"I'd been knocked out myself playing football. 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." Latest News "He was a team man off the charts.". RIP Bill Masterton. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. 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. 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. Didn't he break his leg then die from complications as a result of it. 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. [11], The NHL expanded in 1967, doubling from 6 teams to 12. Yet that might not actually be the case. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. . 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. 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. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. They didn't. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. "He was a team man off the charts.". All "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. 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. This is the story of the death of Masterton, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. "[11] The force of the impact caused Masterton to bleed from his nose, ears, and mouth. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. [3] Masterton was promoted to the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 196263 season, where he led the team with 82 points. 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. [22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance. The night before the fatal game against Oakland, Masterton was at Maniagos house with his family Scott was 3 and Sally, 1 helping the genial goaltender celebrate his 29th birthday with teammates. 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. Yet that might not actually be the case. Hed never show when he got hurt. However, Masterton brushed it off. 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. Men are the way men are.. He didnt move after that. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. Today his story is nearly forgotten, but for an annual NHL award that bears his name. -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. 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 cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. 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. 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. 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. There's also the girl that was killed in the stands by a puck. We watched his head bounce, Lindgren said. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. But it was frowned on, really.. You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. 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. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. Well I DIEEEED, "Oh really? 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. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Happened to Jiri Fisher on the Wings bench too. 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. His face is blood red, almost purple. The NHL's 1967 expansion offered an opportunity to play for the newly founded North Stars, for whom he scored the first goal in the franchise's history. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. 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. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. They didn't. He was a team man off the charts.. Ive never thought that it had anything to do with that hit. 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. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. "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. 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. Hes also convinced a helmet would have saved Mastertons life. [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. 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. Masterton's death sparked a long-running debate in hockey about the merits of wearing helmets, as few NHL players did so in that time. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. [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. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. 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). "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". 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. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. 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. The real reason why the Golden Seals folded. 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. His parents, brother, wife and two children were at his side. That's what men did. We didn't think it was that serious.". "You hold out four fingers. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. . Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. 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. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" Id said to our trainer, Do you ever look at Billy when the games on? Blair recalled. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968 contest against the Oakland Seals. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. Theres something wrong.. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. When he had headaches early on, we wouldnt have had him on the ice, he said. [16] He played two seasons with the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. He wasnt the most talented guy in the world but he really wanted to play. 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. 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. 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. 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. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. 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". Press J to jump to the feed. It got deathly quiet.". 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. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. [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. He understands how passion and perseverance can deliver both glory and death. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. He wanted it badly. That was the NHL's code. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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. 's top rookie", "Brain injuries takes life of Stars' Bill Masterton", "Star investigation: What really killed NHL's Bill Masterton", "North Star player's death 40 years ago changed the game of hockey forever", "N.H.L. That's what men did. [4] At the time of his graduation, he was the Pioneers' all-time leading point scorer, a record he held for 25 years. That honour followed the franchise when it relocated south to become the Dallas Stars. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. And hopefully the lasthard to believe with how fast, heavy hitting, and dangerous this game is, it hasn't happened since. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game. 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. 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. [16] The Minnesota North Stars pulled his jersey number 19 out of circulation following his death and formally retired it in 1987. 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. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. 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. ' said Mastertons son, Scott, now 50. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. 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