Bobby Hull - not an ambassador for the NHL
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I really want to know the backstory for this....
As part of a host of changes the franchise has been making over the past few months, one of the most well-known players in Blackhawks history will no longer represent the team in an official capacity.
On Monday morning, the team confirmed that Bobby Hull will no longer serve as one of the team’s ambassadors.
Reporter Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM was the first to break the news on Monday morning during a segment on the “Mully and Haugh” show. He reported that the decision to mutually part ways was made during a meeting in November.
No specific reason was brought to light as to why the decision was made to no longer have Hull serve as an ambassador.
“We’re redefining the role of team ambassador – which unfortunately comes on the heels of losing two very special members of that family,” said the Blackhawks in a statement given to WGN. “When it comes to Bobby, specifically, we jointly agreed earlier this season that he will retire from any official team role.”
This comes after two other ambassadors – Hockey Hall of Famers Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito – have passed away within the last few years. The remaining official team ambassadors are Chris Chelios and Denis Savard.
Hull and Mikita were the first brought on by the franchise back in December of 2007 as ambassadors when the team was looking to rebuild their image after a decade of lackluster hockey and dwindling crowds. Esposito and Savard would join them in 2008 ahead of the successful 2010s where the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups and reached a height of popularity not seen since the days at Chicago Stadium.
One of the greatest players in franchise history, Hull played 15 seasons with the Blackhawks and won the Hart Trophy twice while leading the league in scoring three times. A ten-time NHL first-team selection, the winger had 604 goals and 549 assists in his time in Chicago.
Hull’s past had come under scrutiny in recent years for some previous off-ice transgressions, including two allegations of domestic violence, first in 1986 by his wife Deborah, which resulted in a conviction of assault against a police officer.
