The Golden Jet, Chicago Blackhawks’ left wing, 1961 Stanley Cup winner, and one of the biggest Canadian professional ice hockey players, Bobby Hull or Robert Marvin Hull, died of Stage 2 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) at the age of 84 in 2023.
His widow, Deborah Hull, released a statement via the Associated Press this Wednesday, which stated, “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. He insisted on donating his brain, feeling as though it was his duty to help advance research on this agonizing disease.”
Hall of Famer Bobby Hull had short-term memory loss and impaired judgment in the last decade of his life
One of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players in History’ Bobby Hull saw his fellow teammate and Hall of Famer Stan Mikita die due to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) at the age of 78. After seeing that, NHL legend Bobby Hull decided to donate his brain to Advanced Researchers. Advanced Researchers who would help find the cause of his short-term memory loss and impaired judgment caused due to CTE in the last decade of his life.
Researchers at Boston University found that 18 out of 19 examined NHL players had CTE
Boston University’s Advanced Researchers shared, “In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that the odds of having CTE, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated hits to the head, increased by 34 percent for each year of hockey played. They found that 18 of 19 NHL players had CTE pathology.”
The exact definition of CTE, according to Boston University’s CTE Center, is “a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive head impacts.”
The main cause of CTE is repeated blows to the head. When NHL players play ice hockey, it’s common for players to directly hit the heads of other NHL players.
It was only in 2010 when the NHL brought in the Rule 48. Rule 48 prevents NHL players from hitting the heads of other NHL players directly
The contact when an NHL player hits another NHL player’s head with his stick, equipment, or body is called the head contact. NHL players who do not follow this rule can get suspended or have to bear penalties.
84-year-old NHL MVP Bobby Hull became a victim of an occupational hazard. Due to the repeated blows to his head, while he played in the NHL, he developed Stage 2 CTE in the last decade of his life. Thanks to NHL legend Bobby Hull’s insistence on advanced research. Now, future NHL players will all be prevented from having CTE.
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