On This Date in Sports December 22, 1996: Brett 500
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
It’s like father like son, as Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues scores his 500th career goal in the NHL. Hull is the 25th player in NHL to score 500 goals, joining among others his father, Bobby Hull. The Hulls are the only father and son combo to each score 500 goals. Brett Hull’s milestone comes in a game in which he netted a hat trick as the Blues beat the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 at the Kiel Center.
Brett Hull was born on August 9, 1964, in Belleville, Ontario. His father Bobby Hull was one of the greatest hockey players of all-time, scoring 610 goals in his NHL career, in addition, he had 303 goals with the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA. Hull was known as the Golden Jet when he left the Chicago Black Hawks for one million dollars to play in the upstart league in 1972. Hull’s uncle Dennis Hull also had a long NHL career.
Brett Hull learned how to skate from his mother Joanne (McKay), who was an American Figure Skater. Hull was passed over by the NHL Draft in 1982, leading him to accept a scholarship to the Minnesota-Duluth. After two seasons at UMD, Brett Hull was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round, 117th overall in 1984. Two years later, he made his debut and joined the Flames in their run to the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals. Hull split time between the Flames and their AHL Affiliate in Moncton. Late in 1987/88 season, Brett Hull was traded to the St. Louis Blues with Steve Bozek for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley.
Brett Hull scored 41 goals in his first full season in St. Louis, but his coach Brian Sutter challenged him to improve his skating and defense to become a more complete player. Hull responded to the challenge and became one of the NHL’s top goal scorers as he had 70 goals in three straight seasons, including a career-high in the 1990/91 season. That year saw him win the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP.
As Brett Hull became the face of the St. Louis Blues franchise, he quickly rose up the team’s scoring list. Facing the Los Angeles Kings at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Brett Hull needed three goals to reach 500 as his team played their final game before a Christmas break. In the first period with the game tied 1-1, Hull got #498 off an assist from Pierre Turgeon. In the second period, Al MacInnis assisted on Hull’s second goal #499 to make it 3-1. The milestone came in the third period with the Blues leading 7-3, once again it was an assist from Turgeon that led to Brett Hull’s 500th goal as St. Louis won the game 7-4.
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Brett Hull would score 527 goals with the St. Louis Blues, before playing with the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings. In 2005, he would play his final five games with the Phoenix Coyotes, who were once the Winnipeg Jets that his father played with. The Coyotes would give Hull his father’s #9 for his final games. Brett Hull ended his career with 741 goals, ranked fourth all-time, his father Bobby Hull was ranked third when he retired with 610 goals. Combined, the Hulls scored 1351 career goals.