Bobby Hull, a former NHL MVP and Hall of Fame forward, was found to have stage 2 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) when he died in 2023 at the age of 84. His widow revealed this information, stating that Hull struggled with short-term memory loss and impaired judgment in his final years. Hull made the decision to donate his brain for research after witnessing the decline of his former teammate Stan Mikita due to the disease. CTE is a degenerative brain disease commonly found in athletes who have experienced repeated head trauma.
Researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center conducted a study on deceased hockey players, which revealed that 18 out of 19 NHL players examined, including Hull, Mikita, and others, had CTE. The findings prompted the NHL Players’ Association to establish an advisory committee to educate players on the dangers of concussions and potential brain damage. The study also highlighted the increased risk of developing CTE with each year of hockey played. Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center, emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for CTE symptoms.
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