I knew he was done.. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. Since 1968, Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is voted to player who "best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship & dedication to hockey" pic.twitter.com/CU2adCoSaV Dave Stubbs (@Dave_Stubbs) January 15, 2020 He was a team man off the charts.. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. 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. Nowhere was that more apparent than during a standing ovation for Laperriere during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston last year. 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 settled in Minneapolis with his high school sweetheart, Carol, and they adopted two children, Scott and Sally. What makes hockey players hide their injuries and re-enter games knowing the next hit could spell ruin? The PWHA's 31 chapters will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the regular season. 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. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 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. the Story Of Hockey History Bill Masterton a unforchanate hit that lead to his death The trophy named in Masterton's honor was originally presented by the NHL Writers' Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars, who . 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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. 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. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. 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 was asked to take it off, Boudrias said. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. [23], A later analysis by the Toronto Star in 2011 suggested that the "macho" attitude of the NHL in that era, as well as Masterton's aggressive playing style, played a significant role in his death. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. said Boudrias, now 72. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. Boudrias helped the teams trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Their professional athletic careers may have ended with eerie similarity exactly 25 years apart. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". 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 never laid down.. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". There is evidence of massive brain swelling . Bob Masterton remembers his brother telling him about the NHL offer over dinner. 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. 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. [14] His wife Carol later recalled that it was a "dream come true" for her husband: "He always wanted a shot at the NHL, and expansion was a wonderful thing for him and guys like him. He didnt see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. 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. I don't think his heart completely stopped. Today his story is nearly forgotten, but for an annual NHL award that bears his name. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. He and the Stars' trainer had noticed Masterton's face was "blood red, almost purple," and were concerned enough that they wanted Masterton checked out by a doctor. 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 wasn't dirty and it wasn't meant to happen that way. [11], Masterton suffered a severe internal brain injury during the first period of Minnesota's January 13, 1968, game against the Oakland Seals at the Met Center. [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. His death . [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. . [21] It was 11 years before the NHL finally mandated the use of helmets by all players entering the league beginning in the 197980 season. 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. 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. 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. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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. That's what men did. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. [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. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" [16], Few NHL players wore helmets in 1968. 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. When Mastertons 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. [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. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. [Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.. 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. Yet that might not actually be the case. 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. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. Bill Masterton played only 38 games in the NHL, but his memory has left a lasting impression. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. Yet that might not actually be the case. cemeteries found in Masterton, Masterton District, Wellington, . 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. Theres no doubt in my mind about that, Boudrias said. Oakland defencemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris moved in to check Masterton, who wound up falling on the back of his head. My mother, before she died, talked about it. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. 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 was traded the following season to Chicago. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. Such is the legacy of the only man who died because of injuries caused in an NHL game. 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 was the NHLs code. Didn't he die on the bench and then was revived. He died from a coronary embolism caused by blood clots from his damaged leg, so related but not directly because of the injury (he had a heart attack before the coronary embolism). It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. 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 had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. "He didn't move after that. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. 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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. [1] Masterton led the WCHA in scoring in 195960 with 44 points in conference play,[6] and led Denver to the 1960 NCAA national championship. [15], Several awards were named in Masterton's memory. 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. Masterton was not a marquee player, but he was a skilled playmaker who was willing to work in the corners and be a team player. He played for Team USA from 1966 to 1967, and the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1968. https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. After Mastertons death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. It's always in the back of my mind. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. Masterton was not a marquee player, but he was a skilled playmaker who was willing to work in the corners and be a team player. "He didn't move after that. [22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance. . He was a rarity in the way he prepared for a life outside the game. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. "[10], Turning to professional hockey after graduating with an engineering degree,[9] Masterton signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens in 1961. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . 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. Its a badge of honour, he said. 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. Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. [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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. 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. 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. Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. 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. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. Professional Hockey Player. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The season started with promise: Masterton scored the first goal in North Stars history. . But 37 games later, in the days leading up to the hit that would kill him, there were signs all was not right. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Yeah was going to say maybe the only death by a player, not in general. Hes also convinced a helmet would have saved Mastertons life. #nhl #hockeydeath #rip #hockey #sports". In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. The death of DU hockey Alum Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish. [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. 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. Carey Price addresses the media after winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2021-22 season.SUBSCRIBE: http://goha.bs/1qHH4pZ Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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 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. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. If I had a slim chance to play, Im going to play.. rights reserved. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. Death 20 Feb 2002 (aged 86) New Zealand. 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. 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. [16] He played two seasons with the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. 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. (Or was she paralyzed). 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. accessed ), memorial page for William Duncan "Bill" Cromie (24 Apr 1915-20 Feb 2002), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244481111, citing Riverside Cemetery . Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. [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. [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. 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. Bill Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968. He averaged a goal per game and finished with 49 points in 22 games in 195556 as the Canadiens won the Turnbull Cup. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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. 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. [16] He was attended to by two neurosurgeons and three other doctors. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. (The trainer) said, Yeah, I notice that too. I said, I wonder if we could have him checked. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets dont help the spinning contents slow down, Corry said. 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. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. 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. Only Andre Boudrias had the temerity to challenge it on Minnesota. 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. However, Masterton brushed it off. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. 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. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. Had to do cpr on him right next to the bench in the tunnel. 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. 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. We know the second hit can be fatal. 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. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". 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. Brittanie Cecil, as mentioned in the comments above. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. The scoreboard showed a video of Laperriere getting nailed in face with a puck in the opening series against New Jersey, blood pouring from a gash over his right eye. By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? 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. 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. 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. Toronto neurosurgeon and concussion expert Charles Tator reviewed Masterton's autopsy and opined that Masterton had suffered second-impact syndrome, which occurs when a person suffers a second concussion on top of an earlier, untreated concussion. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. The team doctor soon joined him. [4] At the time of his graduation, he was the Pioneers' all-time leading point scorer, a record he held for 25 years. The team doctor soon joined him. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. 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. His death eventually led to rule changes, but they were not quick in coming. That was the NHL's code. He understands how passion and perseverance can deliver both glory and death. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. We didnt really know concussions in those days, said Bush, now 86. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. 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