Hall of Fame NHL MVP Bobby Hull suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, when he died, his widow said this week.
Hull died in 2023 at the age of 84, The Associated Press reported.
Researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center discovered he had stage 2 CTE when he died. For the 10 years before his death, Hull had short-term memory loss and impaired judgment but chose to donate his brain after seeing his former teammate and Hall of Famer Stan Mikita having similar issues at the end of his life.
Mikita was diagnosed with CTE after he died, The Washington Post reported.
“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, according to the AP. “He insisted on donating his brain, feeling as though it was his duty to help advance research on this agonizing disease.”
“He knew his historic career came with a price,” Deborah Hall said.
“The Golden Jet” scored 610 times in 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Hartford Whalers and the Winnipeg Jets and played 1063 games. He continues to hold the Blackhawks’ scoring record with 604 goals according to NHL records.
He also had 634 penalty minutes in the NHL.
Hull had one Stanley Cup for the 1960-1961 season, three Art Ross Trophies, two Hart Memorial Trophies and several other honors, including playing in a dozen All-Star Games, earning the All-Star MVP two times.
The Concussion Legacy Foundation, or CLF, which works with Boston University’s CTE Center, was co-founded by former Harvard football player and professional wrestler Chris Nowinski.
More than 1,300 athletes’ and veterans’ brains have been examined for CTE, according to CLF. Boston University said in December that it had been found in 18 of 19 NHL players, including Hull.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has denied a link between CTE and hockey players, telling NPR in 2023, “There have been isolated cases of players who have played the game [who] have had CTE. But it doesn’t mean that it necessarily came from playing in the NHL,” the Post reported.
But in November the NHL players union announced the formation of an advisory committee to help players learn about CTE and the danger of concussions.
CTE is a degenerative brain disease likely caused by repeated head injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can only be diagnosed after the death of a person when their brain can be examined, NBC Sports reported.
Symptoms include trouble thinking, emotional issues, aggression, impulsive behavior and physical problems such as balance issues, which seem to develop years to decades after the initial head trauma happened, the Mayo Clinic said.
There is no cure.
For more on CTE, visit the Mayo Clinic.
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