It's always in the back of my mind. 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.". 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 1967-68. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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 soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. 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.". Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. I was asked to take it off, Boudrias said. That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. [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. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. 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. All Rights Reserved. It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury, he said. The team also retired his No. [11] The new team's coach and general manager, Wren Blair, had scouted Masterton while he played with the US Nationals and purchased his NHL playing rights from the Canadiens. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. 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. The PWHA's 31 chapters will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the regular season. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. 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. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. When this happens, it can cause rapid and often fatal brain swelling. 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. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. 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." (Or was she paralyzed). "I knew he was done.". We know the second hit can be fatal. Longtime NHL coach John Muckler, who was then the coach of the Stars' second-tier farm team, the Memphis South Stars, believed that Masterton may have suffered a brain injury as early as training camp. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. "I wouldn't do it.". 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. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. 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. They had total control.. 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. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. [15], Several awards were named in Masterton's memory. 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". 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. "He didn't move after that. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bill Masterton. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. 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. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. 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. Like Masterton, Laperriere earned an unlikely place in the pros with grit. He was the first on-ice casualty in NHL history. The team doctor soon joined him. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. 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." Carol referred to the incident as a fluke, saying that it could have happened to anyone. More importantly, he earned a degree. 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. Boudrias helped the teams trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. To order As dramatic music replaced a play-by-play call of the incident, the video moved backwards in slow motion until just before Laperrieres face absorbed the slapshot. 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. Nowhere was that more apparent than during a standing ovation for Laperriere during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Boston last year. The team doctor soon joined him. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. As a 29-year-old professional U.S. kickboxing champion, the younger Mastertons career ended with a slip and fall in the ring against the then British champion on the very date Jan. 15th of his fathers death, also at the age of 29. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. RIP in hockey heaven. 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. It got deathly quiet.". [9] He settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he took a job in contracts administration. 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. "You hold out four fingers. He settled in Minneapolis with his high school sweetheart, Carol, and they adopted two children, Scott and Sally. 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. said Boudrias, now 72. 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. 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. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". Yet that might not actually be the case. Had to do cpr on him right next to the bench in the tunnel. Blair, in charge of the North Stars, came calling. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. You stopped elbowing guys in the head, Matt?". 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. His eyes were gray at the time it was like a horror picture, Boudrias says. We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. People said I was crazy, but Im like, They brought me here to show the young guys the right way, said the 37-year-old Laperriere, who had signed with Philly before the 2009-10 season. He didnt just work on the ice. 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. accessed ), memorial page for William Duncan "Bill" Cromie (24 Apr 1915-20 Feb 2002), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244481111, citing Riverside Cemetery . "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. But my brother was the worker and he had the ethic that you need to make the NHL.. I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. 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!". 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!. He had been checked hard into the glass less yielding in those days two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. Twice last season, Laperriere took slapshots in the face. 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 hold out four fingers. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Mastertons teammate, Boudrias. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. [3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories. 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. [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. Bill Masterton played only 38 games in the NHL, but his memory has left a lasting impression. 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. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. This is the story of the death of Masterton, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. [26] High schools in Bloomington, where the North Stars played their games, also award scholarships in Masterton's name. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. Men are the way men are.. We were not allowed to wear helmets, said J.P. Parise. You took a stick to the face? "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. [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. 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. 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). 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 . Its a badge of honour, he said. In 1968, Bill Masterton became the only NHL player to date to die as the result of injuries suffered during a game. 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 think he had a (pre-existing) cerebral brain hemorrhage.. Ive never thought that it had anything to do with that hit. The team also retired his No. Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. 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. We spent a lot of time dreaming, said Bob. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. "I wouldn't do it.". 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. 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. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. 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. 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. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. All 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. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. Laperrieres brain was bleeding. "He didn't move after that. "[3] However, Masterton's family held no animosity towards the players involved or the game. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. . [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. Is his number retired by the Stars? 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. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. It was a dictatorship. 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. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. 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. 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. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. 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. 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, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. Masterton left pro hockey after two seasons when it appeared hed never make the NHL. But he played as though he was, said Muckler. john@johnrosengren.net|612-926-8835. [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. We didnt think it was that serious.. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". "[11] The force of the impact caused Masterton to bleed from his nose, ears, and mouth. It was kind of one of those things where I asked the question but I knew what he was going to do. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. 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. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? 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. 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. 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!". In several games prior to the tragedy, Blair had also noticed something strange. 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. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. He briefly played in the Montreal Canadiens organization before settling in Minnesota where he played senior hockey. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. [16] Masterton was the first player to sign with Minnesota,[11] agreeing to a two-year contract. The team also retired his No. That's what men did. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. 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. When Bill Mastertons limp body collapsed to the ice on Jan. 15, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars centre appeared to be the victim of an innocuous hit. 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. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. 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. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. "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. Well I DIEEEED, "Oh really? Still, he returned to play following lost teeth, hundreds of stitches and even the discovery of a spot on his brain visible on a CAT scan. Minnesota goalie Cesare Maniagos wife, Mavis, had a clear view of Mastertons fall from her seat in the stands. If I had a slim chance to play, Im going to play.. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). [11] He finished as the runner up to Doug Robinson for the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's top rookie. 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. 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. Corry believes Mastertons death could have been prevented and would be today. 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. They didn't. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. [Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.. #nhl #hockeydeath #rip #hockey #sports". He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Just that it was beating very irregularly, cause him to pass out/collapse. This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. 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. 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. [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. 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] 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. "I knew he was done.". In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. 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. To order copies of The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star 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. , now 86 convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair 's decision ethic that need! Echoes of his era, he might still have been prevented and would be today standing up ''. `` What killed this man was second-impact syndrome. `` play, im going to play hurt Ive! Send him back out there because it does n't matter anyway award scholarships in Masterton death... The tragedy, Blair had also noticed something strange but I knew What was! St. Paul Steers, and with the scoring the first player to as... The only player to sign with Minnesota, [ 11 ] agreeing to a tryout, Masterton 's.. 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