Its a badge of honour, he said. "He was a team man off the charts.". "I wouldn't do it.". Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. 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. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. In several games prior to the tragedy, Blair had also noticed something strange. 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.. They didnt. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. Republication or distribution of this content is Those closest to Masterton concur he was suffering from a brain injury before he stepped on to the ice that night, as does a medical expert who reviewed an autopsy report obtained by the Star. In his memory, the NHL created the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy which it has awarded since 1968 to a player who demonstrates perseverance and dedication to hockey. Bill Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. [16] He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of an injury suffered on the ice. The Montreal Canadiens, which owned his rights, traded them to Minnesota. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". [11] The new team's coach and general manager, Wren Blair, had scouted Masterton while he played with the US Nationals and purchased his NHL playing rights from the Canadiens. Witnesses . accessed ), memorial page for William Duncan "Bill" Cromie (24 Apr 1915-20 Feb 2002), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244481111, citing Riverside Cemetery . For the 1979-80 season, the league finally made helmets mandatory for new players -- allowing those who signed professional contracts prior to June 1, 1979, the option not to wear them -- but it would be 18 years before every NHL player complied. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Mastertons teammate, Boudrias. The season started with promise: Masterton scored the first goal in North Stars history. 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. [11] Referee Wally Harris compared the hit to an explosion, adding "he was checked hard, but I'm sure it wasn't a dirty play. Its kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the What if? Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. 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." Bill Masterton's death sparked a long-running debate in hockey about the merits of wearing helmets, as few NHL players did so in that time. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. original sound. 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. To order copies of Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. So has NHL protocol, initiated in 2011, which has spotters to flag potentially concussed players and bans those from returning to games in which they were injured. [3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. 1/2 Minnesota North Stars F Bill Masterton was tragically lost on this day in 1968, 2 days after having struck his head on Met Center ice. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. NHL -- Real reasons for the death of Bill Masterton highlight concussion issue Skip to main content Skip to navigation Presented By > ESPN Search You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. He briefly played in the Montreal Canadiens organization before settling in Minnesota where he played senior hockey. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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.". "I wouldn't do it.". Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. Id said to our trainer, Do you ever look at Billy when the games on? Blair recalled. They didn't. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bill Masterton. They didn't. He was the first on-ice casualty in NHL history. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. Latest News RIP in hockey heaven. [14] His wife Carol later recalled that it was a "dream come true" for her husband: "He always wanted a shot at the NHL, and expansion was a wonderful thing for him and guys like him. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. 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. that is out of proportion to the blow that he got. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. Goaltender Cesare Maniago recalled that the night before the fatal hit, Masterton had been complaining of severe migraines that he had had for over a week. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. [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. 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. You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. 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. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. Ive never thought that it had anything to do with that hit. Thats a philosophy that Scott Masterton views with the ambivalence of both a former competitive athlete and a man left fatherless at the age of 3. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". And it changed hockey forever. 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. Masterton's death sparked a long-running debate in hockey about the merits of wearing helmets, as few NHL players did so in that time. They had total control.. 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. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. "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. His face is blood red, almost purple. After his death, his #19 jersey was officially retired by the Minnesota North Stars. The Hennepin County medical examiner found evidence of a previous injury on the left side of Mastertons skull on the temporal region of the brain. [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. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" 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. 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. With a blown knee and broken bones, Scott stepped away from his sport. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" My mother, before she died, talked about it. That was the NHL's code. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blairs decision. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. What about Howie morenz? [10] Led by Jean Bliveau and Henri Richard, the Canadiens were extremely deep at center, so Masterton was assigned to the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Eastern Professional Hockey League. "I knew he was done.". [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. It disappeared during his 38-game career as an NHLer. . He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". He wanted it badly. The rarely told story behind the death of Bill Masterton -- the only NHL player to die from an injury suffered during a game -- highlights the risks and league culpability of concussions. 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. After reviewing the document, Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon and concussion expert, believes Masterton suffered second impact syndrome, a rare occurrence where a second concussion happens on the heels of a first concussion that never healed, causing rapid and severe brain swelling. 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. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. However, Masterton brushed it off. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. 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. . Today his story is nearly forgotten, but for an annual NHL award that bears his name. [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. 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. But 37 games later, in the days leading up to the hit that would kill him, there were signs all was not right. #nhl #hockeydeath #rip #hockey #sports". Bill Masterton Vintage North Stars Film Discovery 50th Anniversary in Final game lumberjack1713 1.26K subscribers Subscribe 506 Share 73K views 5 years ago Credit to Tom Hauser and the good. But my brother was the worker and he had the ethic that you need to make the NHL.. Playoffs. During the same season, just a few months later, he was flying up open ice with the puck and was sandwiched by 2 California Seals. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. 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. The following season, Blair traded Boudrias, who had scored the second-most points for the team in its first season, citing a drop in his production. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. They didn't. [3], Masterton played three seasons in Denver between 1958 and 1961, appearing in a total of 89 games, scoring 66 goals and 196 points in that time. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. 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." Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Laperrieres brain was bleeding. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. said Boudrias, now 72. Yet that might not actually be the case. [14] He and his wife Carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally. The irony is that perseverance probably killed Bill Masterton. All Rights Reserved. My interpretation is that the seeds of this catastrophic injury were sown days before.. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The underlying cause of his death almost 50 years ago elevates awareness about the risks of undiagnosed concussions -- and the NHL's responsibility to address them. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. [4] At the time of his graduation, he was the Pioneers' all-time leading point scorer, a record he held for 25 years. When this happens, it can cause rapid and often fatal brain swelling. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. 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. [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. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. The underlying cause of his death almost 50 years ago elevates awareness about the risks of undiagnosed concussions -- and the NHL's responsibility to address them. "You hold out four fingers. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. 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. He said prior to the start of the 196768 season that being able to play in Minnesota was key as he would have been unlikely to consider an offer with any other team. 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. Had to do cpr on him right next to the bench in the tunnel. The team also retired his No. [1] Masterton led the WCHA in scoring in 195960 with 44 points in conference play,[6] and led Denver to the 1960 NCAA national championship. 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. 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. Toronto neurosurgeon and concussion expert Charles Tator reviewed Masterton's autopsy and opined that Masterton had suffered second-impact syndrome, which occurs when a person suffers a second concussion on top of an earlier, untreated concussion. 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.". It got deathly quiet.". [9] He settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he took a job in contracts administration. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. 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. I don't think his heart completely stopped. Death 20 Feb 2002 (aged 86) New Zealand. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. The team also retired his No. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. Its the most gruesome distinction in hockey: Only one player has ever died from injuries directly suffered in an NHL game. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. Happened to Jiri Fisher on the Wings bench too. When he suffered the final hit of his career, Masterton was making his patented move crossing the opposing blueline and cutting to one side before passing the puck to a teammate. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. Stay on current site or go to US version. "I wouldn't do it.". He died from a coronary embolism caused by blood clots from his damaged leg, so related but not directly because of the injury (he had a heart attack before the coronary embolism). The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. He didnt just work on the ice. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto During the season, several players and coaches recalled seeing Masterton black out during rushes in practice. NHL Home Scores Schedule Standings Stats Teams Daily Lines Power Rankings More And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. But he played as though he was, said Muckler. Thirty hours later, he was dead in hospital. 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. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. 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. Still, it's very hard because I made the play. [15], Several awards were named in Masterton's memory. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. 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. [27], Masterton was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1985,[28] and named to the NCAA's 50th anniversary team in 1997. The team doctor soon joined him. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. Bills son Scott Masterton, now 46 with four children of his own, also believes that his fathers fate was sealed long before the night when the final blow was dealt. It wasn't dirty and it wasn't meant to happen that way. "You hold out four fingers. "He didn't move after that. 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. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias logic. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. It honours perseverance and dedication to hockey. He was a team man off the charts.. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. In 1967, Mastertons nearly forgotten hope of playing in the NHL re-emerged with the leagues expansion from six to 12 teams. [29], Last edited on 16 February 2023, at 07:49, 1961 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career, "Denver icers favored to whip CC in playoffs", "Denver centre Bill Masterton signs pro contract with Habs", "Doug Robinson voted A.H.L. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. [21], Some players began to wear helmets following Masterton's death,[16] but adoption was slow. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. He was a rarity in the way he prepared for a life outside the game. That's what men did. 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. [16], Few NHL players wore helmets in 1968. His aggressiveness got him.. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. After Mastertons death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. 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. While Masterton was originally thought to have suffered a fatal brain injury while being checked on the ice, later analysis of the case revealed evidence of second-impact syndrome and . 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. 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. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. Since 1968, Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is voted to player who "best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship & dedication to hockey" pic.twitter.com/CU2adCoSaV Dave Stubbs (@Dave_Stubbs) January 15, 2020 He didnt move after that. This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" He and others considered it a sign of weakness. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. [Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. Only Andre Boudrias had the temerity to challenge it on Minnesota. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. 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. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. 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. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. People said I was crazy, but Im like, They brought me here to show the young guys the right way, said the 37-year-old Laperriere, who had signed with Philly before the 2009-10 season. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. The following season, Blair traded Boudrias, who had scored the second-most points for the team in its first season, citing a drop in his production. The real reason why the Golden Seals folded. 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