He was 29.. It got deathly quiet.". All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. [16] The Minnesota North Stars pulled his jersey number 19 out of circulation following his death and formally retired it in 1987. -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. His playing style has endeared him to hockey fans. [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. — -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. [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. You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. This is the story of the death of Masterton, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. Masterton left pro hockey after two seasons when it appeared hed never make the NHL. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. 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. 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.. After his death, his #19 jersey was officially retired by the Minnesota North Stars. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. 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. [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. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? He and others considered it a sign of weakness. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. They didn't. Republication or distribution of this content is Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. 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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. I knew he was done.. Its kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the What if? [26] High schools in Bloomington, where the North Stars played their games, also award scholarships in Masterton's name. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. Yet that might not actually be the case. 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. 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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. But a Star investigation has uncovered evidence that an earlier, untreated concussion was likely responsible for Mastertons death at the age of 29. And in Mastertons case, it probably cost him his life. Usually Masterton is described as the first death caused directly by an on-ice incident to differentiate from Morenz dying of complications. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. 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. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. 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. [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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. We didnt really know concussions in those days, said Bush, now 86. He never laid down.. He was the first on-ice casualty in NHL history. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. 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 made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. [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. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. 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. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. That was the NHL's code. And he got hit a few games very hard at the NHL level. 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. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. 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. 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. 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. [11], The NHL expanded in 1967, doubling from 6 teams to 12. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. Ive never thought that it had anything to do with that hit. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. Their professional athletic careers may have ended with eerie similarity exactly 25 years apart. He died two days later. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. "[16] By mid-season, Masterton had scored 4 goals and 12 points in 38 games. You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". 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. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. "He was a team man off the charts.". Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. He wanted it badly. Brittanie Cecil, as mentioned in the comments above. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. 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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. "You hold out four fingers. 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. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. The question flashed up on the big screen: What if Ian didnt believe in sacrifice?. Stay on current site or go to US version. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". 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. 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." 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. RIP Bill Masterton. The North Stars retired his jersey number 19, an honour that followed the franchise when it later relocated to Dallas, Texas. Is his number retired by the Stars? #nhl #hockeydeath #rip #hockey #sports". [16] Masterton was the first player to sign with Minnesota,[11] agreeing to a two-year contract. Thirty hours later, he was dead in hospital. My feeling is that he may have gotten a minor concussion playing or practising on some other day . Just that it was beating very irregularly, cause him to pass out/collapse. Only NHL Player To Die On Ice Bill John Masterton Https://Tedtalkshockey.com - YouTube 0:00 / 6:28 #Numberonetrending #NHL #Nationalhockeyleague Only NHL Player To Die On Ice Bill John. Oakland defencemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris moved in to check Masterton, who wound up falling on the back of his head. All Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. And it changed hockey forever. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. He had been checked hard into the glass less yielding in those days two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Laperrieres brain was bleeding. Only Andre Boudrias had the temerity to challenge it on Minnesota. In a quiet moment, Masterton made a rare admission to Maniago: He was struggling with the effects of a head check into the glass during a recent game. Bill Masterton played only 38 games in the NHL, but his memory has left a lasting impression. He didnt move after that. The Montreal Canadiens, which owned his rights, traded them to Minnesota. 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. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blairs decision. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. "I knew he was done.". 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. 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