Chicago Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull was posthumously diagnosed with CTE, his widow said, joining a growing list of former NHL greats afflicted with the brain disorder linked to multiple instances of repetitive head trauma.
Deborah Hull announced Wednesday that her late husband had stage 2 CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, when he died at age 84 on Jan. 30, 2023. Hull decided to donate his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center for research after watching former Blackhawks teammate Stan Mikita’s decline before he died in 2018.
Hull struggled with short-term memory loss, impaired judgment and other cognitive symptoms of CTE during the last decade of his life, his widow said in her statement.
‘Seeing the pain and heartache suffered by his lifetime friend Stan Mikita’s family, Bobby felt strongly no other family should have to endure CTE,’ Deborah Hull said in the statement, according to Reuters. ‘He insisted on donating his brain, feeling as though it was his duty to help advance research on this agonizing disease.’
Hull was a two-time Hart Trophy winner who scored 610 goals over 16 NHL seasons primarily with the Blackhawks beginning in the 1957-58 season. He won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 1961. He also had another 303 goals over seven seasons with the Winnipeg Jets (1972-79), who were in the World Hockey Association at the time.
Hull, nicknamed ‘The Golden Jet’ because of his speed and hair color, is part of an unfortunate trend being exposed within professional hockey, as the focus and research concerning the development and progression of CTE moves from mostly football players to those in other full-contact sports.
A study published by researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center in December found that 18 of 19 former NHL players whose brains were studied had the neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated concussions and hits to the head. It also found that that the odds of having CTE increased by 34 percent for each year of hockey played.
Hull joins Henri Richard and Mikita as Hockey Hall of Famers to test positive for CTE after their death. The disease can only be diagnosed through a posthumous examination. The NHL Players Association announced in November it would be forming a committee to help hockey players better understand CTE and related issues.
‘We are grateful to Bobby Hull and all of the NHL players and families who are helping us learn how to prevent, diagnose, and treat CTE,’ said Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center. ‘We encourage retired players and their families to reach out for help and care if they are concerned about CTE, as we are learning how to effectively treat symptoms, especially in mid-life.’