Hull of an Ending

In a move that surprised everyone but himself, Brett Hull announced his immediate retirement Saturday just prior to the Phoenix Coyotes' game against the Detroit Red Wings, with whom Hull once won the Stanley Cup.

Hull, who also won a champtionship with the Dallas Stars in 1999, said that at 41 he just couldn't keep pace with younger players.

"I wasn't Brett Hull at 30 or 35 even. I was 41 years old and after a year and a half layoff, I didn't have what it took to play in the new game that was so exciting."

He finishes his 20-year career with 741 goals and 650 assists -- having scored the third most goals in NHL history. Hull entered the league with the Calgary Flames in 1986, followed by stints with the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Red Wings and Coyotes. He raised his second Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2002.

One word defines Hull's career: "winner." Hull played in nine All-Star games and was the league MVP in 1991. He also participated in the '88 and '92 Olympic Games.

"The National Hockey League will miss Brett's skill, his scoring touch and his fun-loving attitude," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman remarked in an Associated Press article. "He was a splendid athlete, a passionate player and someone who never hesitated to speak his mind.

Hull truly was one of the NHL's all-time greats, and he joins a list of recently retired players surely headed for the hall of fame, including Mark Messier, Patrick Roy and Ron Francis.