4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? The team also retired his No. The season started with promise: Masterton scored the first goal in North Stars history. 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. This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. (Or was she paralyzed). original sound. 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. 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. [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. 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. Didn't he break his leg then die from complications as a result of it. 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 and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. And hopefully the lasthard to believe with how fast, heavy hitting, and dangerous this game is, it hasn't happened since. We didn't think it was that serious.". 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. [21], Some players began to wear helmets following Masterton's death,[16] but adoption was slow. — -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. Season. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. That's what men did. He starred at the University of Denver from 1957-61, helping the Pioneers win three national collegiate titles and earning tournament MVP honours his senior year. 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). 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. 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. But he played as though he was, said Muckler. [26] High schools in Bloomington, where the North Stars played their games, also award scholarships in Masterton's name. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. We didn't think it was that serious.". "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. Masterton left pro hockey after two seasons when it appeared hed never make the NHL. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. You were a yellow belly if you wore a helmet.. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. [15], After taking a year off from hockey in 1964, Masterton regained his amateur status so that he could play senior hockey in the United States Hockey League. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. He pursued a masters degree in business engineering, eventually joining technology giant Honeywell, where he worked on the financial end of the Apollo project. By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? "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's what men did. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. and when he got hit the second time, he had that head whip and when that happens, you can go unconscious in that split second before you fall.. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. 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. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Or Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a skate and he lost a lot of blood. His face is blood red, almost purple. Bills son Scott Masterton, now 46 with four children of his own, also believes that his fathers fate was sealed long before the night when the final blow was dealt. His eyes were gray at the time it was like a horror picture, Boudrias says. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. It was a dictatorship. 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. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. However, Masterton brushed it off. He didnt move after that. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. [16] The Minnesota North Stars pulled his jersey number 19 out of circulation following his death and formally retired it in 1987. 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'd been knocked out myself playing football. The team also retired his No. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. 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. 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. "He was a team man off the charts.". 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. He was a team man off the charts.. Stay on current site or go to US version. 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. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. 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. "You hold out four fingers. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. 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. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. 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.. 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. My grandfather and grandmother were at this game, it was also their only NHL game they ever attended. 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. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" He and others considered it a sign of weakness. . He never laid down.. They didnt. Ron Harris was haunted for many years by his role in Masterton's death: "It bothers you the rest of your life. 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. 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. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. "I knew he was done.". Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. That's what men did. For my iTunes documentary, "The California Golden Seals Story" - I interviewed three witnesses to the tragic sequence of events that led to the death of Minn. We didnt think it was that serious.. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. 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 team also retired his No. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. There is evidence of massive brain swelling . She, too, believes something else was wrong with Masterton that night, something that explains why the routine bodycheck left him unconscious even before he hit the ice. [5] He was a two-time NCAA All-American and was twice named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) All-Star team, earning both awards in 1960 and 1961. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. 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 . The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). 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. . His aggressiveness got him.. His death . RIP in hockey heaven. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. 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. [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. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. 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.. 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. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias 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. The NHLs expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html 11 [deleted] 5 yr. ago This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. 2023 John Rosengren. We didnt really know concussions in those days, said Bush, now 86. Their professional athletic careers may have ended with eerie similarity exactly 25 years apart. 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. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. 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. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. Thirty hours later, he was dead in hospital. His playing style has endeared him to hockey fans. It wasn't dirty and it wasn't meant to happen that way. I thought he was out then and just went fast right down.. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. I don't think his heart completely stopped. ' said Mastertons son, Scott, now 50. You stopped elbowing guys in the head, Matt?". ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. said Boudrias, now 72. Born Aug 16 1938 -- Winnipeg, MAN. 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. Like Masterton, Laperriere earned an unlikely place in the pros with grit. 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. [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. 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. 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. Its a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but its regrettable that it ever came to be. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. 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. Yet that might not actually be the case. Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. the Story Of Hockey History Bill Masterton a unforchanate hit that lead to his death He finished with a masters 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. [4] At the time of his graduation, he was the Pioneers' all-time leading point scorer, a record he held for 25 years. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. He admits he lied to team doctors about his post-concussion issues in order to return for a shot at the Stanley Cup. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. That was the NHLs code. His parents, brother, wife and two children were at his side. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury, he said. 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.". After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. 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. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. [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. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. He wanted it badly. 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. Witnesses . We were not allowed to wear helmets, said J.P. Parise. [3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. [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. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. To order copies of Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. He sees both nobility and short-sightedness in the demands placed on hockeys most devoted players. [Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" After Mastertons death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. 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. 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. 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. 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. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. "I knew he was done.". "He was a team man off the charts.". 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". 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. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. Twice last season, Laperriere took slapshots in the face. . Bob Masterton remembers his brother telling him about the NHL offer over dinner. It was kind of one of those things where I asked the question but I knew what he was going to do. Its kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the What if? [19] They soon concluded that the injury was too severe for surgery to be a viable option. It got deathly quiet.". I know that in our training camp he got hit hard a couple of times. [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. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" 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.". "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. They didn't. Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. 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. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. 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.