Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. The death of DU hockey Alum Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" 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. Ive never said this to anyone before, said Wren Blair, Mastertons coach and general manager, now 85. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . He was 29.. You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. The team doctor soon joined him. Thirty hours later, he was dead in hospital. that is out of proportion to the blow that he got. 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. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. I knew he was done.. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. He died two days later. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. Still, it's very hard because I made the play. Yet that might not actually be the case. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". "I knew he was done.". It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. 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. 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. 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 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. They didn't. 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. We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. The team doctor soon joined him. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias logic. 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. During the season, several players and coaches recalled seeing Masterton black out during rushes in practice. He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. 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. While much in hockey has changed since Masterton died, one thing hasnt: Playing hurt is a sacred principle. [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. [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. 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. 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. Didn't he break his leg then die from complications as a result of it. 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. "He didn't move after that. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. Its the most gruesome distinction in hockey: Only one player has ever died from injuries directly suffered in an NHL game. There's also the girl that was killed in the stands by a puck. 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. 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. His aggressiveness got him.. . The team also retired his No. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. [3] Some 30 hours after his fall, on January 15, Masterton died without ever regaining consciousness. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. "I knew he was done.". "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. It goes on today, theres no question about it. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. . They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". . NHL Home Scores Schedule Standings Stats Teams Daily Lines Power Rankings More My grandfather and grandmother were at this game, it was also their only NHL game they ever attended. 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. "You hold out four fingers. 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. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. You were a yellow belly if you wore a helmet.. The PWHA's 31 chapters will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the regular season. Oakland defencemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris moved in to check Masterton, who wound up falling on the back of his head. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. "He didn't move after that. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". Or Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a skate and he lost a lot of blood. In 1968, Bill Masterton became the only NHL player to date to die as the result of injuries suffered during a game. 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. He was having some headaches. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.. [16] He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of an injury suffered on the ice. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. His face is blood red, almost purple. 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. The specter of Mastertons death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. 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.. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. We are the premier subreddit to talk everything hockey! [14] He and his wife Carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally. 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. 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. What makes hockey players hide their injuries and re-enter games knowing the next hit could spell ruin? He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. 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. He was traded the following season to Chicago. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. They didnt. "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. 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. We know the second hit can be fatal. He didnt move after that. [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. [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. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. 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. By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? 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." Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. Happened to Jiri Fisher on the Wings bench too. Republication or distribution of this content is 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. Injury wasnt really of any importance in the sense that you didnt want to lose your job and if you couldnt play, obviously they had to fill their roster, said Walton, now a real estate agent in Toronto. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. 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. His eyes were gray at the time it was like a horror picture, Boudrias says. 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. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about He played that game standing up, Williamson said. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. It wasn't dirty and it wasn't meant to happen that way. ' said Mastertons son, Scott, now 50. Masterton died in a Minneapolis hospital shortly after midnight on Jan. 15, 1968, a little more than one day after the 29 . Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. 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. [3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories. You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days? asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. That honour followed the franchise when it relocated south to become the Dallas Stars. 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. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. Professional Hockey Player. During the same season, just a few months later, he was flying up open ice with the puck and was sandwiched by 2 California Seals. Didn't he die on the bench and then was revived. Yet that might not actually be the case. In his memory, the NHL created the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy which it has awarded since 1968 to a player who demonstrates perseverance and dedication to hockey. Theres no doubt in my mind about that, Boudrias said. Yet that might not actually be the case. Their professional athletic careers may have ended with eerie similarity exactly 25 years apart. Bill Masterton is stretchered off the ice after being hit in a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968. I know that in our training camp he got hit hard a couple of times. They didn't. RIP Bill Masterton. 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. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. I think he had a (pre-existing) cerebral brain hemorrhage.. . Twice last season, Laperriere took slapshots in the face. 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.. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. [10] Led by Jean Bliveau and Henri Richard, the Canadiens were extremely deep at center, so Masterton was assigned to the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Eastern Professional Hockey League. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. He sees both nobility and short-sightedness in the demands placed on hockeys most devoted players. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. Yeah was going to say maybe the only death by a player, not in general. He wanted it badly. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. Discuss the NHL, AHL, PHF, IIHF, KHL, and every other hockey league you can think of! Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. 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