The Canada Revenue Agency has formally closed the Bobby Hull Foundation for Children, marking the quiet end of a charitable legacy tied to one of hockey’s most iconic figures.The announcement, listed in a legal notice among 141 shuttered charities, comes two years after Hull died at age 84. Based in Winnipeg, the Foundation raised tens of thousands of dollars annually to support sick children.“Bobby was on the board and active until he died,” said Patrick McCullough, co-founder and Foundation director. “We did our last event this year.”.Hull, a Hockey Hall of Famer and fan favourite across the Prairies, was known for his generosity and connection to kids. McCullough recalled countless impromptu encounters with young fans. “If we were driving and came across kids playing road hockey, Bobby would stop the car,” he said. “He would ask if they wanted him to autograph their sticks.”Hull once told the Winnipeg Free Press that visits to the Children’s Hospital were deeply meaningful. “It chokes me up,” he said. “If I can do anything to help make their stay as easy as can be, I’m all for it.”Hull made history in 1972 when he left the Chicago Black Hawks to sign the first million-dollar contract in pro hockey with the World Hockey Association’s Winnipeg Jets. The $2.75 million deal — worth about $21 million today — triggered a failed NHL legal challenge and earned him the label of “defector” from then-league president Clarence Campbell..Despite controversy, Hull remained beloved in Winnipeg. “We’d go to Rae & Jerry’s steak house and every time the waitress would say, ‘There are some people here who would like to meet Bobby,’” said McCullough. “He always made time.”The Foundation’s closure adds a federal footnote to Hull’s legacy, ending a charitable effort that lived on after his playing career and death.
