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.". In a quiet moment, Masterton made a rare admission to Maniago: He was struggling with the effects of a head check into the glass during a recent game. Still, it's very hard because I made the play. I saw Bills head after he was just checked from behind and it just looked like his eyes were in the back of his head, she said. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. [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. RIP Bill Masterton. 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. If I had a slim chance to play, Im going to play.. 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. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. He understands how passion and perseverance can deliver both glory and death. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. the Story Of Hockey History Bill Masterton a unforchanate hit that lead to his death 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. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. 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. "I wouldn't do it.". 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. TikTok video from That Stars Fan (@hockey_unpaused): "Bill Masterton is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of an injury suffered on the ice. We know the second hit can be fatal. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. [17] Masterton became a naturalized American citizen, allowing him to join the United States National Team in 196667. To order copies of Latest News Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. Yet that might not actually be the case. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. You hold out four fingers. [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. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. "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. 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. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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. 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. 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. The idea that you persevere goes back to time immemorial. "You hold out four fingers. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. I think he had a (pre-existing) cerebral brain hemorrhage.. As a 29-year-old professional U.S. kickboxing champion, the younger Mastertons career ended with a slip and fall in the ring against the then British champion on the very date Jan. 15th of his fathers death, also at the age of 29. But 37 games later, in the days leading up to the hit that would kill him, there were signs all was not right. "You hold out four fingers. Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. Ive never seen a person work so hard. ' said Mastertons son, Scott, now 50. Didn't he die on the bench and then was revived. Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. 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. [4] At the time of his graduation, he was the Pioneers' all-time leading point scorer, a record he held for 25 years. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. [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. said Boudrias, now 72. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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. [24] The University of Denver Pioneers hockey team named its most valuable player award after him,[25] and his Winnipeg high school, Miles Macdonell Collegiate, presents a scholarship in his name. Id said to our trainer, Do you ever look at Billy when the games on? Blair recalled. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? His death eventually led to rule changes, but they were not quick in coming. There's also the girl that was killed in the stands by a puck. rights reserved. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. That was the NHL's code. 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.". 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. Three years later, only six Minnesota players wore them, the most of any of the NHL's teams. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". 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. He wanted it badly. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. It was 50 years ago on January 13, 1968 that Winnipeger Bill Masterton lost his life on the ice of the Met Center playing for the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. Theres no doubt in my mind about that, Boudrias said. Is his number retired by the Stars? "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. 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. 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. 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 was the NHLs code. [16] He was attended to by two neurosurgeons and three other doctors. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. 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. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. 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. 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. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. They didn't. He was the first on-ice casualty in NHL history. With a blown knee and broken bones, Scott stepped away from his sport. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. A college standout with the Denver Pioneers, Masterton was a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship teams in 1960 and 1961, was twice an NCAA All-Star and was the most valuable player of the 1961 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. The real reason why the Golden Seals folded. It honours perseverance and dedication to hockey. [26] High schools in Bloomington, where the North Stars played their games, also award scholarships in Masterton's name. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. 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. What happened in the days leading up to that fatal moment in Minneapolis, when Masterton played his 38th and final NHL game, has been largely a mystery. 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. The season started with promise: Masterton scored the first goal in North Stars history. It got deathly quiet.". Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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 settled in Minneapolis with his high school sweetheart, Carol, and they adopted two children, Scott and Sally. 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. 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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. The North Stars retired his jersey number 19, an honour that followed the franchise when it later relocated to Dallas, Texas. 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. [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. We watched his head bounce, Lindgren said. 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. The Hennepin County medical examiner found evidence of a previous injury on the left side of Masterton's skull on the temporal region of the brain. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. The team doctor soon joined him. I wouldnt do it.. He wasnt the most talented guy in the world but he really wanted to play. It goes on today, theres no question about it. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets dont help the spinning contents slow down, Corry said. 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. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". He and others considered it a sign of weakness. 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. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Playoffs. The night before the Oakland game, Mastertons family gathered at the house of their neighbor, North Star goaltender Cesare Maniago, to celebrate Maniagos 29th birthday. But a Star investigation has uncovered evidence that an earlier, untreated concussion was likely responsible for Mastertons death at the age of 29. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. Still, he returned to play following lost teeth, hundreds of stitches and even the discovery of a spot on his brain visible on a CAT scan. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. Well I DIEEEED, "Oh really? Bill Masterton is stretchered off the ice after being hit in a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968. That's what men did. 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. 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!. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh_uLi6Bf7s, https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Bill Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968. Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". 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. The Montreal Canadiens, which owned his rights, traded them to Minnesota. [15], After taking a year off from hockey in 1964, Masterton regained his amateur status so that he could play senior hockey in the United States Hockey League. 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. He died two days later. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968 contest against the Oakland Seals. Oakland defencemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris moved in to check Masterton, who wound up falling on the back of his head. john@johnrosengren.net|612-926-8835. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. It was always in the back of his mind.. 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. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blairs decision. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? [16] He played two seasons with the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966. After his death, his #19 jersey was officially retired by the Minnesota North Stars. "I knew he was done.". [22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance. Like Masterton, Laperriere earned an unlikely place in the pros with grit. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. 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. Such is the legacy of the only man who died because of injuries caused in an NHL game. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. 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. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. [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. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. "I knew he was done.". We didn't think it was that serious.". [9] He settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he took a job in contracts administration. Hes also convinced a helmet would have saved Mastertons life. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. Usually Masterton is described as the first death caused directly by an on-ice incident to differentiate from Morenz dying of complications. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. 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. But my brother was the worker and he had the ethic that you need to make the NHL.. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. 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. and when he got hit the second time, he had that head whip and when that happens, you can go unconscious in that split second before you fall.. The PWHA's 31 chapters will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the regular season. This is the story of the death of Masterton, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. He was traded the following season to Chicago. Despite several efforts to mandate their use, it was 11 years before the NHL made them compulsory for all new players beginning in the 1979-80 NHL season . We are the premier subreddit to talk everything hockey! In 1968, Bill Masterton became the only NHL player to date to die as the result of injuries suffered during a game. [3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories. [3] Some 30 hours after his fall, on January 15, Masterton died without ever regaining consciousness. Will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the day, North Stars coach Wren frowned... That was killed in the back of his mind 'm guessing you just meant players matter anyway an incident... 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