Bobby Hull in town

NHL legend Bobby Hull made his way to Kelowna this weekend to meet his fans and sign autographs, for a local National Hockey Card Day celebration.

Downtown Kelowna's Players Choice Sports Cards & Collectibles brought the hockey great to town, and by 1 p.m. Saturday, the store was packed full of people, young and old, looking to meet the legend in the flesh.

This isn't the first time Hull has made his way to Kelowna though.

“I used to come here back in the sixties,” he said. “We would play in a benefit hockey game for the junior team.”

Though he now calls Chicago home, Hull's been back to Kelowna several times in the subsequent years.

Hull showed off his Stanley Cup ring from 1961 and shared stories of the Original Six days of the NHL, playing against other greats like Gordie Howe.

“Year after year it was Howe that you had to get ready to play against,” he said. “He was so consistent ... when you came to play against Gordon Howe you had your work cut out for you.”

Hull, now an ambassador for the Chicago Blackhawks, says he hasn't had a chance to see the Kelowna Rockets play, but has heard good things about them.

“I wish them all the best,” Hull said. “Junior hockey is so very important to kids aspiring to be professionals. I was one of those kids where my boyhood dream was to make the National Hockey League and I'm happy I was able to do it.”