Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. It was kind of one of those things where I asked the question but I knew what he was going to do. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We didnt think it was that serious.. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. Well I DIEEEED, "Oh really? "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". The team doctor soon joined him. 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] By mid-season, Masterton had scored 4 goals and 12 points in 38 games. 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. Coach Wren Blair believed that Masterton was playing through a pre-existing brain hemorrhage. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. 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. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Yet that might not actually be the case. Thats what men did. 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. 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.". Ive never said this to anyone before, said Wren Blair, Mastertons coach and general manager, now 85. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. I wouldnt do it.. 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. The Montreal Canadiens, which owned his rights, traded them to Minnesota. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. "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. 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. Thirty hours later, he was dead in hospital. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" . Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. "I knew he was done.". "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". 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. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. 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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. [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. "I wouldn't do it.". We didn't think it was that serious.". Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. 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. 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. That was the NHLs code. 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. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Yet that might not actually be the case. After his death, his #19 jersey was officially retired by the Minnesota North Stars. [22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance. Stay on current site or go to US version. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 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?'" He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. 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. "I wouldn't do it.". Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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.. Nowhere was that more apparent than during a standing ovation for Laperriere during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston last year. If I had a slim chance to play, Im going to play.. 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. 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. [11] Referee Wally Harris compared the hit to an explosion, adding "he was checked hard, but I'm sure it wasn't a dirty play. They didn't. 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 got deathly quiet.. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. You would get traded if you did. 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. Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. 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. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" 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 played that game standing up, Williamson said. 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. 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. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. Yet that might not actually be the case. Didn't he die on the bench and then was revived. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. [16] He was attended to by two neurosurgeons and three other doctors. 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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Such is the legacy of the only man who died because of injuries caused in an NHL game. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. 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." 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. Bill Masterton played only 38 games in the NHL, but his memory has left a lasting impression. You took a stick to the face? Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. He died two days later. I was asked to take it off, Boudrias said. [16] In that game, a 22 tie, Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota franchise history. Masterton left pro hockey after two seasons when it appeared hed never make the NHL. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html. 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. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. Boudrias helped the teams trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Mastertons teammate, Boudrias. rules new players now must wear helmets", "Alumni of Distinction Inductees - Bill Masterton Class of 1955", "Division I 50th anniversary hockey team announced", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Masterton&oldid=1139666631, NCAA Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player, Biographical information and career statistics from, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 07:49. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . Like many Canadian boys growing up in the '50s, Masterton listened to Saturday . 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. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. My interpretation is that the seeds of this catastrophic injury were sown days before.. In 1968, Bill Masterton became the only NHL player to date to die as the result of injuries suffered during a game. 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!. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. original sound. Prior concussion was a factor in Bill Masterton's death, Wyshynski's NHL trade deadline tiers: From elite game-changers to bargain beauties, NHL trade deadline guides for all 32 teams: Players, picks in play, cap space, team status. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. 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. The real reason why the Golden Seals folded. 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. 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. 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. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. #nhl #hockeydeath #rip #hockey #sports". [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. 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. . They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" Its a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but its regrettable that it ever came to be. Like Masterton, Laperriere earned an unlikely place in the pros with grit. 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. I knew he was done.. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. 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. [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. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 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. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. 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. Twice last season, Laperriere took slapshots in the face. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry 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. (The trainer) said, Yeah, I notice that too. I said, I wonder if we could have him checked. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. It goes on today, theres no question about it. 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. 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. What makes hockey players hide their injuries and re-enter games knowing the next hit could spell ruin? And he got hit a few games very hard at the NHL level. Bill Masterton is stretchered off the ice after being hit in a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968. It got deathly quiet.". Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. After Mastertons death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. (Or was she paralyzed). Bob Masterton remembers his brother telling him about the NHL offer over dinner. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" "You hold out four fingers. 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." They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Has left a lasting impression the attitude of the day, North Stars that because it takes some! Die as the result of injuries suffered during an NHL game the pros with grit:! 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