They had total control.. In 1967, Mastertons nearly forgotten hope of playing in the NHL re-emerged with the leagues expansion from six to 12 teams. -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. His death . "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. That was the NHL's code. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. . He didnt see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. Id been knocked out myself playing football. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. The team also retired his No. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Thirty hours later, he was dead in. He had been checked hard into the glass less yielding in those days two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. 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. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. 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!". 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. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. He was 29.. 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 trainer) said, Yeah, I notice that too. I said, I wonder if we could have him checked. Minnesota goalie Cesare Maniagos wife, Mavis, had a clear view of Mastertons fall from her seat in the stands. 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. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. The night before the Oakland game, Mastertons family gathered at the house of their neighbor, North Star goaltender Cesare Maniago, to celebrate Maniagos 29th birthday. — -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. . Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. "You hold out four fingers. 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 . They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Like many Canadian boys growing up in the '50s, Masterton listened to Saturday . Carey Price addresses the media after winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2021-22 season.SUBSCRIBE: http://goha.bs/1qHH4pZ https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. He sees both nobility and short-sightedness in the demands placed on hockeys most devoted players. "He was a team man off the charts.". 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 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. Ive never said this to anyone before, said Wren Blair, Mastertons coach and general manager, now 85. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. There is evidence of massive brain swelling . 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. "You hold out four fingers. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. He was a rarity in the way he prepared for a life outside the game. [3], Masterton played three seasons in Denver between 1958 and 1961, appearing in a total of 89 games, scoring 66 goals and 196 points in that time. Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. accessed ), memorial page for William Duncan "Bill" Cromie (24 Apr 1915-20 Feb 2002), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244481111, citing Riverside Cemetery . Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. (Or was she paralyzed). 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. Season. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. After his death, his #19 jersey was officially retired by the Minnesota North Stars. Masterton died in a Minneapolis hospital shortly after midnight on Jan. 15, 1968, a little more than one day after the 29 . "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. The team doctor soon joined him. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. He briefly played in the Montreal Canadiens organization before settling in Minnesota where he played senior hockey. Bill Masterton is stretchered off the ice after being hit in a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968. "He didn't move after that. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. 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. 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. All What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.. 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. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. It goes on today, theres no question about it. The team doctor soon joined him. 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 have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. Its the most gruesome distinction in hockey: Only one player has ever died from injuries directly suffered in an NHL game. What happened in the days leading up to that fatal moment in Minneapolis, when Masterton played his 38th and final NHL game, has been largely a mystery. He played for Team USA from 1966 to 1967, and the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1968. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his 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. 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. Discuss the NHL, AHL, PHF, IIHF, KHL, and every other hockey league you can think of! 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. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". [3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto [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. 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. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". "He didn't move after that. Among the new entries was the Minnesota North Stars. "[3] However, Masterton's family held no animosity towards the players involved or the game. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. 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. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 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. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. 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. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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!". That was the NHL's code. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. The specter of Mastertons death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. 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. And in Mastertons case, it probably cost him his life. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. 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. 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. 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. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. 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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. said Boudrias, now 72. 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. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star 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 . [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. The general public doesnt understand the adrenaline, the passion, the dedication the players have to get out there and perform.. RIP Bill Masterton. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" His death eventually led to rule changes, but they were not quick in coming. 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. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. The North Stars retired his jersey number 19, an honour that followed the franchise when it later relocated to Dallas, Texas. He speaks with the authority of an athlete accustomed to putting his body at risk. Coach Wren Blair believed that Masterton was playing through a pre-existing brain hemorrhage. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. When this happens, it can cause rapid and often fatal brain swelling. But it was frowned on, really.. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? [9] He settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he took a job in contracts administration. 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. More importantly, he earned a degree. We spent a lot of time dreaming, said Bob. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" It got deathly quiet.". Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 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 I think he had a (pre-existing) cerebral brain hemorrhage.. 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. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. Yet that might not actually be the case. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. 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. . 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 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] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor.

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