Phil... This is really hard to read.
Anyone who says that Hull doesn't have a complicated legacy, (such as the article linked on the first page) is foolish.
You're right that you cannot ignore the contributions that Bobby had to the history and legacy of the NHL and Canadian hockey. He broke the "glass ceiling" for salaries and paved the way for much better men than him to be paid fairly for the money they brought into the game. His contract with the Jets is at the level of importance of the NHLPA being established. He was one of the biggest draws in the game, inspired millions of kids to curve their sticks, and was very important to Canadian hockey during the Cold War.
But you cannot separate that from his monstrously abusive behaviour. Forget about the Hitler comments. He hurt a lot of people, including his wives and children. If you need a clearer example of how destructive and abusive he was, his own daughter pursued a career as a lawyer in domestic abuse because of the violence she witnessed first hand by Bobby against her mother.
He was a dangerous, violent man who had victims. Victims he was unrepentant towards. He beat his first wife bloody with a steel headed shoe and nearly threw her off of a balcony. He beat all his wives to the point law enforcement needed to get involved. He abused his children to the point that none of them wanted anything to do with him. Brett is a stronger man than most to allow a man like Bobby back into his life.
Imagine what it's like to be a victim of domestic abuse, experiencing the trauma that you go through every day of your life because of the impact of a violent abuser, and then seeing a man who abused those who trusted him publicly celebrated and cheered for? What sort of message does that send people?
This issue is bigger than hockey and signing autographs for fans.
Bobby can be remembered and acknowledged for the positives his legacy brought to the game, but in no world should he be celebrated as some sort of hero.
