Team to hold Monday press conference announcing
career goal-scoring leader returning to front office position
By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- After leaving via free agency 15 years ago, No. 16 will be making his return back to St. Louis.
Brett Hull, the franchise's all-time leading scorer and member of the hockey Hall of Fame, will rejoin the Blues' organization Monday night. A press conference is scheduled for 6:16 p.m. (local time) at Scottrade Center.
Hull, 49, is expected to be named to the front office position of vice president of business operations, but the team hasn't confirmed the official position yet.
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(Getty Images)
Former Blues great Brett Hull (pictured) is returning to the
franchise and will be formally introduced at a Monday press
conference at Scottrade Center.
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Hull was originally acquired by the Blues on March 7, 1988 from the Calgary Flames -- along with forward Steve Bozek -- for goalie Rick Wamsley and defenseman Rob Ramage. He spent 11 seasons with the Blues, setting a plethora of club records and placing his name into the NHL records books.
The Blues on Wednesday changed titles of general manager Doug Armstrong, adding president of hockey operations to his duties and naming Bruce Affleck to president of business operations, perhaps opening up a spot for Hull to join the organization.
In Hull's 11 seasons with the Blues (1988-98), he recorded 527 goals, 67 playoff goals, 117 playoff points, 27 regular season hat tricks and played in 102 playoff games, which are all franchise records. He's second all-time in club history in regular season points (936), regular season assists (409) and playoff assists (50).
Known as 'The Golden Brett' in reference to his father Bobby Hull's nickname 'The Golden Jet,' the Blues retired Hull's No. 16 on Dec. 5, 2006 and he made it into the Hall of Fame in 2009. The Blues had a statue made of Hull, which was unveiled Oct. 9, 2010, and it sits with Al MacInnis and Bernie Federko statues in front of Scottrade Center.
Hull recorded more than 50 goals in five different seasons as well as 70 or more in three straight seasons from 1989-92, becoming the second player in NHL history to accomplish the feat.
In 1990-91, Hull set a franchise record with 86 goals and was the league's MVP. His 86-goal season stands as the most in a single season by a right winger in NHL history and third all-time only to Wayne Gretzky's 92 goals in 1981-82 and 87 goals in 1983-84. In addition, he scored his first 50 goals in 49 games, becoming the first Blue to score 50 goals in 50 games or less.
In 1991-92, Hull became the second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in 50 games twice. He was an eight-time all-star.
Hull's tenure in St. Louis ended when the Blues chose not to resign him following the 1998 season. He went onto sign a free agent contract with the Dallas Stars -- coached by current Blues coach Ken Hitchcock -- and scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal against Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres in 1999. Hull would win a second Stanley Cup in 2002 as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he signed a two-year contract as a free agent after leaving Dallas.
Overall, Hull appeared in 1,269 NHL games in 20 seasons with Calgary, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix. He ranks third all-time in goals (741), second in power-play goals (265) and third in game-winning goals (110). He was awarded the 1990 Lady Byng Trophy, the 1991 Hart Trophy and the 1991 Lester B. Pearson Award.
Internationally, Hull played for the United States in two Olympics (1998 and 2002) and won a silver medal in the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He also represented the United States at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and helped USA win the tournament after defeating Canada in three games in the finals.
HULL'S CAREER MILESTONES
* With his father, Bobby Hull, the first and only father-son combination in NHL history to each score 600 goals and 1,000 points.
* Second player in NHL history to score 50 goals in 50 games twice.
* Second player in NHL history to record 70-plus point seasons three consecutive years.
* Five consecutive 50-plus goal seasons (1989-90 through 1993-94).
* Ranks third all-time in NHL in goals scored (741).
* Ranks third all-time in NHL in goals scored in a single season (86 in 1990-91), most ever for a right winger.
* Won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1990.
* Won the Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player in 1991.
* Won the Lester B. Pearson Award in 1991.
* Played in eight NHL All-Star Games, and was named MVP in 1992.
* Two-time Olympian, winning a silver medal with Team USA in 2002.
* Captured the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 with Team USA.
* Holds Blues franchise record in goals (527), hat tricks (27), game-winning goals (70), power play goals (195) and shots on goal (3,367) and ranks second in assists (409), points (936) and shorthanded goals (18).
* Finished career with 741 goals, 650 assists and 1,391 points.
* Two-time Stanley Cup champion (Dallas 1999 and Detroit 2002).
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