Latest news with #StanMikita
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Blackhawks unveil plans for a new Hall of Fame as part of their centennial season
The Chicago Blackhawks will launch a team Hall of Fame and host a series of other events to celebrate the franchise's 100th anniversary next season. The Hawks on Thursday announced plans for their centennial celebrations — themed 'Always An Original' — because the NHL Board of Governors awarded them and the Detroit Red Wings franchises on May 15, 1926. Both were admitted into the league formally on Sept. 25, 1926. Along the way, the Hawks won six Stanley Cups, have 47 players in the Hockey Hall of Fame (39 skaters and eight goaltenders have played at least one game for the franchise) and made contributions to hockey such as the curved stick (thank Stan Mikita for that). 'Since our inception, the Chicago Blackhawks have been more than just a hockey team — we've been an integral part of Chicago's identity and a driving force in the evolution of the sport,' Hawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said in a team statement. 'This centennial celebration isn't just about honoring our past achievements, but also about recommitting ourselves to innovation, community impact and excellence for the century ahead.' The team's new Hall of Fame will be based on votes from fans, alumni and media. Inductees will be based on two ballots: modern (2000-01 season or later) and heritage eras. Two alumni will be selected from each ballot each year. The inaugural ballot will be open mid-July at and will include the following players: Players who have had their jersey numbers retired are included in the Hawks Hall of Fame automatically. They are: Chris Chelios, Tony Esposito, Glenn Hall, Marian Hossa, Bobby Hull, Keith Magnuson, Mikita, Pierre Pilote and Denis Savard. Meanwhile, the Hawks' centennial celebration will unfold in four chapters, and each will include special game nights, interviews and giveaways. Fans who buy full season ticket packages by May 31 will receive exclusive centennial jackets and other perks. At an unspecified date in the fall, the Hawks will celebrate the team's first game with a fan event. More details will be announced with the league's schedule release this summer. 'What makes this celebration truly special is how it bridges generations of Blackhawks hockey,' Jaime Faulkner, Hawks president of business operations, said in the statement. 'When our young fans see decades-worth of alumni sharing the ice with our current roster on opening night, they'll understand they're part of something much bigger than just today's team — they're part of a legacy that has shaped the sport itself and will continue to do so for generations to come.'
Reuters
19-02-2025
- Health
- Reuters
'Golden Jet' Bobby Hull had CTE when he died in 2023
Feb 19 (Reuters) - Hockey Hall of Fame forward Bobby Hull, the first NHL player to score more than 50 goals in a season, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he died in 2023, his widow and the Concussion Legacy Foundation said on Wednesday. Hull's family donated his brain to a brain bank at the Boston University CTE Center after he died in 2023 at the age of 84 and results from a post-mortem brain tissue analysis showed he had stage 2 (of 4) CTE. CTE, which can only be diagnosed after death and can develop from long-term exposure to repeated hits to the head, has been linked to mental health issues ranging from mood and behavioral symptoms to cognitive impairment and dementia. Hull struggled with short-term memory loss and impaired judgment for the last 10 years of his life and decided to donate his brain after seeing longtime teammate Stan Mikita, who also had CTE, decline late in his life. "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, Bobby's wife of 39 years, said in a news release. "He insisted on donating his brain, feeling as though it was his duty to help advance research on this agonizing disease." Canadian Hull, who had a feared slapshot and was known as the "Golden Jet" because of his blonde hair and speed on the ice, helped the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup in 1961 which ended a 23-year title drought for the franchise. The left winger helped resurrect the fortunes of a Blackhawks franchise which, prior to his arrival, had missed the playoffs in 11 of the previous 12 seasons. Hull was a five-time 50-goal scorer, led the NHL in scoring seven times, twice won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player and was voted a First-Team All-Star on the left wing 10 times. He finished his NHL career with 610 goals scored over 16 seasons with Chicago, Hartford and Winnipeg and is now 18th on the all-time list.
