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. [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. said Boudrias, now 72. [Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.. 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. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution I looked at him and said, What are you going to do? because he was just starting a young family, said Bob. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. "[3] However, Masterton's family held no animosity towards the players involved or the game. [7] Masterton served as team captain for 196061,[8] and was named the most valuable player of the 1961 national championship as he led Denver to a second consecutive title. All Rights Reserved. Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets dont help the spinning contents slow down, Corry said. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. 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. [3] The impact of the hit caused him to lose consciousness before he hit the ice; according to some accounts, he briefly came to and muttered, "Never again, never again" before passing back out. Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. 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. It was 50 years ago on January 13, 1968 that Winnipeger Bill Masterton lost his life on the ice of the Met Center playing for the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blairs decision. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. [11] He finished as the runner up to Doug Robinson for the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's top rookie. 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. It was a dictatorship. To order Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. "You hold out four fingers. The team also retired his No. 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 cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. 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. [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. Its a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but its regrettable that it ever came to be. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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 Hennepin County medical examiner found evidence of a previous injury on the left side of Mastertons skull on the temporal region of the brain. "[10], Turning to professional hockey after graduating with an engineering degree,[9] Masterton signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens in 1961. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. Ive never said this to anyone before, said Wren Blair, Mastertons coach and general manager, now 85. [1][2] He added eight points in six games during the Memorial Cup playdowns, however St. Boniface failed to reach the national championship final. Usually Masterton is described as the first death caused directly by an on-ice incident to differentiate from Morenz dying of complications. 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. 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. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. 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". A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). 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. [27], Masterton was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1985,[28] and named to the NCAA's 50th anniversary team in 1997. 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." Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bill Masterton. Such is the legacy of the only man who died because of injuries caused in an NHL game. 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. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". That honour followed the franchise when it relocated south to become the Dallas Stars. We are the premier subreddit to talk everything hockey! Hes also convinced a helmet would have saved Mastertons life. [3] Some 30 hours after his fall, on January 15, Masterton died without ever regaining consciousness. [24] The University of Denver Pioneers hockey team named its most valuable player award after him,[25] and his Winnipeg high school, Miles Macdonell Collegiate, presents a scholarship in his name. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. The real reason why the Golden Seals folded. 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. While knowledge of concussions has increased dramatically since Masterton died, the warrior-like mindset of professional hockey players is everlasting, he said. 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. We spent a lot of time dreaming, said Bob. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. On that fatal night at Met Center on Jan. 13, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars center, playing against the Oakland Seals, carried the puck across the blue line and cut to the right while Seals defensemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris closed in. 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. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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. RIP in hockey heaven. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. 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. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. 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. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. 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. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. 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. 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. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. We were not allowed to wear helmets, said J.P. Parise. I think he had a (pre-existing) cerebral brain hemorrhage.. -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. RIP Bill Masterton. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. It honours perseverance and dedication to hockey. With a blown knee and broken bones, Scott stepped away from his sport. Theres no doubt in my mind about that, Boudrias said. 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. He was a team man off the charts.. Ive never thought that it had anything to do with that hit. He was a rarity in the way he prepared for a life outside the game. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. The North Stars retired his jersey number 19, an honour that followed the franchise when it later relocated to Dallas, Texas. 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. [4] At the time of his graduation, he was the Pioneers' all-time leading point scorer, a record he held for 25 years. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. 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. accessed ), memorial page for William Duncan "Bill" Cromie (24 Apr 1915-20 Feb 2002), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244481111, citing Riverside Cemetery . Today his story is nearly forgotten, but for an annual NHL award that bears his name. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. 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 [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. "He didn't move after that. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. The death of DU hockey Alum Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. 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. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. Their professional athletic careers may have ended with eerie similarity exactly 25 years apart. Or Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a skate and he lost a lot of blood. On that fatal night at Met Center on Jan. 13, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars center, playing against the Oakland Seals, carried the puck across the blue line and cut to the right while Seals defensemen Larry Cahan and Ron Harris closed in. Only Andre Boudrias had the temerity to challenge it on Minnesota. 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. It got deathly quiet.". Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. 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. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. They didn't. 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. 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. Witnesses . And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. john@johnrosengren.net|612-926-8835. That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. There's also the girl that was killed in the stands by a puck. rights reserved. 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 NHLs code. His face is blood red, almost purple. 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