Bobby Hull Robert Marvin " Bobby " Hull Order of Canada ( born January 3 , 1939 ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player . He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game . Hull was famous for his blonde hair and blinding speed , earning him the nickname " the Golden Jet " . He possessed the most feared slapshot of his day . In his 23 years in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association , he played for the Chicago Blackhawks , Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers . Biography . Early life . Hull was born in Belleville , Ontario , Canada . He played his minor hockey in Belleville , and then junior hockey for the Galt Black Hawks and the St . Catharines TeePees in the Ontario Hockey Association , before joining the Chicago Black Hawks in 1957 at the age of 18 . NHL career . Hull quickly blossomed into a star , finishing second in the rookie of the year balloting his first season . Hull originally wore numbers 16 and 7 as a Blackhawk but would later switch to his famous number 9 , a tribute to his childhood idol Gordie Howe . By his third season , he led the league in goal - and point - scoring . He went on to lead the Chicago Black Hawks to the Stanley Cup in 1961 — their third overall ( and most recent ) and first in 23 years . He and teammate Stan Mikita were the most formidable forward duo of the Sixties , notorious for curving the blades of their sticks . Armed already with a blazing , heavy shot , his curved blade caused the puck to veer high and at all different angles . Hull ' s ability to harness the blade ' s unpredictability would make it one of hockey ' s most memorable signatures . Although he was only 5 ' 10 " in stature , Bobby had a solid build ( he grew up on a dairy farm ) and his playing weight was 185 pounds . His electrifying style would make him one of hockey ' s first international superstars and arguably the NHL ' s marquee star of the Sixties . On March 12 , 1966 , he became the first NHL er to score more than 50 goals in a season , surpassing Maurice Richard and Bernie Geoffrion ' s hallowed mark of 50 goals . His 51st goal against the New York Rangers earned him a seven - minute standing ovation from the Chicago Stadium faithful . He would go on to score 54 goals that season , the highest single season total of the Original Six era , and led the league in goal scoring seven times in all in the Sixties . Despite Hull breaking his own record by four goals in 1968 - 69 , the Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since his rookie season . By his final NHL season , he had scored 50 goals or more a remarkable five times , only one fewer than every other player in history who had done so combined to that date . His slapshot was once clocked at 118 . 3 mph ( 190 . 4 km / h ) and he could skate 29 . 7 mph ( 47 . 8 km / h ) . WHA career . Long unhappy because of his relatively poor salary in the period when he was hockey ' s preeminent superstar , Hull responded to overtures from the upstart World Hockey Association ' s Winnipeg Jets in 1972 by jesting that he ' d jump to them for a million dollars , a sum then considered absurd . Gathering the other league owners together to contribute to the unprecedented amount on the grounds that inking such a major star would give instant credibility to the new rival league that was competing directly against the entrenched NHL , Jets ' owner Ben Hatskin agreed to the sum , and signed Hull for a contract worth $ 1 , 000 , 000 over ten years . Although his debut with Winnipeg was held up in litigation by the NHL , Hull instantly became the WHA ' s greatest star , and with Swedish linemates Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson formed one of the most formidable forward lines of the 1970s ( known as " The Hot Line " ) , leading the Jets to two AVCO Cup s during his time with the club . His best year was 1975 , when he scored 77 goals to set a new professional mark . Because he joined the rival league , Hull was not allowed to represent Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series . However in 1974 he got his chance to play on the international stage when he suited up for the World Hockey Association team representing Canada in a series against the USSR National Team . The WHA lost the series four games to one ( three ending in a tie ) , despite Hull ' s seven goals . He was a key member of the Canadian squad that won the 1976 Canada Cup , though , scoring five goals in seven games . Retirement . Slowed by injuries and age , Hull played only a few games in the WHA ' s final season of 1979 . However , after the 1979 merger of the two leagues ( including the Jets ) and reportedly in financial straits , Hull came out of retirement to play once more for the NHL Jets . He played in eighteen games before being traded to the Hartford Whalers for future considerations , and played effectively in nine games and three playoff games before retiring once more to care for his partner who had recently been injured in an automobile accident . In September 1981 , Hull attempted one final comeback with the New York Rangers at age 42 . However , it was a very brief attempt that only lasted five exhibition games before Hull and the Rangers both decided it was best to end the comeback . Hull had one goal , and one assist in those five games . Hull ended his career having played in 1063 NHL games , accumulating 610 goals , 560 assists , 1170 points , 640 penalty minutes , three Art Ross Trophies , two Hart Memorial Trophies , a Lady Byng Memorial Trophy , a Stanley Cup Championship and adding 102 penalty minutes , 62 goals and 67 assists for 129 points in 119 playoff games . He played in 411 WHA games , scoring 303 goals , 335 assists and 638 points , adding 43 goals and 37 assists in 60 playoff games . In 1983 , Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . His # 9 jersey has been retired both by the Blackhawks and the Jets ( and is still honored by the Jets ' successor team , the Phoenix Coyotes . ) The Hull family . Bobby ' s younger brother Dennis ( nicknamed " " the Silver Jet " " ) , starred alongside him with the Chicago Black Hawks for eight seasons , scoring over 300 goals in his own right . Some commentators often wondered whether Bobby or Dennis had the harder shot . When Bobby was excluded from the 1972 Summit Series because he played in the WHA , Dennis initially planned to boycott the event as well as a show of support for his brother , but Bobby persuaded him to stay on Team Canada . Bobby ' s third youngest son , Brett Hull ( the " " Golden Brett " " ) , was a more glittering star yet , finishing his own illustrious career with the third - highest goal total in NHL history . Bobby and Brett are the only father - and - son tandem to achieve the marks of more than 50 goals in a season and more than 600 NHL goals . They are also the only father - and - son tandem to win the Hart Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy . While playing for the Phoenix Coyotes ( formerly the Winnipeg Jets ) in 2005 , Brett donned his father ' s retired # 9 for the last five games of his career . Bobby and Brett are the only father and son combination in any professional sport to both have their numbers retired . Bobby ' s # 9 was retired by the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets ( now Phoenix Coyotes ) and Brett ' s # 16 was retired by the St . Louis Blues . Bobby ' s other sons included : Bart Hull , a standout running back for the Boise State University Bronco ' s football team in the early 1990s , and briefly played with the British Columbia Lions prior to a recurring knee injury . Bobby Jr . and Blake both played junior and senior hockey . Bobby won the Memorial Cup with the 1980 Cornwall Royals . Later , they played together for the Allan Cup - winning Brantford Mott ' s Clamatos of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1987 . Bobby Jr . also possessed a powerful shot , but lacked the scoring touch of his father and brother Brett . Hull ' s daughter , and youngest child , Michelle , was an accomplished figure skater becoming British Columbia Pre - Novice Champion at the age of 11 . After many knee injuries , she concentrated on her schooling and is now an attorney licensed in two states .