Brett Hull
Brett Hull is a former professional ice hockey player and one of the most prolific scorers in NHL history. Born in Belleville, Ontario, he is the son of NHL legend Bobby Hull and professional figure skater Joanne. Brett rose to prominence in the league after being drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1984 and later became a standout player for the St. Louis Blues, where he earned the nickname "the Golden Brett." His career highlights include setting a record for goals by a right winger in a single season and winning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, making him part of a unique father-son duo who both received the award.
Hull's career culminated in two Stanley Cup victories, first with the Dallas Stars in 1999, amidst controversy over a game-winning goal in the finals, and later with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. After retiring in 2005, he transitioned to a front office role, becoming co-general manager of the Dallas Stars and later serving as Executive Vice President of the St. Louis Blues. His legacy is solidified with 741 career goals, ranking third all-time at the time of his retirement, and his jersey number 16 being retired by the Blues. In 2009, Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, further solidifying his status as one of the game's greats.
Brett Hull
- Born: August 9, 1964
- Place of Birth: Belleville, Ontario, Canada
SPORT: Ice hockey
Early Life
Brett Andrew Hull was born at his family’s Canadian summer home in Belleville, Ontario, one of five children and four boys. Because his father was National Hockey League (NHL) all-star Bobby Hull and his mother Joanne was a professional figure skater, Brett had the pedigree to become a skater. His father, a Hall of Famer whose nickname was the Golden Jet, and his mother separated in 1979. By then, Brett was beginning to draw attention as one of the premier junior players in North America. In 1984, he was drafted by the NHL’s Calgary Flames with the 117th overall pick. After two years of college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and after leading Team USA in scoring during the 1986 Ice Hockey World Championships, Brett made his professional debut for the Flames during the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals. He spent the next season in the minors, where he was an American Hockey League all-star for the Moncton Golden Flames.
The Road to Excellence
By the 1987–1988 season, Brett was in the NHL to stay. On March 7, 1988, the Flames traded him to the St. Louis Blues. Prior to joining St. Louis, Brett was best known as the son of the Golden Jet. During his eleven seasons with the Blues, he became one of the best right wingers in NHL history and earned a nickname of his own, a play on his father’s nickname and Brett’s gold-blond hair: “the Golden Brett.”
In 1990–1991, playing on a scoring line with fellow all-star Adam Oates, Brett set an NHL record for goals by a right winger with eighty-six, the third-highest total for a single season in NHL history at the time. The record earned the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. He and Bobby Hull became the first father-son duo to win Hart Trophies. After Oates was traded during the 1991–1992 season, Brett never approached the historic levels of production he had achieved early in his career. With Oates as a linemate, Brett scored seventy-two goals in 1989–1990, eighty-six in 1990–1991, and seventy in 1991–1992. Without Oates, he still managed to score fifty-four and fifty-seven goals in 1992–1993 and 1993–1994, respectively. On December 22, 1996, against the Los Angeles Kings, Brett completed a hat trick on his 500th career goal. At the age of thirty-two, Brett had, with that scoring milestone, secured his place beside his father in the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, Brett’s career seemed incomplete; he had not won a Stanley Cup Championship.
The Emerging Champion
Brett made the playoffs every season he played for the Blues, but St. Louis never won the championship during his eleven-year tenure. In 1998, the seven-time all-star signed a free-agent contract with the Dallas Stars. The prime of his career was behind him; however, Brett still managed to score thirty-two goals, including the 600th of his career, and played an integral role in securing a playoff berth for Dallas.
During the playoffs, Brett’s experience was a critical ingredient to the Stars’ success. Dallas advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres. In twenty-two postseason games that season, Brett scored eight goals and contributed seven assists for fifteen total points. His eighth goal of that postseason was one of the most controversial in NHL playoff history. It came in the third overtime of game six of the best-of-seven series, giving the Stars and the state of Texas their first Stanley Cup title. For years afterward, Sabres fans insisted that the goal never should have counted.
The goal was controversial because overhead replays showed that Brett’s skate was in the crease in front of the goal mouth when he scored, a violation of a rule in place at the time that was later eliminated from the NHL rule book. As Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek flailed in front of the net in an attempt to prevent the game-winning goal, Brett took three quick shots in succession as the puck rebounded toward him. Video replay officials declared that Brett had control of the puck when he shot, which created an exception to the in-the-crease rule. Brett and his Stars’ teammates were already well into their postgame celebration when the goal was ruled legal.
Continuing the Story
Brett and the Stars returned to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999–2000. Brett, thirty-five years old at the time, led the NHL in playoff goals, eleven; assists, thirteen; and points, twenty-four. However, the Stars’ quest to repeat as champions was derailed by all-star goalie Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. Brett’s third and final season with Dallas was his finest. He scored thirty-nine goals and finished with seventy-nine points, but the Pacific Division champion Stars were swept out of the playoffs in the second round by Brett’s former team, the Blues.
At the age of thirty-seven, Brett continued to play at a high level. Prior to the 2001–2002 season, he signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings. He played all eighty-two regular-season games and was instrumental, along with former Sabres goalie Dominik Hašek, in helping the Red Wings win the 2002 Stanley Cup. Brett again led the NHL in postseason goals with ten. Brett also played for the silver-medal-winning American team in the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Brett’s playing career was coming to an end after his second Stanley Cup victory, but his production remained impressive. In 2002–2003, he scored thirty-seven goals, including the 700th of his career. In 2003–2004, his final full season in the NHL, he scored twenty-five goals and had forty-three assists. Brett then signed a free agent contract with the Phoenix Coyotes, but a labor dispute between the NHL owners and the players' association canceled the entire 2004–2005 season. In 2005, Brett played five games before announcing his retirement at the age of forty-one and after twenty seasons. In 2007, having joined the Dallas Stars’ front office in a support capacity, Brett was named co-general manager of the team with Les Jackson.
Hull joined the St. Louis Blues as Executive Vice President in 2013. Hull found success with his former team, and after several years of rebuilding, the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019 for their first appearance in nearly fifty years. The Blues eventually defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 7 to secure their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In the aftermath of an extensive celebration that involved parading the Stanley Cup around St. Louis in front of fans, Hull took to the mic to congratulate the team in a speech that was widely covered by sports media. Hull remained Executive Vice-President of the Blues through the mid-2020s. Hull also remained active in the sports, media, and charitable worlds while pursuing business ventures, including his involvement with an application that monitored climate change conditions.
Summary
Brett Hull finished his NHL career with 741 goals, the third-most in NHL history at the time. His jersey number, 16, was retired by the Blues in 2006. Having begun his career in the shadow of his famous father, Brett carved a substantial place for himself as one of hockey’s all-time greatest scorers. In 2009, he joined his father as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hull later found success in the front office, winning a Stanley Cup with his former team, the St. Louis Blues, in 2019.
Bibliography
Davidson, John, and Chris McDonell. For the Love of Hockey: Hockey Stars’ Personal Stories. Rev. ed. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Firefly Books, 2007.
Diamond, Dan. Total Hockey. 2d ed. Toronto: SportClassic Books, 2003.
Hull, Brett, and Kevin Allen. Brett: His Own Story. Chicago: Triumph Books, 1999.
“Karbon-X Announces Appointment of Brett Hull and Justin Bourque to its Board of Directors.” Karbon-X, 6 Mar. 2024, karbon-x.com/karbon-x-announces-appointment-of-brett-hull-and-justin-bourque-to-its-board-of-directors. Accessed 9 June 2024.
Rosen, Dan. “Blues Win in Stanley Cup for First Time, Defeat Boston Bruins in Game 7 of Final.” NHL.com, 13 Jun. 2019, www.nhl.com/news/st-louis-blues-boston-bruins-game-7-recap/c-307776644. Accessed 6 June 2024.
Rubbelke, Nathan. “Even after Leaving St. Louis, Blues Star Brett Hull still Does Business Here.” The Business Journals, 25 Aug. 2023, www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2023/08/25/brett-hull-blues-st-louis-business-ventures.html. Accessed 9 June 2024.