Playing for a Canadian team is a double-edged sword. It’s the life bed of hockey, it’s the national sport, it’s everything up there apart from the Blue Jays and the Raptors. Playing there is spectacular, and you become almost a household name. You look at [Auston] Matthews and [Mitch] Marner in Toronto and [Leon] Draisaitl and [Connor] McDavid in Edmonton. They’re all household names and they become very famous, but there’s also a lot of pressure on you to win for those Canadian teams.
Looking at it from a team’s point of view, with the economy, the taxes, the weather, it’s hard to get superstar free agents to come and play for your team because of where they’re situated. It’s great to be a part of a Canadian franchise, but there’s also a lot of great teams in the United States and a lot of states that have no state tax. So that’s part of the problem, and that’s probably one of the reasons why it’s been such a drought.
What can Canadian franchises do to bridge that gap?
They somehow have to be able to make it financially more suitable for players to come up there and play. To me, that’s about it. The cities, the people, are fantastic. Being a part of a Canadian team, you’re treated like gold. But I just think it’s hard to lure free agents and it’s hard to keep people into multi-year contracts because they just want to play theirs out and leave. That’s the biggest problem.
What was the pressure like coming into the league with your dad being an NHL legend?
At that point I’d done it my whole life. I was used to it, I don’t know if it was pressure, but I was used to being Bobby Hull’s son. As far as coming into the NHL, at that point, I had already figured out that I was never gonna be Bobby Hull. I just had to be Brett Hull and just go out and play my game and do the best I could. I always said if I could keep one foot in his shadow and one foot out, making my own shadow, and we could put the shadows together, it would be fantastic. And fortunately for me, that did happen, and I had my own very successful career.
Which current player reminds you most of yourself?
Well, I think the first player you have to look at is Ovechkin. We played a very similar style. He’s far more physical than I was, but we go to the same areas on the ice, we love our one-timers and we set up as right handers in the exact same spot. We love to score goals. Maybe even a little Steven Stamkos, who plays like both Alex and I, so I think those are the two closest guys that I would compare myself to.
And which current player would you have most liked to have played with?
I would love to say Connor McDavid, but it would never work because I could never keep up with him. He’s too fast! But I like Mitch Marner. I’d love to play with a guy like that who just loves to make plays. Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado, too. Anybody that loves to move the puck and is smart and creative, I would love to play with.
Who’s going to win the Stanley Cup this season?
It looks like Boston’s gonna be very hard to beat in the East. I think it’s anybody’s game out West. I’m gonna lean Dallas to make it to the Finals, and we’ll have a Boston-Dallas Finals.
Build your perfect player
Skating
There’s only one, it’s Connor McDavid. It looks like he floats on top of the ice.
Shooting
There’s no question it’s Alex Ovechkin. Nobody can shoot it like Alex Ovechkin.
Passing
There’s a number of good passers, but I like Mitch Marner in Toronto.
Handling
How about Barzal on the Island? He can really handle that puck.
Hockey IQ
Sidney Crosby. There’s no one else. He’s the best all-around player in the game. Offense, defense, passing, shooting, all-around play. To me, he’s a hockey genius.
