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." 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. 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 . 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. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Mastertons teammate, Boudrias. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. 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. [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. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. 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. Blair, in charge of the North Stars, came calling. 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!. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. 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.. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. It wasn't dirty and it wasn't meant to happen that way. 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. You were a yellow belly if you wore a helmet.. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. . 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. "I knew he was done.". He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. cemeteries found in Masterton, Masterton District, Wellington, . Coach Wren Blair believed that Masterton was playing through a pre-existing brain hemorrhage. It got deathly quiet.". After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball, teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? 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 team also retired his No. [1][2] He added eight points in six games during the Memorial Cup playdowns, however St. Boniface failed to reach the national championship final. 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 had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias logic. 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. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" 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. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game. The question flashed up on the big screen: What if Ian didnt believe in sacrifice?. They didnt. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. 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. 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. Thirty hours later, he was dead in. 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. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. The PWHA's 31 chapters will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the regular season. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. 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. 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 . Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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". Masterton, who was always quick to dismiss concerns, was never sent to a doctor. 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. 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. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". Masterton was knocked backward in the resulting collision and landed on his head. Boudrias helped the teams trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. The NHL's 1967 expansion offered an opportunity to play for the newly founded North Stars, for whom he scored the first goal in the franchise's history. 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. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. [16] He played two seasons with the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966. 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 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. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. Carol, who was watching the game from the stands, and Masterton's parents, who were listening to the game from their home in Winnipeg, rushed to his bedside at the hospital. 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. "He was a team man off the charts.". You would get traded if you did. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. It was a dictatorship. 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.". 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. [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. 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. The team doctor soon joined him. [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. 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. Professional Hockey Player. We didnt really know concussions in those days, said Bush, now 86. 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. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". 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. "You hold out four fingers. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. 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?" Born Aug 16 1938 -- Winnipeg, MAN. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. But a Star investigation has uncovered evidence that an earlier, untreated concussion was likely responsible for Mastertons death at the age of 29. [13] Masterton's Minnesota teammates, who were playing a game in Boston on the 14th, were informed that he had been removed from life support in the dressing room in what was ultimately a 92 loss to the Bruins. When Bill Masterton's limp body collapsed to the ice on Jan. 15, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars centre appeared to be the victim of an innocuous hit. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. The North Stars retired his jersey number 19, an honour that followed the franchise when it later relocated to Dallas, Texas. Bill Masterton played only 38 games in the NHL, but his memory has left a lasting impression. And in Mastertons case, it probably cost him his life. Only Andre Boudrias had the temerity to challenge it on Minnesota. It was always in the back of his mind.. 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. That honour followed the franchise when it relocated south to become the Dallas Stars. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. 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. 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 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. [16] He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of an injury suffered on the ice. That was the NHL's code. . Corry confirmed the opinion of Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon quoted in the Toronto Star article, who also said Masterton showed signs of "second-impact syndrome." I looked at him and said, What are you going to do? because he was just starting a young family, said Bob. 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. Yet that might not actually be the case. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. [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. His death eventually led to rule changes, but they were not quick in coming. [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. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. Corry believes Mastertons death could have been prevented and would be today. Discuss the NHL, AHL, PHF, IIHF, KHL, and every other hockey league you can think of! That's what men did. Hed never show when he got hurt. He played that game standing up, Williamson said. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on 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. He pursued a masters degree in business engineering, eventually joining technology giant Honeywell, where he worked on the financial end of the Apollo project. Their professional athletic careers may have ended with eerie similarity exactly 25 years apart. 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. 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. 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. 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. You took a stick to the face? "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" To order And it changed hockey forever. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. 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. 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. [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. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. 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