FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, August 6, 2004
GLENDALE, ARIZONA -- Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Michael Barnett announced today that the Coyotes have signed free agent right wing Brett Hull to a two-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
The 18-year NHL veteran is the NHL’s active goal-scoring leader and currently ranks third on the NHL’s all-time goal scoring list with 741 goals. In the history of the NHL, only Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801) have scored more goals than Hull who is 60 goals shy of catching Howe. Hull has also scored 103 playoff goals, which ranks 4th on the NHL’s all-time list, trailing only Gretzky, Mark Messier and Jari Kurri.
“Brett Hull is one of the most talented goal scorers in NHL history,” said Barnett. “He is a dynamic player who creates excitement every time he enters the offensive zone. He has contributed significantly to winning Stanley Cups in both Detroit and Dallas. We not only look forward to the experience and passion he will bring to his teammates here in Phoenix but also to the pure entertainment he will provide to our fans.”
The 5-foot-11, 203 pound forward has played in 1,264 games in his NHL career with Calgary, St. Louis, Dallas and Detroit, scoring 741 goals, 649 assists and 1,390 points. In 202 playoff games, Hull has scored 103 goals, 87 assists and 190 points. He has won two Stanley Cup Championships in his career (1999 with Dallas and 2002 with Detroit), leading his team to victory both times. Hull scored the Cup-winning goal with Dallas in triple overtime of Game 6 against Buffalo on June 19, 1999, and while with Detroit in 2002, led the NHL in playoff goals with 10. He has now been to the playoffs for the last 19 consecutive seasons (1986-2004), the NHL’s second longest all-time streak, trailing only Larry Robinson (20 straight years from 1973-1992).
Hull has been selected to play in the NHL All-Star Game an incredible 9 times (1989-94, ‘96-97, ‘01). He won the Hart Trophy in 1991 as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player and was also named MVP of the 1992 NHL All-Star Game. Hull was named as an NHL First Team All-Star 3 times (1990-92) and won the Lady Byng Trophy (as the NHL’s most gentlemanly player) in 1990. He has led the NHL in goal scoring three different times (1989-90, ’90-91, ’91-92).
Last season with Detroit, Hull recorded 25-43-68 and 12 PIM in 81 games. The 39-year-old ranked 2nd on the Red Wings in assists and game winning goals (6), T-2nd in points and T-3rd in goals. He also tied for the team lead with 10 power play goals and finished 2nd with 200 shots. In three seasons as a Red Wing, Hull only missed one game and, over the last five seasons, he has only missed seven games, playing in 403 of a possible 410 games.
The Belleville, Ontario native is one of the most prolific goal scorers in the history of the NHL. He has reached the 70-goal plateau three times, the 50-goal plateau five times, the 40-goal plateau eight times and the 30-goal plateau 13 times. In fact, the fewest goals that Hull has scored in a full season is 24 (in 1999-00 with Dallas). Hull has also eclipsed the 100-point plateau on four occasions.
Hull ranks 2nd on the NHL’s all-time list in power play goals with 265, trailing only Dave Andreychuk by five power play goals (270). He ranks 3rd on the NHL’s all-time list in game winning goals with 110, trailing only Howe (121) and Phil Esposito (118). Hull is 1st on the NHL’s all-time playoff list in power play goals (38) and tied for 1st on the NHL’s all-time playoff list in game winning goals (24). He is 18th on the NHL’s all-time points list (8th among active players), 48th on the all-time assists list (19th among active players) and 43rd on the all-time games played list (15th among active players). Hull also ranks 6th on the NHL’s all-time playoff points list (2nd among active players), 15th on the all-time games played list (5th among active players) and T-28th on the all-time playoff assists list (T-12th among active players). His .510 goal-per-game playoff average ranks 15th all-time (among players with at least 20+ career playoff goals). Hull is now 10 points shy of becoming the 17th player in NHL history with at least 1,400 points.
The best season of his amazing career came in 1990-91 when he set career highs in goals (86) and points (131) while with St. Louis. That year, Hull earned both the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award (NHL’s most outstanding player as voted by the players). His 86 goals led the NHL and were the third most goals ever scored in a single National Hockey League season. Gretzky is the only NHL player ever to score more goals in a single season (92 in 1981-82; 87 in 1983-84).
Hull was originally drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 6th round (117th overall) of the 1984 Entry Draft. He only played in 57 games with the Flames before being traded for the only time in his NHL career when he was dealt to St. Louis with Steve Bozek in exchange for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley on Mar. 7, 1988. He spent 10 and a half seasons with the Blues from 1987-88 to 1997-98, including a brief time as a teammate of Gretzky (now the Coyotes’ managing partner) towards the end of the 1995-96 season. While with St. Louis, he served as the Blues’ team captain. Hull then signed as a free agent with Dallas on July 3, 1998. After three seasons with the Stars, Hull then signed as a free agent with Detroit on Aug. 22, 2001.
On the international stage, Hull has represented Team USA at both Olympic (1998 and 2002) and World Cup (1991 and 1996) tournaments, winning a gold medal at the World Cup in 1996 and earning a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. In fact, he will play for Team USA at the 2004 World Cup, which will begin in late August.
Hull is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull. Bobby played 16 seasons in the NHL with Chicago, Winnipeg and Hartford, recording 610 goals, 560 assists and 1,170 points. Bobby’s No. 9 jersey was retired by the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise on Feb. 19, 1989. Bobby and Brett form the NHL’s all-time highest scoring father/son combination and the only father/son duo to each record 600 goals. Brett is also the nephew of former Chicago Blackhawk All-Star left wing Dennis Hull.
Today’s signing of Hull adds to an aggressive summer of free agent signings by the Coyotes who had already added forwards Mike Ricci and Boyd Devereaux along with defenseman Sean O’Donnell. In addition, the Coyotes also traded for forward Jason Chimera in June.
http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com/news/p...etails&ID=3684
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