Bobby Hull, the renowned temple striker and the NHL MVP who helped Chicago’s Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy at his death two years ago, said his Widowed in a press release published on Wednesday.
Researchers from the CTE Center at the University of Boston found that Hull had a stadium CTE 2 when he died in 2023. He was 84 years old.
Hull has fought against short -term memory loss and altered judgment over its last decade. He chose to give his brain after seeing the former teammate and colleague of the temple of the renowned Stan Mikita decline late in his life.
“Seeing the pain and the sorrow suffered by his family from his friend for life Stan Mikita, Bobby strongly felt that no other family should have to undergo Cte,” said Deborah Hull, his 39 -year -old wife, in a statement. “He insisted on giving his brain, feeling as if it was his duty to help advance research on this scary disease.”
Nicknamed “The Golden Jet” for her speed and blond hair, Hull was one of the most prolific attackers in NHL history, marking 610 times on 16 seasons with Chicago, Hartford and Winnipeg. He dazzled generations of Blackhawks fans with his shooting and skating skills and remains the leader of the franchise career with 604 goals. Hull also scored 303 goals by playing for jets in the World Hockey Association for seven seasons.
“We are grateful to Bobby Hull and all the NHL players and families who help us learn to prevent, diagnose and treat CTE,” said Dr Ann McKee, director of the Boston University Cte Center. “We encourage retirement players and their families to seek help and care if they are concerned about CTE because we learn to effectively treat the symptoms, especially in mid-life.”
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The Association of Players of the National Hockey League announced in November that it formed an advisory committee to help hockey players better understand the CTE and the damage that concussions can do to the brain. In December, researchers from the University of Boston published a study on deceased male hockey players who showed that 18 of the 19 NHL players examined – notably Hull, Mikita, Ralph Backstrom, Bob Probert and Derek Boogaard – had this. He also found that the chances of developing a CTE increased by 34% for each year of hockey played.
A degenerative brain disease, the CTE was identified in the athletes and military combat veterans who have undergone concussions or repeated heads. It can only be diagnosed posthumously by examination of the brain.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press