Goal oriented

Sporting News, The, Oct 4, 1993 by Larry Wigge

Brett Hull is looking for the hat trick to happiness this season: more ice time, a play making center and more understanding

Who is Brett Hull? Is he the happy-go-lucky player who beams when he scores a goal or the whiner and complainer who pouts when he doesn't get his way?

"I don't care if he's got 50 goals or 100, you always know when Brett Hull is on the ice," Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy says. "He's one of the greatest goal scorers in the history of the game."

But Los Angeles Kings Coach Barry Melrose nixed a trade for Hull last season, saying, "If we had traded for Hull, we never would have made it to the Stanley Cup finals. You win in this game with star competitors, not star players."

You could say Brett Hull is the Barry Bonds of hockey - a home run hitter in his sport, an electric presence. Fans circle their calendars as a reminder to buy tickets when these players come to town.

But as a result of being placed on such a pedestal, they are subject to scrutiny beyond reason. That's what makes Huh, like Bonds, one of sports' most misunderstood superstars.

Hull was the NHL's most valuable player in 1990-91 when he scored 86 goals, but his total fell to 54 last season, touching off a wildfire of doubt and criticism: He is lazy ... he would score 100 goals if he were more competitive ... he is immature ... he can't remain focused on the game.

To his credit, Hull is up-front, candid and approachable, despite what at times seems like interminable examination. And that's where he differs from Bonds, who indicates his mood swings by the color of wrist band he is wearing on a particular day.

"I don't get upset at anyone or anything but myself and my situation," Hull says. "People misinterpret that - big time.

"I could say the criticism doesn't bother me, but no one's that unfeeling. It does bother me, but I can't do anything about it."

The Blackhawks have just lost for a third consecutive time to the Blues en route to a surprising sweep in the first round of the playoffs when Chicago Coach Darryl Sutter steps to the microphone to answer questions.

Sutter scratches his head in obvious frustration when he is asked how the Blackhawks plan to keep Hull from scoring. But Sutter doesn't spout the company line and say how tough it is to stop Hull. In fact, his answer is a surprising dig at St. Louis' star.

"Hull? Did he have two shots on goal?" Sutter says. "I'm not noticing him out there except for his goals.

"We were hoping to put Jeremy Roenick's line head-up against Hull's line. We thought we could take advantage of that matchup. But (Blues Coach) Bob Berry isn't using him. We might be up 3-0 in this series if Hull played more ... but he's never out there.

Again, the perception is wrong.

Hull obviously was out there enough to help bury the heavily favored Blackhawks, including a great bodycheck he made on goaltender Ed Belfour that helped create Craig Janney's overtime goal in Game 4.

Hull just shrugs when the incident is dredged up with all the other bad memories of last year's lost season.

"I'm upset about my year," he says. "I know I could have been better, but I also know that not every year is going to be easy. It's a year where I learned a great deal about a lot of things.

"I learned that I can", score when I'm on the bench, I learned I can't continue to play when I can't skate because of a stomach-muscle injury that I should have taken more seriously and I learned that I have to look out for myself because there aren't many others who give a damn about me, other than my close friends and family.

"I also learned that I can't get upset because of my philosophy about the game. Sometimes, when I want to do something, I can't do it. Then, I just get so upset at myself and the situation. If I'm playing a lot, it doesn't affect me. If there are a lot of penalties in a game, or I'm not really useful, I seem to get totally out of focus.

"I sit there dwelling on it. I start brooding. There's nothing I can do about it, and that makes me madder. It's a very helpless feeling."

Berry knows how important Hull is to the Blues, but there are times when he openly criticizes his star player. After a 6-5 overtime loss in Buffalo last season, Berry ran the videotape over and over again to point out an error Hull made in coverage on Brad May's winning goal.

"Look at this goal," Berry said. "Where is Hullie? He's up here, he's at the red line waiting for a breakaway.... Absolutely no respect for his goaltender."

Even though Berry and some of Hull's teammates don't always seem to know this man, we don't need to roll out a couch to psychoanalyze him.

"Hullie is a very confident guy, but for the first time, he was doubting himself," Blues winger Brendan Shanahan says. "And whether you are a superstar or not, you have to be confident in your ability in order to play well."

Before the playoffs there was a story in the St. Louis Post - Dispatch in which teammates ripped Hull - anonymously, of course. Accusing fingers were pointed at Berry for planting the story to try to get Hull at the top of his game in the playoffs. If that's true, it worked because Hull had eight goals in 11 playoff games.