By Evan Midford, Website & Social Media Coordinator
On Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, hockey icon Bobby Hull passed away at the age of 84. Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 at the 10th Anniversary Induction Ceremony, Hull legitimized the upstart World Hockey Association when he became the first professional hockey player to sign a million-dollar contract, at the corner of Portage and Main in 1972. Soon after, other NHL players jumped to the WHA and the owners’ grip on the players’ salaries was loosened forever.
Hull played 8 seasons for the WHA Jets and was their leader in many ways, playing on the “Luxury Line” (Hull, Christian Bordeleau, and Norm Beaudin) in 1972 and the “Hot Line” (Hull, Anders Hedberg, and Ulf Nilsson). Hull and the Winnipeg Jets won AVCO Cup championships in 1976 and 1978 and always made time to sign autographs for Jets fans.
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding athletic or community accomplishments in the field of sport. Sport Manitoba and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame are committed to creating an inclusive culture and accessible sport system for all Manitobans.
