Brett Hull

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Brett Hull
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2009
Born (1964-08-09) August 9, 1964 (age 59)
Belleville, ON, CAN
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Right wing
Played for Calgary Flames (1986–1988)
St. Louis Blues (1988–1998)
Dallas Stars (1998–2001)
Detroit Red Wings (2001–2004)
Phoenix Coyotes (2005)
National team  United States
NHL draft 117th overall, 1984
Calgary Flames
Playing career 1986–2005

Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964 in Belleville, Ontario) is a former NHL player and the current Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The Golden Jet." He played for the Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes. Hull scored 741 goals in his career, placing him third all-time for most career goals. He also scored a controversial Stanley Cup winning goal on Buffalo Sabres goaltender Dominik Hašek in 1999 to give Dallas its only Cup win. Hull also won the Cup as a member of the Red Wings in 2002. The son of a Canadian father and American mother, he holds dual U.S./Canadian citizenship.

Hockey career

Beginnings

Unlike his four siblings (Bobby Jr., Blake, Bart and Michelle), who were all born in Chicago, Brett Hull was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, where the family spent summers. Brett was taught how to skate at age five by his mother, Joanne, who was a professional figure skater for Hilton Hotel shows. He started to play organized hockey at age seven in Elmhurst, Illinois for the Elmhurst Huskies with future NHL forward Tony Granato and Tommy Stapleton, son of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Pat Stapleton. The Hull family moved to Winnipeg in 1972 as his father signed a $1,000,000 contract to play for the WHA Winnipeg Jets. Meanwhile, Brett's junior career continued with the Tuxedo Jets, and a couple of years later he joined the Canadian Professional Hockey School's team. One very early hockey milestone for Brett was winning the prestigious Quebec Winter Carnaval Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament in 1977 with the Winnipeg South Monarchs. Even at this very early stage of his career, Brett could rifle a slapshot that sparked fear in young goaltenders, and he was later known for that. One honorary attendee at the championship game, Jean Béliveau (a 10 time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens) visited the Winnipeg dressing room just to meet 'the young Hull'.

1977 Winnipeg Monarchs
1977 Quebec Winter Carnaval Pee-Wee Champs, Winnipeg Monarchs, Brett Hull and line-mates (February 1977 Le Journal de Quebec)

When Bobby and Joanne Hull separated in 1979, Brett, his brother Bart, and his sister Michelle moved to Vancouver with their mother. Brett played bantam and then midget hockey at the North Shore Winter Club, as well as competing in baseball and gridiron football. Hull played in the Junior A British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) for the Penticton Knights, where he has a few records that still stand today.

In the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, the Calgary Flames selected Hull in the sixth round with the 117th overall pick. Hull then played two years of U.S. college hockey for the University of Minnesota Duluth. He made his international debut for Team USA at the 1986 Ice Hockey World Championships in Moscow where he was his team's leading scorer. Being born in Canada, he would also have been eligible to play for Team Canada; however, at the time, the Team Canada management did not show an interest in him. After the 1986 Championships, Hull turned pro, playing his first NHL game in the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals for the Calgary Flames. He spent most of the 1986–87 season with the minor league Moncton Golden Flames, being named to the AHL's First All-Star Team and receiving the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the league's top rookie, before being recalled to the NHL for good in the 1987–88 NHL season. However, he never developed a good relationship with Flames coach Terry Crisp, and on March 7, 1988, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues, for whom he played most of his career.

The Blues

While in St. Louis, Hull developed into a prolific goal scorer and was amongst the best players in the NHL. Hull and linemate Adam Oates were dubbed "Hull and Oates" (a pun on the well-known musical duo of Hall & Oates). In Hull's best season, 1990–91, he scored 86 goals, which is the third highest mark ever recorded in one season. It was also a new record for right wingers in goals. That year, he was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player. He also represented the United States at the 1991 Canada Cup where he again emerged as the team's leading scorer with nine points in eight games, as the Americans lost to Team Canada in the finals. Hull and Team USA got their revenge five years later in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey where he scored the decisive goal in the final game against the Canadians. He was elected to the tournament All-Star team.

Midway through the 1991–92 NHL season, the St. Louis Blues traded Adam Oates to the Boston Bruins for Craig Janney. Although talented, Janney was not of the same caliber as the highly-skilled Oates.

Though Hull's play declined during the remainder of his term with the Blues, he continued to be a perennial all-star and averaged more than one point per game in each of his seasons in St. Louis. Two of his three career four-goal games came with the Blues; first on April 16, 1995 against Detroit, and again on October 10, 1995, during the 1995–96 home opener against Edmonton, both of which were wins. He also went on to score his 500th goal in a December 22, 1996 win over the Los Angeles Kings, in which his milestone goal also capped a hat trick.

The Stars

File:Hasek hull goal.jpg
An overhead shot of Hull's controversial goal

Hull played 11 seasons for the Blues before signing with the Dallas Stars as a free agent before the 1998–99 NHL season. During his initial season, his traditional jersey number, 16, was being worn by Stars forward Pat Verbeek, so Hull wore number 22 for that season. He switched back to 16 in the 1999 offseason after Verbeek left the team. Hull scored his milestone 600th goal (and later his 601st goal) during a 5–4 victory over Anaheim on New Year's Eve 1999. He helped the Stars capture the Stanley Cup that season, scoring a controversial Cup-winning goal off his own rebound in the third overtime period of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals against Buffalo Sabres goalie Dominik Hašek. Video replay showed that Hull's skate was in the crease, which the Sabres argued was a violation of a rule then in effect that disallowed goals if an offensive player was in the goal crease. However, the rule stated that a player can enter the crease, as long as he has control of the puck. The legality of the goal is still debated, and it is arguably the most disputed Cup-winning goal in NHL history.[original research?] The crease interference rule, which was introduced in 1997 amid widespread criticism, was eliminated the following season. Coincidentally, Hull and Hašek later won the Stanley Cup as teammates in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings. Ironically, Hull and Hašek were even roommates when traveling for Red Wings road games. Both have repeatedly denied ever discussing the controversial goal.

In the 1999–2000 season, Hull's regular season effectiveness was limited by injuries, though he still put up respectable numbers. In the postseason, he shined, edging out teammate Mike Modano to lead in playoff scoring as they made the finals again. Memorable was Hull's two goals, both assisted by Modano, as the Stars took Game Two 2-1 from the New Jersey Devils. In Game Five, during the third overtime period, Modano deflected Hull's shot which beat Martin Brodeur to clinch the game for Dallas. Hull and the Stars would not duplicate the success of 1999 though, as the Devils would win Game Six and the Cup in 2000 on a goal in the second overtime period by Jason Arnott.

In 2000–01 season, Hull helped his team win their fifth consecutive Pacific Division title with 39 goals. The playoffs were a disappointment; after getting through the Edmonton Oilers in six games, the Stars were swept by Hull's former team in the second round, the St. Louis Blues.

Hull's Dallas Stars in 1999 were the only team other than the Devils, Colorado Avalanche, and the Red Wings to win a Stanley Cup between 1995 and 2003.

The Red Wings

In 2001, Hull joined the Red Wings as a free agent. Two years prior, Hull did not ask for jersey number 16, which the Wings had removed from circulation out of respect for Vladimir Konstantinov, whose career had ended in a limousine accident six days after the Wings' 1997 Stanley Cup victory. For his three seasons in Detroit, Hull wore number 17, and he continued to play strongly.

Hull played a key role in the Wings' 2002 Cup victory, scoring 10 goals en route to his second Stanley Cup. Hull was a part of the “Two Kids and a Goat” line, a joking reference to Hull's age compared to that of his much younger linemates Pavel Datsyuk and Boyd Devereaux.[1]

At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Hull formed a line with Mike Modano and John LeClair, which led the tournament in scoring and earned Team USA a silver medal.

The Coyotes

Hull's international career ended on a sour note during the 2004 World Cup of Hockey where he was benched for the rest of the tournament following two indifferent performances against Canada and Russia.

On August 6, 2004, Hull signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with the Phoenix Coyotes, who un-retired his father’s jersey for him. Bobby Hull's #9 jersey had been originally retired by the franchise on February 19, 1989, when they were still the Winnipeg Jets. The first year of the contract was nullified by the 2004–05 NHL lockout, and some argue the time off damaged Hull's game irreparably; when hockey restarted in 2005–06, Hull played only five games and notched one last point with the Coyotes before, dissatisfied with his performance, he announced his retirement on October 15, 2005.

Retirement

The University of Minnesota Duluth retired his #29 jersey on February 3, 2006[1], and later that same year, on December 5, 2006, the St. Louis Blues retired his #16 in an emotional ceremony that featured many Blues past and present. However, the highlight of the ceremony came when the banner was raised: while Neil Young's "Old Man" played on the sound system, Bobby Hull, whose presence had not been announced, walked out to center ice to embrace his son. The Blues also changed the name of the stretch of Clark Avenue, the street that Scottrade Center between 14th and 15th Streets in St. Louis, to "Brett Hull Way" and have also announced plans to number the road such that the arena will be number 16. In a recent interview during Hockey Night in Canada, Hull was quoted as saying that he would never coach hockey. He also said the best big-game goalie he ever played with was Ed Belfour, during his time in Dallas, and that the best offensive defencemen he had played with were Sergei Zubov and Nicklas Lidström. The player he said he hated to play against was Chris Chelios. The coaches he said he liked the most were Ken Hitchcock and Scotty Bowman. The person that he said he disliked the most was former Blues coach Mike Keenan, whom he often publicly criticized during Keenan's tenure.

At the beginning of the 2006–07 season, Hull returned to the Dallas Stars in a front-office role as special assistant to team president Jim Lites, identifying himself in Dallas Stars television commercials as the team's self-proclaimed "Ambassador of Fun", as well as "Campaign Manager" for Stars players hoping to be voted to the 2007 All Star Game, to be held in Dallas. Before becoming co-GM of the Stars, he answered fan-submitted questions in a weekly editorial entitled "Brett's Bites" on DallasStars.com and was a part-time television studio analyst for both NHL on NBC and the Stars' regular broadcasts on FSN Southwest. [2]

On November 11, 2007, Stars' owner Tom Hicks fired Doug Armstrong as general manager and later named Hull and Les Jackson as interim co-general managers. The two served as co-general managers for the remainder of the 2007-08 as well as the 2008-09 NHL season.

On May 31, 2009, Stars' owner Tom Hicks announced that Joe Nieuwendyk would be replacing the pair as the new general manager. Hull was reassigned as Executive Vice President and Alternate Governor, and Jackson as Director of Scouting and Player Development.

Hull was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on October 29, 2008. Hull and his father Bobby became the first ever father-son hockey duo ever to achieve this honor.

Over the weekend of 6–9 November 2009, Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was inducted alongside his former Red Wings teammates Steve Yzerman and Luc Robitaille, as well as Brian Leetch (a teammate on the United States hockey team) and Lou Lamoriello.[2]

Personal life

He married fellow University of Minnesota Duluth student Alison Curran in Las Vegas on May 27, 1997, though they later divorced. They have one son together: Jude, an ice hockey goalie, and two daughters, Jayde and Crosby . Hull married longtime girlfriend Darcie Schollmeyer on July 21, 2006 in Cabo San Lucas.

He is co-owner of the St. Louis Bandits, a North American Hockey League team out of Chesterfield, Missouri

At the end of 2008, along with former teammate, Mike Modano, and restaurateur, Eddie Cervantes, Hull opened the sports-themed Hully & Mo Restaurant & Tap Room in Dallas, Texas. The restaurant offers American cuisine and features Texas Hill Country limestone in the design and has an open theater kitchen.[3]

Hull was also the co-best man at Modano's wedding, where Modano married pop star Willa Ford.

Career achievements and facts

  • Finished his career with 741 goals (3rd all-time), 650 assists (48th all-time), 1391 points (19th all-time) and 1269 games (43rd all-time).
  • Named an NHL First Team All-Star in 1990, 1991 and 1992.
  • Won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1990.
  • Won the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1991.
  • Won the Lester B. Pearson Award in 1991.
  • Played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 2001.
  • Scored 50 goals in 50 games twice in his career; only Wayne Gretzky, with three 50-50 seasons, has done it more often, and he and Gretzky are the only ones to do it more than once.
  • Won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award in 1987.
  • 4th quickest to reach 500 goals based on number of games played.
  • Recorded 33 career Hat Tricks (4th all-time).
  • Led the NHL in goals scored in 1989–90, 1990–91, and 1991–92.
  • All-time career leader in Playoff Power Play Goals with 38.
  • Tied for 1st on the all-time Playoff Game Winning Goals list with 24.
  • Holds the St. Louis Blues franchise record for goals scored with 527.
  • Is the only hockey player ever to score 50 goals in a season in the NCAA, the minor leagues, and the NHL. In 1985–86 he scored 52 goals for the U. of Minnesota-Duluth; in 1986–87 he scored 50 goals for the Moncton Golden Flames of the AHL, and from 1989–1994 recorded 5 straight 50+ goal seasons (72,86,70,54,57) for the St. Louis Blues.
  • In 1998, before reaching several career milestones, he was ranked number 64 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
  • Won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1998–99 and the Detroit Red Wings in 2001–02.
  • On December 5, 2006, his #16 sweater was retired by the St. Louis Blues and raised to the rafters of the Scottrade Center. Along with his father, Bobby, they are the only father-son combo in any professional sport to have their respective numbers retired.
  • Scored 70+ goals in three seasons; only Wayne Gretzky, with four 70+ goal seasons, has done it more often. In addition, both players achieved this in consecutive seasons.
  • Scored 86 goals in the 1990-1991 NHL season; only Wayne Gretzky has scored more goals in a single season.
  • Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame - 2009[2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1984–85 Minnesota-Duluth NCAA 48 32 28 60 12 — — — — —
1985–86 Minnesota-Duluth NCAA 42 52 32 90 46 — — — — —
1985–86 Calgary Flames NHL — — — — — 2 0 0 0 0
1986–87 Moncton Golden Flames AHL 67 50 42 92 16 3 2 2 4 2
1986–87 Calgary Flames NHL 5 1 0 1 0 4 2 1 3 0
1987–88 Calgary Flames NHL 52 26 24 50 12 — — — — —
1987–88 St. Louis Blues NHL 13 6 8 14 4 10 7 2 9 4
1988–89 St. Louis Blues NHL 78 41 43 84 33 10 5 5 10 6
1989–90 St. Louis Blues NHL 80 72 41 113 24 12 13 8 21 17
1990–91 St. Louis Blues NHL 78 86 45 131 22 13 11 8 19 4
1991–92 St. Louis Blues NHL 73 70 39 109 48 6 4 4 8 4
1992–93 St. Louis Blues NHL 80 54 47 101 41 11 8 5 13 2
1993–94 St. Louis Blues NHL 81 57 40 97 38 4 2 1 3 0
1994–95 St. Louis Blues NHL 48 29 21 50 10 7 6 2 8 0
1995–96 St. Louis Blues NHL 70 43 40 83 30 13 6 5 11 10
1996–97 St. Louis Blues NHL 77 42 40 82 10 6 2 7 9 2
1997–98 St. Louis Blues NHL 66 27 45 72 26 10 3 3 6 2
1998–99 Dallas Stars NHL 60 32 26 58 30 22 8 7 15 4
1999–00 Dallas Stars NHL 79 24 35 59 43 23 11 13 24 4
2000–01 Dallas Stars NHL 79 39 40 79 18 10 2 5 7 6
2001–02 Detroit Red Wings NHL 82 30 33 63 35 23 10 8 18 4
2002–03 Detroit Red Wings NHL 82 37 39 76 22 4 0 1 1 0
2003–04 Detroit Red Wings NHL 81 25 43 68 12 12 3 2 5 4
2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 5 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
NHL totals 1269 741 650 1391 458 202 103 87 190 73

International play

Olympic medal record
Men's ice hockey
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City Ice hockey

Played for United States in:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Yzerman reaches NHL pinnacle with Hall call, Cup-winning teammates, Hull, Robitaille, join Yzerman". Detroit Red Wings. 2009-06-23. Retrieved 2009-06-23. During those three seasons, Hull was an integral part of the "Two Kids and a Goat" line, which featured a young Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
  2. ^ a b "Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2009 Inductees". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. 2009-06-23. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  3. ^ "Dallas Stars Mike Modano, Brett Hull, and Tim Headington to open restaurant in Dallas' Uptown". Pegasus News Wire. December 4, 2008.

Horn, Barry (2006-12-06). "Former Star Hull to join NBC's hockey team". The Dallas Morning News. pp. 7C. Retrieved 2006-12-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

Preceded by Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy
1990 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Hart Trophy
1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lester B. Pearson Award Winner
1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NHL Goal Leader
1990, 1991, 1992 		Succeeded by
Preceded by St. Louis Blues captains
1992–95 		Succeeded by
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