While the name Gretzky appears at the top of most lists when discussing the greatest hockey player of all-time, there are some "old school" hockey historians that insist the greatest player ever was Chicago Black Hawk left winger Bobby Hull. Famous for his blonde hair, blinding speed, and possessing the most feared slapshot of his day, Hull was nicknamed "The Golden Jet". Hull quickly became a star, and by his third season, he led the NHL in scoring and total points, earning the first of his twelve All-Star appearances. Teamed with sharpshooting Hall of Famer Stan Mikita on the Black Hawk first line, Chicago became a dominant force, capturing the 1961 Stanley Cup. The next year, Hull tied the NHL single season record of 50 goals. Three years later, in 1965, Hull broke the record that he shared with the legends Rocket Richard and Bernie Geoffrion, scoring 54 goals and earning the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHLs Most Valuable Player. He would top the 50-goal mark two more times with Chicago, including a NHL record 58 goals in 1968. In 15 seasons with the Black Hawks, Bobby Hull scored 604 goals, and 1,153 total points in just 1,036 games. In 1972, the World Hockey Association (WHA) was formed to directly compete with the NHL. With NHLers becoming disgruntled over the high salaries that other major sports athletes were receiving, the WHA seized the opportunity to offer an alternative, and more money. Desperate to build credibility and raid the NHL of its best talent, the Winnipeg Jets made 33 year old Bobby Hull an offer he couldn't refuse: a ten-year deal that would pay him $2.75 million, which included one million dollars in advance, easily the richest contract in professional hockey history. Following Hull's lead, sixty-six other NHLs jumped leagues, along with many Europeans thought unsuited to the NHL style of play. With "The Golden Jet" and the Winnipeg Jets agreeing to a contract, Swedish sensations Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson quickly jumped on board, and with Hull, formed one of the most formidable scoring threats of the 70s, nicknamed "The Hot Line", while leading the Jets to two AVCO Cups, the WHA version of the Stanley Cup. Hull's best year was 1975, when he scored 77 goals to set a new professional mark, and he was twice named the WHA's Most Valuable Player. Bobby Hull retired in 1979 as the NHLs #15 all-time scorer, and the WHAs #2 all-time scorer.
Proudly presented by Mile High Card Company is a game-used Winnipeg Jets jersey, worn by Hall of Famer Bobby Hull. The proper "Harv-Al Knit" manufacturer's label and "L" size tag appears in the inside collar, with a blue name plate and "9" tackle twill stitched onto the reverse, and Winnipeg Jets logo and "HULL" lettering screen printed onto the front and back, respectively. The jersey exhibits wonderful game use, with extensive scuff marks, game repairs, and patched holes on the sleeves, chest, and front tail. In today's game, a jersey with this much wear would have been retired long before it reached this status, but the WHA was frugal about issuing new jerseys, repairing them as much as possible. This is an incredible opportunity to acquire an extremely rare piece of sports history! LOA from Mile High Card Co.