Bobby Hull sparked professional hockey's huge popularity boom in the United States in the 1960s with his electrifying displays of power and speed on the ice. Nicknamed the "Golden Jet," this fair-haired dynamo got his start with the National Hockey League's Chicago Black Hawks in 1958, and two seasons later led the team to its first Stanley Cup since 1938. Utilizing his superb upper-body strength, Hull turned the slap shot into the game's most devastating offensive weapon and routinely sent the puck streaking into the net at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. An excellent skater with legendary quickness, Hull was equally effective whether on defense or on the attack. In a sport known for rough play, he eschewed violence, noting, "When you hit back, it's just for your own self-satisfaction. I get mine from putting the puck in the net."
