Perhaps the greatest goal scorer in the history of the
National Hockey League, Bobby Hull, along with Stan Mikita, wowed them in
Chicago throughout the 1960’s. There were two distinctive parts to the Golden
Jet’s professional hockey career: The
National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association. As an indicator of his
success and popularity, the Bobby
Hull rookie card from the 1958-59 Topps series is worth a whopping $3000.
This article deals with Bobby Hull’s career in the National
Hockey League. Test and expand your hockey trivia knowledge of Bobby Hull’s NHL
accomplishments with these four trivia questions.
Q. Despite having eleven more total points in his rookie season, who
did Bobby Hull finish second to in the 1957-58 Calder Memorial Trophy voting?
A. Frank Mahovlich of the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Calder in 1958. Ironically, both
players were still in their teens and straight out of junior. Typically, back
in the day, a player spent several years in the minor pro leagues before behind
brought up to take one of the scarce NHL jobs.
With the Black Hawks in that first year, at the age of just
18, Hull scored 13 goals and assisted on 34 for 47 points while playing the
full 70 game schedule. Mahovlich, a year older than Hull, totalled 36 points on
20 goals and 16 assists over 67 games for the Maple Leafs.
Q. Bobby Hull was a five time 50+ goal scorer in the National Hockey
League. In which year did Bobby score his NHL career high 58 goals?
A. 1968-69 saw
Hull create a new NHL goal scoring record. Bobby’s 58 goals would stand as a
record for just two seasons before Phil Esposito shattered the mark in 1970-71
with 76. Hull was on pace for 58 in 1965-66 but missed five games and scored
just 54.
His last 50 goal season in the NHL came in 1971-72 when he
scored exactly 50 for the Blackhawks. In the WHA, Bobby exploded for 77 goals
over 78 games with the Winnipeg Jets in 1974-75.
Q. From 1957-58 until the end of 1971-72, Hull played exclusively with
the Chicago Black Hawks. Which two teams did he play for in his final NHL
season?
A. After the WHA
merged with the NHL for the 1979-80 season, Hull followed the Winnipeg Jets as
they switched leagues. After 18 games with the Jets, Bobby jumped ship to the
Hartford Whalers where he played another nine games before retiring.
Q. Better known for his offensive abilities, in what year was Bobby
Hull awarded for his gentlemanly play with the Lady Byng Trophy?
A. Hull won the
Byng in 1964-65 while sitting 32 minutes in the penalty box over 61 regular
season games. He was also awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy that same year as
the NHL’s most valuable player.
In a five year stretch from 1963-64 to 1967-68, Chicago dominated
the Lady Byng. Ken Wharram won the trophy the year before Hull. Stan Mikita
went from king of the sin bin early in his NHL career to a two time winner of
the Lady Byng in 1966-67 and 1967-68.