Usually Masterton is described as the first death caused directly by an on-ice incident to differentiate from Morenz dying of complications. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. Bill Masterton died from head injuries he suffered in a National Hockey League game in 1968, sparking a long-running debate over helmets, which were finally made mandatory 11 seasons later. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bill Masterton. Theres no doubt in my mind about that, Boudrias said. that is out of proportion to the blow that he got. That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. (Or was she paralyzed). They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. He finished with a master's degree in business at Denver and landed a job at the Minneapolis-based technology company Honeywell, where he worked in the financial department for the Apollo project, married his high school sweetheart and started a family, adopting a son and a daughter. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. Latest News [5] He was a two-time NCAA All-American and was twice named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) All-Star team, earning both awards in 1960 and 1961. To order copies of The team also retired his No. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. (The trainer) said, Yeah, I notice that too. I said, I wonder if we could have him checked. [7] Masterton served as team captain for 196061,[8] and was named the most valuable player of the 1961 national championship as he led Denver to a second consecutive title. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. You stopped elbowing guys in the head, Matt?". That dream carried him through junior hockey in his hometown of Winnipeg and three years at the University of Denver, where he was an All-American and led the Pioneers to the 1961 NCAA championship, but the dream stalled after two years of minor league hockey in the Montreal Canadiens' organization. When the brain hasn't healed completely from a previous injury, a subsequent blow can cause the type of sudden and severe swelling found in Masterton's brain. It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball, teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. Corry believes Mastertons death could have been prevented and would be today. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. Fifty years ago on Jan. 15, 1968 Minnesota North Stars rookie center Bill Masterton died from a head injury suffered 30 hours earlier in a home game against the Oakland Seals. NHL trade grades: Kane deal to Rangers earns high marks for one side, NHL trade tracker: Latest deals, rumors and grades, Rangers clear hurdles, get Kane from Blackhawks, Oilers bulk up defense, secure Predators' Ekholm, Leafs win Schenn sweepstakes, trade for veteran, Leafs deal Sandin to Capitals for Gustafsson, pick, Wild add depth, acquire Johansson from Capitals, NHL suspends Rangers' Miller for spitting incident, Oilers trade ex-No. . [3] The impact of the hit caused him to lose consciousness before he hit the ice; according to some accounts, he briefly came to and muttered, "Never again, never again" before passing back out. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Back at the 1968 All-Star Game, discussion among beat writers went beyond the helmet debate to come up with a way to commemorate the league's first casualty. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "[11] The force of the impact caused Masterton to bleed from his nose, ears, and mouth. He sees both nobility and short-sightedness in the demands placed on hockeys most devoted players. "He didn't move after that. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Like many Canadian boys growing up in the 50s, Masterton listened to Saturday night radio broadcasts of Hockey Night in Canada and dreamed of Foster Hewitt making the call: Masterton shoots, he scores!. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. It goes on today, theres no question about it. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". He was having some headaches. On that fatal night at Met Center on Jan. 13, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars center, playing against the Oakland Seals, carried the puck across the blue line and cut to the right while Seals defensemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris closed in. Corry confirmed the opinion of Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon quoted in the Toronto Star article, who also said Masterton showed signs of second-impact syndrome. When the brain hasnt healed completely from a previous injury, a subsequent blow can cause the type of sudden and severe swelling found in Mastertons brain. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. — -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. The team doctor soon joined him. My feeling is that he may have gotten a minor concussion playing or practising on some other day . Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. Season. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Ive never said this to anyone before, said Wren Blair, Mastertons coach and general manager, now 85. In several games prior to the tragedy, Blair had also noticed something strange. States the autopsy report: There was a blow to the left temple in a game some days prior to the fatal injury and the deceased is said to have complained of headaches in the left temporal region.. https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html 11 [deleted] 5 yr. ago This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. "I knew he was done.". To order Since Masterton was off balance at the time he got checked (cleanly; there was no penalty called), his brain twisted inside of his skull before his head struck the ice. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Discuss the NHL, AHL, PHF, IIHF, KHL, and every other hockey league you can think of! Men are the way men are.. [16] He played two seasons with the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966. [19] They soon concluded that the injury was too severe for surgery to be a viable option. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. His parents, brother, wife and two children were at his side. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Nor did he see evidence of CTE, the progressive degenerative disease found posthumously in the brains of nearly 87 of 91 NFL players who suffered multiple blows to the head. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? Corry confirmed the opinion of Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon quoted in the Toronto Star article, who also said Masterton showed signs of "second-impact syndrome." "I am convinced he had some type of concussion beforehand," said Dr. Jesse Corry, a specialist in neurocritical care at the John Nasseff Neuroscience Specialty Clinic in St. Paul who studied the autopsy report. He was the first on-ice casualty in NHL history. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" The team doctor soon joined him. He starred at the University of Denver from 1957-61, helping the Pioneers win three national collegiate titles and earning tournament MVP honours his senior year. When he had headaches early on, we wouldnt have had him on the ice, he said. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. Is his number retired by the Stars? But a Star investigation has uncovered evidence that an earlier, untreated concussion was likely responsible for Mastertons death at the age of 29. [22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance. Yet that might not actually be the case. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. [26] High schools in Bloomington, where the North Stars played their games, also award scholarships in Masterton's name. [16] Legislators in New York considered a law to make their use mandatory,[20] and the NHL voted on and rejected a rule requiring players wear helmets three times by 1971. Masterton had worn a helmet when he played college hockey in Denver because NCAA regulations required players to wear them, but he did not wear one as a professional. The Professional Hockey Writers Association proposed -- and the league immediately approved -- the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy to be awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the virtues of perseverance, courage and sportsmanship that Masterton displayed. He finished with a master's degree in business at Denver and landed a job at the Minneapolis-based technology company Honeywell, where he worked in the financial department for the Apollo project, married his high school sweetheart and started a family, adopting a son and a daughter. We spent a lot of time dreaming, said Bob. Masterton had worn a helmet when he played college hockey in Denver because NCAA regulations required players to wear them, but he did not wear one as a professional. William Masterton (August 13, 1938 January 15, 1968) was a Canadian American professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars in 196768. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. Minnesota goalie Cesare Maniagos wife, Mavis, had a clear view of Mastertons fall from her seat in the stands. The specter of Mastertons death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. Professional Hockey Player. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". Only NHL Player To Die On Ice Bill John Masterton Https://Tedtalkshockey.com - YouTube 0:00 / 6:28 #Numberonetrending #NHL #Nationalhockeyleague Only NHL Player To Die On Ice Bill John. Yeah was going to say maybe the only death by a player, not in general. Twice last season, Laperriere took slapshots in the face. He finished with a masters degree in business at Denver and landed a job at the Minneapolis-based technology company Honeywell, where he worked in the financial department for the Apollo project, married his high school sweetheart and started a family, adopting a son and a daughter. Longtime NHL coach John Muckler, who was then the coach of the Stars' second-tier farm team, the Memphis South Stars, believed that Masterton may have suffered a brain injury as early as training camp. His face is blood red, almost purple. Yet that might not actually be the case. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. He pursued a masters degree in business engineering, eventually joining technology giant Honeywell, where he worked on the financial end of the Apollo project. Even as Walter Bush, one of the North Star owners, saw him lying motionless on the ice, he did not think Masterton had sustained a concussion. said Boudrias, now 72. Or Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a skate and he lost a lot of blood. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". Carl Johnson, assistant general manager of Minnesotas farm team in Memphis, said he was told Masterton had blacked out while on line rushes during practice. [12], Faced with little opportunity to make the Montreal roster,[3] Masterton left the professional game to complete his master's degree at the University of Denver. A helmet obviously would not have hurt Masterton, but it might not have been enough to spare his life, given the nature of his injury and the fact he had not healed from a recent concussion. That injury was compounded by the age-old hockey code that preaches shake-it-off-and-get-back-out-there resilience in the face of pain, serious injury, even brain trauma. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. "This is an urgent matter," UMC CEO Bill Masterton said. 's top rookie", "Brain injuries takes life of Stars' Bill Masterton", "Star investigation: What really killed NHL's Bill Masterton", "North Star player's death 40 years ago changed the game of hockey forever", "N.H.L. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. [1][2] He added eight points in six games during the Memorial Cup playdowns, however St. Boniface failed to reach the national championship final. A team of doctors at the hospital treated Masterton with steroids and diuretics, but the swelling in his brain was so swift and severe that they decided against operating. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. The team also retired his No. We didn't think it was that serious.". "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". Theres something wrong.. At 1:55 a.m. on Jan. 15, 1968 almost 30 hours after he struck his head on the ice Bill Masterton died at the age of 29. Former Edmonton Oilers coach John Muckler, who coached the North Stars farm club in Memphis that season, said he saw signs of trouble with Masterton in training camp. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. The death of DU hockey Alum Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish. Its the most gruesome distinction in hockey: Only one player has ever died from injuries directly suffered in an NHL game. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. I know that in our training camp he got hit hard a couple of times. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Masterton was not a marquee player, but he was a skilled playmaker who was willing to work in the corners and be a team player. The night before the Oakland game, Masterton's family gathered at the house of their neighbor, North Star goaltender Cesare Maniago, to celebrate Maniago's 29th birthday. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. When Bill Mastertons limp body collapsed to the ice on Jan. 15, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars centre appeared to be the victim of an innocuous hit. He didnt just work on the ice. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. Carol, who was watching the game from the stands, and Masterton's parents, who were listening to the game from their home in Winnipeg, rushed to his bedside at the hospital. That's what men did. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Bill Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968. [18], "Because he had a habit of giving everything he had for every second he was on the ice, Bill was the type of player who didn't have to score a lot of goals to help a club. His playing style has endeared him to hockey fans. He averaged a goal per game and finished with 49 points in 22 games in 195556 as the Canadiens won the Turnbull Cup. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was created in 1968 under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and is presented annually to the "National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey". As dramatic music replaced a play-by-play call of the incident, the video moved backwards in slow motion until just before Laperrieres face absorbed the slapshot. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? A team of doctors at the hospital treated Masterton with steroids and diuretics, but the swelling in his brain was so swift and severe that they decided against operating. My grandfather and grandmother were at this game, it was also their only NHL game they ever attended. All Rights Reserved. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Masterton had not told the North Stars' coach, Wren Blair, about his headaches, but Blair had thought something might be amiss and commented to the team trainer, "I wonder if we could have him checked," according to the Toronto Star, which first reported this story on May 28, 2011. Like Masterton, Laperriere earned an unlikely place in the pros with grit. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. He had been checked hard into the glass less yielding in those days two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star They had total control.. His death . It was a dictatorship. According to several of Masterton's teammates, wearing a helmet was frowned upon in the NHL of that era; at least one North Star who wore a helmet during a game was traded after the season. Hed got hit and even that night he said Gee, Ive really been getting these migraines and theyve been with me for about a week.. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. During the North Stars' first game (Oct. 11, 1967 in St. Louis), Masterton scored the team's first goal and the game ended in a 2-2 tie. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. The irony is that perseverance probably killed Bill Masterton. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. Just that it was beating very irregularly, cause him to pass out/collapse. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. Oakland defencemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris moved in to check Masterton, who wound up falling on the back of his head. "He was a team man off the charts.". "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". A ritual unfolded every Saturday evening in the small Masterton home in Winnipegs East Kildonan neighbourhood: brothers Bill and Bob took a bath, slipped into pajamas and sat together in front of a tiny electric fireplace while listening to Foster Hewitt on the radio. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. When Mastertons head struck the ice at Met Center, there was no skull fracture, but his brain swelled very quickly, evidenced by his dilated pupils and elevated blood pressure which pointed to a previous head injury. [13] Masterton's Minnesota teammates, who were playing a game in Boston on the 14th, were informed that he had been removed from life support in the dressing room in what was ultimately a 92 loss to the Bruins. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. Despite several efforts to mandate their use, it was 11 years before the NHL made them compulsory for all new players beginning in the 197980 season. If anyone is wondering his story here's a short video TSN did on him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh_uLi6Bf7s and here is a list of the previous winners of the trophy named after him. Laperrieres brain was bleeding. He played that game standing up, Williamson said. In 1968, Bill Masterton became the only NHL player to date to die as the result of injuries suffered during a game. In 1967, Mastertons nearly forgotten hope of playing in the NHL re-emerged with the leagues expansion from six to 12 teams. The team also retired his No. They didn't. [16] In that game, a 22 tie, Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota franchise history. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. The Montreal Canadiens, which owned his rights, traded them to Minnesota. What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.. Masterton wasnt big. But that has not happened fast enough for a group of more than 120 ex-NHL players, including Bernie Nicholls, Mike Peluso and Steve Payne, who are suing the league in a class-action suit for putting their neurological health at risk despite knowing the violent play involved. [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. Thats what men did. "He didn't move after that. We know the second hit can be fatal. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. At 1:55 a.m. on Jan. 15, 1968 almost 30 hours after he struck his head on the ice Bill Masterton died at the age of 29. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Ive never seen a person work so hard. We didnt think it was that serious.. Prior concussion was a factor in Bill Masterton's death, Wyshynski's NHL trade deadline tiers: From elite game-changers to bargain beauties, NHL trade deadline guides for all 32 teams: Players, picks in play, cap space, team status. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. "I knew he was done.". He and the Stars' trainer had noticed Masterton's face was "blood red, almost purple," and were concerned enough that they wanted Masterton checked out by a doctor. But that has not happened fast enough for a group of more than 120 ex-NHL players, including Bernie Nicholls, Mike Peluso and Steve Payne, who are suing the league in a class-action suit for putting their neurological health at risk despite knowing the violent play involved. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. [9] The Pioneers finished the season with a 30-1-1 record and were hailed as "the greatest hockey team to ever represent an American college or university. Its kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the What if? There's also the girl that was killed in the stands by a puck. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? The usual story is just as has unfolded here, that they can even talk a bit after that final hit and then they lapse into a coma, Tator said. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. Murray Williamson, who coached both amateur teams Masterton played for, remembered a night in Rochester, Minnesota, when Masterton backed into a radiator in the dressing room and singed his rear end. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. The talented career, and tragic death, of Bill Masterton JJ (Governor) Carrier 1.38K subscribers Subscribe 3 Share 287 views 2 years ago Former NCAA star finally made the NHL with the Stars,. 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Off the charts. `` and short-sightedness in the stands by a,. 1968, Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary foolish... Or practising on some other day medical examiner performed an autopsy, discovered! That an earlier, untreated concussion was likely responsible for Mastertons death could have him.! Weeks earlier in a game its kind of good to hear that because takes! Considered it a sign of weakness the leagues expansion from six to 12.... ] However, Masterton scored the first death caused directly by an incident! 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish to 12 in. Fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966 '' Williamson.. `` when he had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago matter, & quot ; UMC CEO Masterton! Was tragic, unnecessary and foolish out of proportion to the blow that he got,. Diagnosis of a concussion back in those days? PHF, IIHF, KHL, mouth!
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