NHL Legend Bobby Hull Diagnosed with Stage 2 CTE After His Death

Hockey legend Bobby Hull had stage 2 CTE at the time of his death, his widow and researchers announced Wednesday.

According to the New York Times and the Associated Press, researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center said on Wednesday, Feb. 19 that Hull, whose brain was donated after his death in 2023, suffered from the condition known as CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in a statement released by the late athlete’s widow, Deborah Hull.

Hull, a two-time NHL MVP and Hall of Fame member who reportedly struggled with short-term memory loss and impaired judgment as he aged, had decided to donate his brain for study after seeing the mental decline of his former teammate Stan Mikita, according to the AP.

Mikita, who was 78 when he died in 2018, was also part of a study conducted at Boston University’s CTE Center that found the odds of developing CTE “increase by 34 percent for each year of hockey played,” per the New York Times.

In a statement issued to both outlets on Wednesday, Deborah said, “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.”

Hull’s widow said he “insisted on donating his brain” after his death and he felt it was “his duty to help advance research on this agonizing disease,” in her statement.

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Boston University’s CTE Center director Dr. Anne McKee issued a statement addressing Hull’s results, expressing her gratitude to Hull and “all of the NHL players and families who are helping us learn how to prevent, diagnose, and treat CTE.”

“We encourage retired players and their families to reach out for help and care if they are concerned about CTE, as we are learning how to effectively treat symptoms, especially in mid-life,” Dr. McKee added, per the New York Times.

CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a rare and progressive degenerative brain condition likely caused by repeated head traumas, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The condition is caused by repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries. The disease has been found mostly in athletes who play contact sports, members of the military and victims of physical abuse, though not everyone who experiences repeated concussions goes on to develop CTE.