Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. Witnesses . 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. 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. All That's what men did. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. 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. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Ron Harris was haunted for many years by his role in Masterton's death: "It bothers you the rest of your life. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. 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. 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. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. 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.. 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. In an age in which few players wore helmets, on January 13, 1968, 29-year-old Bill Masterton of the brand new Minnesota North Stars hit his head on the ice and never regained consciousness. 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. Its a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but its regrettable that it ever came to be. 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. You took a stick to the face? 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. -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 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. . "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. 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. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball, teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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.". [1] Following a second season in which he recorded 53 points in 30 games, Masterton chose to attend the University of Denver where he was offered a scholarship to play with the Denver Pioneers hockey program. He played for Team USA from 1966 to 1967, and the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1968. I looked at him and said, What are you going to do? because he was just starting a young family, said Bob. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. Thats what men did. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. RIP Bill Masterton. You would get traded if you did. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. To order copies of 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. But four neurologists cleared him to play after the spot disappeared. Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets dont help the spinning contents slow down, Corry said. 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. [17] Masterton became a naturalized American citizen, allowing him to join the United States National Team in 196667. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesnt matter anyway., Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. We watched his head bounce, Lindgren said. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. Usually Masterton is described as the first death caused directly by an on-ice incident to differentiate from Morenz dying of complications. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. [21], Some players began to wear helmets following Masterton's death,[16] but adoption was slow. said Boudrias, now 72. He settled in Minneapolis with his high school sweetheart, Carol, and they adopted two children, Scott and Sally. 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.. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. The North Stars retired his jersey number 19, an honour that followed the franchise when it later relocated to Dallas, Texas. 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. I was asked to take it off, Boudrias said. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. "He was a team man off the charts.". Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. "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. 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. 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. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. 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. 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 cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. 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. 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. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. It got deathly quiet.". They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. Ive always thought of this after, that when he complained (of headaches) at least he could have put on a helmet for a couple of days, said teammate Wayne Connolly. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. My mother, before she died, talked about it. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. 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. 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, . "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. 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. The team also retired his No. What about Howie morenz? 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. 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. It's always in the back of my mind. Like many Canadian boys growing up in the '50s, Masterton listened to Saturday . After Mastertons death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. 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. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". 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. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. [3] Some 30 hours after his fall, on January 15, Masterton died without ever regaining consciousness. 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. 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. 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. With a blown knee and broken bones, Scott stepped away from his sport. He was 29.. Its kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the What if? It was always in the back of his mind.. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. [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. If I had a slim chance to play, Im going to play.. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias logic. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. But he played as though he was, said Muckler. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. It honours perseverance and dedication to hockey. The team doctor soon joined him. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about My grandfather and grandmother were at this game, it was also their only NHL game they ever attended. Yet that might not actually be the case. Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. The specter of Mastertons death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. [3], At the age of 29, Masterton made his NHL debut in the North Stars' inaugural game, played October 11, 1967, against the St. Louis Blues. 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. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. Hes also convinced a helmet would have saved Mastertons life. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. For my iTunes documentary, "The California Golden Seals Story" - I interviewed three witnesses to the tragic sequence of events that led to the death of Minn. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. They didn't. Nowhere was that more apparent than during a standing ovation for Laperriere during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston last year. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. 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 idea that you persevere goes back to time immemorial. [26] High schools in Bloomington, where the North Stars played their games, also award scholarships in Masterton's name. '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. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bill Masterton. Id said to our trainer, Do you ever look at Billy when the games on? Blair recalled. He admits he lied to team doctors about his post-concussion issues in order to return for a shot at the Stanley 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". This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. 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. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Corry believes Mastertons death could have been prevented and would be today. 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. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. We didn't think it was that serious.". Only Andre Boudrias had the temerity to challenge it on Minnesota. 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 [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. Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. He understands how passion and perseverance can deliver both glory and death. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. His aggressiveness got him.. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. He didnt see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. We didnt really know concussions in those days, said Bush, now 86. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. 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. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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. 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. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. [3] Masterton was promoted to the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 196263 season, where he led the team with 82 points. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. "He was a team man off the charts.". 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. 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. Bill Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968. We spent a lot of time dreaming, said Bob. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. 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. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. 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. . That's what men did. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. We know the second hit can be fatal. To order Yet that might not actually be the case. And in Mastertons case, it probably cost him his life. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. . 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. Masterton died in a Minneapolis hospital shortly after midnight on Jan. 15, 1968, a little more than one day after the 29 . 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. 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. Or Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a skate and he lost a lot of blood. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Professional Hockey Player. (The trainer) said, Yeah, I notice that too. I said, I wonder if we could have him checked. Thirty hours later, he was dead in. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. It goes on today, theres no question about it. [16] He was attended to by two neurosurgeons and three other doctors. [14] He and his wife Carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally. His death . 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. Happened to Jiri Fisher on the Wings bench too. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. It got deathly quiet.". They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. 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. 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. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Mastertons teammate, Boudrias. Is his number retired by the Stars? 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. "[11] The force of the impact caused Masterton to bleed from his nose, ears, and mouth. 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. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. The team also retired his No. Its a badge of honour, he said. 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