. Gretzky's 92 goals in 1990–89, the third highest for a single season in NHL history, after Gretzky's 92 goals in 1981–82 and 1984. Oates joined the Blues midway through the 1991–92 season, and although Hull's offensive numbers dropped, the Blues' top offensive threat remained. He scored 54 in 1992–93 and 54 in 1993–94, his fourth and fifth consecutive 50-goal seasons.

Hull clashed with head coach Mike Keenan, who joined the team in 1994-95, mainly because of the latter's changes to team members. Hull was fired from the captaincy after being named team captain in 1992. In early 1996, the two were openly criticizing each other in the media. On December 19, 1996, the Blues fired Keenan, forcing the player and coach to choose between the player and coach. Hull returned to 500 goals for his NHL career three nights later with a hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings. He and Bobby are the only father-son pair to reach that figure.

Hull scored 27 goals in 1997–98, after 43-goal seasons in 1995–96 and 1996–97. After losing a three-year, $20 million contract with the Blues because the team refused to include a no-trade clause, he became an unrestricted free agent following the season. On July 2, 1998, he left St. Louis, signing a three-year, $17 million deal with the Dallas Stars.

Hull scored 1,000 points in his career on November 14, 1998, when he notched a goal and an assist in a 3–1 win over the Boston Bruins. On December 31, 1999, he scored his 600th goal. Despite suffering from a groin injury for a large portion of the season, he scored 32 goals in 1998-1999. Against the Buffalo Sabres, the Stars advanced to the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals. Dallas had a 3–2 series lead in the sixth game of the season after going to overtime tied 1–1. Hull won the game and the Stanley Cup for Dallas at 14:51 in the third overtime period.

As NHL rules of the time stated that a player could not score a goal unless any part of his body was within the goal crease, the Sabres immediately protested the goal. Hull's skate was within the crease when he scored, according to a replay; the NHL ruled that he had possession of the puck prior to entering the crease, making the goal legal. According to league officials, the exact situation was covered in a memo sent to the league's on-ice officials prior to the playoffs. Hull herself states that the intention was legal, citing the assertion that the NHL had modified the rules in a private memo sent to all teams but not revealed to the public. Media, followers, and players from around the league are split on the goal, with some arguing that the league modified the statute after the fact. It's also tense in Buffalo, where fans and former players continue to argue that the play should have been ruled "no goal." The NHL officially ended the crease rule before the next season, allowing players to score from within the crease as long as they did not interfere with the goaltender.

Hull wore sweater number 22, as a member of the Stars in their Stanley Cup winning season, as his customary number 16 was worn by Pat Verbeek. When Verbeek left the team as a free agent, Hull will return to number 16 the following season. Although Hull had played in 79 games from 1999-2000, the team had what coach Ken Hitchcock described as "a disappointing season," losing defensively and scoring only 24 goals. His offensive play increased in the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs as he led the league in post-season scoring with 10 goals and 23 points. The Stars advanced to the finals once more, but the New Jersey Devils won the series in six games. In 2000–01, Hull scored 39 goals, his highest number in four years. In a 3–1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 10, 2000, he scored his 611th goal in a 3–1 victory over his father's career total. Hull played his 1,000th game in Calgary on February 25, 2001.

The Stars chose not to use their option on Hull's contract, which would have earned him $7 million for the 2001-2002 NHL season, making him a free agent. Hull, despite receiving superior financial help from the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers, decided against a two-year, $9 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings to aim for his second Stanley Cup championship. He joined a star-studded team that had already acquired goaltender Dominik Hasek and then signed winger Luc Robitaille earlier this offseason.

Hull, a member of the Detroit Red Wings, wore number 17 out of respect for Vladimir Konstantinov, who wore number 16 for the Red Wings before his playing career came to a conclusion due to a limousine crash a week after Detroit's 1997 Stanley Cup championship was lost due to a limousine crash. No player has played for the Red Wings since Konstantinov in 2022.

Hull continued his scoring as the Red Wings crushed their opponents, winning the President's Trophy as the NHL's best team. During the regular season, he was put on a line with Boyd Devereaux and rookie Pavel Datsyuk, a pair in which Hull also referred to as "two children and a goat."

Hull's old team, the Vancouver Canucks, and the rival Colorado Avalanche defeated the Vancouver Canucks, his fourth team, in the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, before winning their fourth Finals appearance in eight years. In the deciding sixth game against Vancouver in the first round, he'd score a hat trick, while the Blues scored two goals in the second round. He then scored three goals against the Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals, including one in Detroit's thrilling 7–0 win over Colorado in Game 7.

In Detroit's game three and four victories over the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Finals, he had a key role; the former was his 100th playoff goal of his career. The Red Wings won the series in five games, with Hull winning his second title in his career.

In 2002–03, Hull ran a 37-goal, 76-point campaign. On February 10, 2003, he became the sixth player in NHL history to score 700 goals against the San Jose Sharks. Hull, a 38-year-old quarterback, has signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Red Wings. Hull, who lost to the eventual Western Conference champion Calgary Flames in six games in the second round, after scoring 25 goals in 2003–04.

Hull had hoped to commit to a one-year deal from 2004-2005, but the Phoenix Coyotes instead settled on a two-year, $4.5 million deal. The first year of the deal was wiped out early in the season due to a labour shortage. Hull returned to the ice in 2005-06 wearing his father's number 9. The Coyotes franchise, which had relocated from Winnipeg in 1996, maintained the Jets' retired numbers, including the elder Hull's. Bobby ordered that the team re-invent his uniform and encourage his son to wear it. Hull, on the other hand, played just five games and had only one assist, felt that he was no longer able to perform at the level he envisioned. On October 15, 2005, he announced his retirement as a player.

Management career

In 2006-07, Hull lived in two jobs. He served as a special assistant to the Dallas Stars' team president and provided studio analysis for NHL on NBC telecasts. He left NBC after one season as a special advisor to the team's hockey operations staff. After Doug Armstrong was fired on November 13, 2007, Hull was promoted to interim co-general manager of the Stars, sharing the position with Les Jackson. Hull's promotion was sluggish, according to ESPN analyst Scott Burnside, who criticized the lack of front office expertise and questionable work ethic.

The pair made one of the most notable trades in the 2007-08 NHL season by acquiring Brad Richards from the Tampa Bay Lightning as part of a five-player trade. The team advanced to the Western Conference Final of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team's lowest playoff appearance in eight years. Tom Hicks, the team's owner, gave them three-year contracts and named them permanent co-general managers. Hull praised the players for his positive relationship and his "unconventional wisdom" in his "unconventional wisdom."

Hull and Jackson's controversial signing of controversial forward Sean Avery prior to the 2008–09 season was a turning point for the Hull and Jackson team. Avery's erratic behavior created divisions within the team's locker room, particularly after he made derogatory remarks towards another player's girlfriend in the media. The Stars missed the playoffs this season, forcing the team to trade Hull and Jackson for Joe Nieuwendyk as general manager. Hull stayed with the company, serving as an advisor to Hicks and team president Jeff Cogen. Hull has since been hired by the St. Louis Blues as their executive vice president for company growth.

Hull was unable to control his emotions and cried on May 21, 2019, after the Blues reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 49 years, saying, "I'm in there." I'm not a murderer, but I'm crying...I saw Bobby Plager and I'm like 'Holy cow,'" but 49 years ago for this... These guys have been fantastic."

Following the victory parade down Market Street on Saturday, the St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup, Brett Hull led the audience in a raucous celebration that echoed throughout the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. "We went Blues," he coined, meaning, "We don't have to go anymore because we already did it."

Career statistics

Bold indicates led league

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