original sound. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. 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. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. The team doctor soon joined him. [16] In that game, a 22 tie, Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota franchise history. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. 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. cemeteries found in Masterton, Masterton District, Wellington, . They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. It got deathly quiet.". "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. "I wouldn't do it.". Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 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. Men are the way men are.. I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. He understands how passion and perseverance can deliver both glory and death. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. "He was a team man off the charts.". 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. Is his number retired by the Stars? Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. "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 a team man off the charts.". But 37 games later, in the days leading up to the hit that would kill him, there were signs all was not right. 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. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. 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. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. His death . The hit was considered clean but the back of Masterton's head hit the ice hard and he died after being rushed to the hospital. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. He didnt move after that. He was 29.. 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. 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. "[10], Turning to professional hockey after graduating with an engineering degree,[9] Masterton signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens in 1961. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blairs decision. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. Their professional athletic careers may have ended with eerie similarity exactly 25 years apart. Latest News They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. 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. 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. Blair, in charge of the North Stars, came calling. 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. Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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. 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 wasnt the most talented guy in the world but he really wanted to play. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. 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. [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. We watched his head bounce, Lindgren said. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. "He didn't move after that. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. [19] They soon concluded that the injury was too severe for surgery to be a viable option. 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 rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. RIP in hockey heaven. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. You would get traded if you did. He died two days later. 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. We didn't think it was that serious.". 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 1967-68. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. That was the NHL's code. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. [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. Realizing he was already gone, Mastertons parents, who had flown in from Winnipeg after they heard of the incident, and his wife, Carol, made the decision to remove Masterton from life support. Throughout his college career, right through to his training camp in Memphis, Masterton wore a helmet, a rarity in an age when head protection was dismissed by players and management alike. He was a rarity in the way he prepared for a life outside the game. Theres no doubt in my mind about that, Boudrias said. She, too, believes something else was wrong with Masterton that night, something that explains why the routine bodycheck left him unconscious even before he hit the ice. 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.". 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. 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.". The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. 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. 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. You took a stick to the face? 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 leagues first casualty. He played for Team USA from 1966 to 1967, and the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1968. 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. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. Realizing he was already gone, Masterton's parents, who had flown in from Winnipeg after they heard of the incident, and his wife, Carol, made the decision to remove Masterton from life support. That's what men did. 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. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. We didn't think it was that serious.". 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. I don't think his heart completely stopped. Injury wasnt really of any importance in the sense that you didnt want to lose your job and if you couldnt play, obviously they had to fill their roster, said Walton, now a real estate agent in Toronto. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto [14] He and his wife Carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally. RIP Bill Masterton. Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. We didnt think it was that serious.. The team also retired his No. Born Aug 16 1938 -- Winnipeg, MAN. "I wouldn't do it.". They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. #nhl #hockeydeath #rip #hockey #sports". You were a yellow belly if you wore a helmet.. 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. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. 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. We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.. 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. By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? Players, coaches, execs vote for NHL's top centers, NHL Power Rankings: Checking in on each team's 25-and-under core, McAvoy scores in OT, Bruins beat Flames for 8th win a row, Gaudreau scores in shootout, Wild beat Islanders 2-1, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues 5-3, Robinson scores 3 goals in Blue Jackets' 5-3 win over Sabres. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. The Montreal Canadiens, which owned his rights, traded them to Minnesota. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. And it changed hockey forever. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. I was asked to take it off, Boudrias said. 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". John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. rights reserved. NHL Home Scores Schedule Standings Stats Teams Daily Lines Power Rankings More 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. 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. [16] He was attended to by two neurosurgeons and three other doctors. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. [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. Minnesota goalie Cesare Maniagos wife, Mavis, had a clear view of Mastertons fall from her seat in the stands. 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. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. My feeling is that he may have gotten a minor concussion playing or practising on some other day . We know the second hit can be fatal. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. He speaks with the authority of an athlete accustomed to putting his body at risk. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bill Masterton. Thirty hours later, he was dead in. 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. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. . Thats what men did. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". "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. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. One account holds that Masterton regained consciousness for a few moments and repeated the words, Never again, never again, before closing his eyes for the final time. 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. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. 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. [26] High schools in Bloomington, where the North Stars played their games, also award scholarships in Masterton's name. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. Philadelphia forward Ian Laperriere is one of three final nominees for this years Masterton Trophy despite not playing a single game in 2010-11 as he deals with post-concussion syndrome. Had to do cpr on him right next to the bench in the tunnel. Ive never thought that it had anything to do with that hit. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. The team doctor soon joined him. "You hold out four fingers. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? 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. 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. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". Among the new entries was the Minnesota North Stars. When Masterton's 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. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. 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. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. He averaged a goal per game and finished with 49 points in 22 games in 195556 as the Canadiens won the Turnbull Cup. [19] He carried the puck up the ice at full speed, passing it off as two Seals defenders, Larry Cahan and Ron Harris, converged on him. Press J to jump to the feed. [Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. One of their sticks tangled with Mastertons skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. 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. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. 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. Or Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a skate and he lost a lot of blood. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. 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. He didnt just work on the ice. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. It was always in the back of his mind.. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". "You hold out four fingers. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. It goes on today, theres no question about it. He was a team man off the charts.. 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. 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. Its a badge of honour, he said. Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. Well I DIEEEED, "Oh really? It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury, he said. 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. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. — -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. "He didn't move after that. It got deathly quiet.. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". Playoffs. john@johnrosengren.net|612-926-8835. Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. Masterton was knocked backward in the resulting collision and landed on his head. 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