The talented career, and tragic death, of Bill Masterton JJ (Governor) Carrier 1.38K subscribers Subscribe 3 Share 287 views 2 years ago Former NCAA star finally made the NHL with the Stars,. Those closest to Masterton concur he was suffering from a brain injury before he stepped on to the ice that night, as does a medical expert who reviewed an autopsy report obtained by the Star. 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. You would get traded if you did. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968 contest against the Oakland Seals. 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. He averaged a goal per game and finished with 49 points in 22 games in 195556 as the Canadiens won the Turnbull Cup. 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.". 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. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. 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. 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. Bill Masterton is stretchered off the ice after being hit in a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968. 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." Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. His death . [7] Masterton served as team captain for 196061,[8] and was named the most valuable player of the 1961 national championship as he led Denver to a second consecutive title. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. Coach Wren Blair believed that Masterton was playing through a pre-existing brain hemorrhage. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. 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." [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. "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. 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. However, Masterton brushed it off. said Boudrias, now 72. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". 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 NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. We watched his head bounce, Lindgren said. 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 didnt see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. 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. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. 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. Three years later, only six Minnesota players wore them, the most of any of the NHL's teams. "I wouldn't do it.". In 1967, Mastertons nearly forgotten hope of playing in the NHL re-emerged with the leagues expansion from six to 12 teams. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bill Masterton. [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. 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. [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. [19] They soon concluded that the injury was too severe for surgery to be a viable option. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. He was 29.. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. Ive never seen a person work so hard. Its a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but its regrettable that it ever came to be. 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 hopefully the lasthard to believe with how fast, heavy hitting, and dangerous this game is, it hasn't happened since. 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. 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!". There is evidence of massive brain swelling . There's also the girl that was killed in the stands by a puck. 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. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. 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. My grandfather and grandmother were at this game, it was also their only NHL game they ever attended. [16], Few NHL players wore helmets in 1968. After reviewing the document, Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon and concussion expert, believes Masterton suffered second impact syndrome, a rare occurrence where a second concussion happens on the heels of a first concussion that never healed, causing rapid and severe brain swelling. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" 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. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. RIP in hockey heaven. 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. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Ive never said this to anyone before, said Wren Blair, Mastertons coach and general manager, now 85. Ron Harris was haunted for many years by his role in Masterton's death: "It bothers you the rest of your life. [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. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. Its a badge of honour, he said. Former Edmonton Oilers coach John Muckler, who coached the North Stars farm club in Memphis that season, said he saw signs of trouble with Masterton in training camp. My interpretation is that the seeds of this catastrophic injury were sown days before.. You hold out four fingers. [16] Masterton was the first player to sign with Minnesota,[11] agreeing to a two-year contract. "This is an urgent matter," UMC CEO Bill Masterton said. 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 bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. Had to do cpr on him right next to the bench in the tunnel. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. Today his story is nearly forgotten, but for an annual NHL award that bears his name. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. 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 had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. 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. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. 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 196768. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. [9] The Pioneers finished the season with a 30-1-1 record and were hailed as "the greatest hockey team to ever represent an American college or university. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. With a blown knee and broken bones, Scott stepped away from his sport. Such is the legacy of the only man who died because of injuries caused in an NHL game. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. "You hold out four fingers. [1][2] He added eight points in six games during the Memorial Cup playdowns, however St. Boniface failed to reach the national championship final. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. "He was a team man off the charts.". We were not allowed to wear helmets, said J.P. Parise. [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. [16] He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of an injury suffered on the ice. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. RIP Bill Masterton. And it changed hockey forever. And he got hit a few games very hard at the NHL level. After his death, his #19 jersey was officially retired by the Minnesota North Stars. . Bill Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. The rarely told story behind the death of Bill Masterton -- the only NHL player to die from an injury suffered during a game -- highlights the risks and league culpability of concussions. He sees both nobility and short-sightedness in the demands placed on hockeys most devoted players. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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 . Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias logic. Blair, in charge of the North Stars, came calling. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. said Boudrias, now 72. His parents, brother, wife and two children were at his side. "He didn't move after that. [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. 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. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. 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. 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. "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. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" 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.. He was having some headaches. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. that is out of proportion to the blow that he got. 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. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" This is the story of the death of Masterton, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. Very hard at the time, including Masterton 's death could have in. 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