Statues of Mikita, Hull coming next season
In a gesture long overdue, the Blackhawks announced Sunday that Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, the two greatest players in franchise history, will be immortalized with bronze life-like statues outside the United Center.
The statues will be unveiled early in the 2011-12 season at a location to be determined.
“Bobby and Stan have been so terrific for the organization for so many years, it's a way we could show our support and our fans from all over the world can come see this,” chairman Rocky Wirtz said.
“Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita are pillars of our franchise,” Hawks president John McDonough said.
An emotional Hull and Mikita were told about their statues following the ceremony Sunday honoring the 1961 Stanley Cup team.
“Ladies and gentlemen, likely the greatest tribute that I'll ever have paid to me is when they put me in bronze out there in front of this building,” Hull said.
“When they put Brett Hull in bronze down in St. Louis, I said, ‘Son, this is going to be the greatest tribute you'll ever have. It'll never go away. You're part of this real estate now,'” Hull said. “Stan and I are going to be part of this real estate here on Madison and this great building.”
Bulls great Michael Jordan presently is the only athlete to have a statue outside the United Center. There is a Hawks statue across Madison Street, but it represents no particular player, although one certainly looks to be a young Hull.
“It'll take a hundred years to get the smile off my face,” Mikita said. “Now I'll know how Michael felt out there.”