Bobby Hull’s widow says the Hall of Famer and two-time NHL MVP who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup had chronic traumatic encephalopathy when he died two years ago. Researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center found that Hull had stage 2 CTE when he died in 2023. He was 84. Hull struggled with short-term memory loss and impaired judgment over his final decade. He chose to donate his brain after seeing former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Stan Mikita decline late in his life. Deborah Hull says Bobby “felt strongly no other family should have to endure CTE.” CTE is a degenerative disease that that can be diagnosed only posthumously.
