#7 - Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull (Murillo Pyramid Rank = #7)

Adjusted Stats

1957-1958 Chi          82 GP   17 goals   44 assists   60 points   0.74 PPG
1958-1959 Chi          82 GP   22 goals   40 assists   62 points   0.76 PPG
1959-1960 Chi          82 GP   48 goals   51 assists   99 points   1.21 PPG
1960-1961 Chi*        78 GP   37 goals   30 assists   67 points   0.86 PPG
1961-1962 Chi          82 GP   60 goals   41 assists   101 points 1.23 PPG
1962-1963 Chi          76 GP   38 goals   38 assists   75 points   0.99 PPG
1963-1964 Chi          82 GP   56 goals   57 assists   113 points 1.38 PPG
1964-1965 Chi          71 GP   49 goals   40 assists   89 points   1.24 PPG
1965-1966 Chi          76 GP   64 goals   51 assists   115 points 1.51 PPG
1966-1967 Chi          77 GP   63 goals   34 assists   97 points   1.25 PPG
1967-1968 Chi          79 GP   54 goals   38 assists   92 points   1.16 PPG
1968-1969 Chi          80 GP   65 goals   55 assists   119 points 1.49 PPG
1969-1970 Chi          66 GP   43 goals   33 assists   77 points   1.16 PPG
1970-1971 Chi          82 GP   46 goals   54 assists   99 points   1.21 PPG
1971-1972 Chi          82 GP   53 goals   45 assists   98 points   1.20 PPG
1979-1980 Hfd         28 GP   5 goals     10 assists   15 points    0.55 PPG

Adjusted Playoff Stats

1958-1959 Chi          6 GP     1 goal       1 assists     2 points     0.31 PPG
1959-1960 Chi          3 GP     1 goal       0 assists     1 point      0.34 PPG
1960-1961 Chi*        12 GP   4 goals     11 assists   16 points   1.31 PPG
1961-1962 Chi          12 GP   8 goals     6 assists     14 points   1.16 PPG
1962-1963 Chi          5 GP     8 goals     2 assists     10 points   1.98 PPG
1963-1964 Chi          7 GP     2 goals     5 assists     7 points     1.05 PPG
1964-1965 Chi          14 GP   11 goals   8 assists     19 points   1.33 PPG
1965-1966 Chi          6 GP     2 goals     2 assists     4 points     0.71 PPG
1966-1967 Chi          6 GP     4 goals     2 assists     6 points     1.03 PPG
1967-1968 Chi          11 GP   4 goals     6 assists     10 points   0.91 PPG
1969-1970 Chi          8 GP     3 goals     7 assists     10 points   1.28 PPG
1970-1971 Chi          18 GP   10 goals   13 assists   23 points   1.28 PPG
1971-1972 Chi          8 GP     4 goals     4 assists     7 points     0.93 PPG
1979-1980 Hfd         3 GP     0 goals     0 assists     0 points     0.00 PPG

Career - 1205 GP, 720 goals, 661 assists, 1378 points, 1.14 PPG
Career-Highs - 65 goals (68-69); 57 assists (63-64); 119 points (68-69); 1.51 PPG (65-66)
Avg. (16 seasons) - 75 GP, 45 goals, 41 assists, 86 points, 1.14 PPG
Peak Avg. (61-69) - 78 GP, 56 goals, 44 assists, 100 points, 1.29 PPG, 0 Cups

Playoff Career - 119 GP, 62 goals, 67 assists, 129 points, 1.08 PPG
Playoff-Highs - 11 goals (64-65); 13 assists (70-71); 23 points (70-71); 1.98 PPG (62-63)

Accolades - 2 MVP awards, 3 Art Ross, 1 Lady Byng
All-Star Teams - 10-time 1st-team, 2-time 2nd-team
1-time Stanley Cup Champion

There really isn't much competition between Bobby Hull and any other left-winger in history. The only legitimate threat to Hull's status as the best left-winger of all-time may come in the form of Alexander Ovechkin a decade or so down the road. But until then, Hull has two things over the Great Eight: a completed career and a Stanley Cup ring.

It's a no-brainer that if Bobby Hull hadn't left to go to the WHA in 1972, he would be second all-time to Gordie Howe on the list of career adjusted goals. There's even an outside shot he would have the record: Hull would have had to average 45 adj. goals in those seasons...he had averaged 55 in the previous seven. But considering that age inevitably catches up with a hockey player (just look at that awful final year with the Hartford Whalers), I'm going to say that the Golden Jet would have had to settle for second. Even with his WHA absence, Hull is still 7th all time in career goals, and has the most by any left-winger (with Lucky Luc Robitaille a distant 60 goals behind him).

The stories of Hull's skillset are well-known: his blinding speed, creativity, and of course, devastating slapshot. I've seen the Youtube clips of Hull at his best, and he was indeed dominant...I still can't fathom that goaltenders played against that fucking slapshot with no mask on. Unfortunately, today Bobby might best be known to our generation as "Brett's dad". Brett Hull was a great hockey player in his own right, as we'll see, but Bobby was better, more dominant, a brighter star.

If Bobby Hull had been lucky enough to play on the Montreal Canadiens and had four of five Cup rings instead of just one, there's a good chance he would have made it to the Pantheon. It's not that Hull didn't bring it come playoff time...in 1965 and 1971, Hull would have surely won the Conn Smythe had the Blackhawks been able to win the Cup final vs. Montreal. He'll have to settle for just one Stanley Cup ring to go with his boatload of individual accolades. But knowing that you're the greatest to ever play at your position is good consolation.