He was a team man off the charts.. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. The irony is that perseverance probably killed Bill Masterton. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. Masterton, who was always quick to dismiss concerns, was never sent to a doctor. His death . 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. [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. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. 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. 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. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. We know the second hit can be fatal. They didnt. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. 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. There is evidence of massive brain swelling . Republication or distribution of this content is He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. 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. 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. The night before the Oakland game, Mastertons family gathered at the house of their neighbor, North Star goaltender Cesare Maniago, to celebrate Maniagos 29th birthday. By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. The PWHA's 31 chapters will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the regular season. Professional Hockey Player. 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". They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. Discuss the NHL, AHL, PHF, IIHF, KHL, and every other hockey league you can think of! Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. You hold out four fingers. 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. We are the premier subreddit to talk everything hockey! "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". Id been knocked out myself playing football. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. 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. Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. said Boudrias, now 72. It goes on today, theres no question about it. [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. "He didn't move after that. He was having some headaches. RIP in hockey heaven. Bill Masterton Vintage North Stars Film Discovery 50th Anniversary in Final game lumberjack1713 1.26K subscribers Subscribe 506 Share 73K views 5 years ago Credit to Tom Hauser and the good. To order copies of 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. 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. Men are the way men are.. All Rights Reserved. that is out of proportion to the blow that he got. 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. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. "I wouldn't do it.". 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. "I knew he was done.". They didn't. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball, teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. 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. 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. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. Its a badge of honour, he said. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. His playing style has endeared him to hockey fans. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. One of their sticks tangled with Mastertons skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. They didn't. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. Today his story is nearly forgotten, but for an annual NHL award that bears his name. 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. 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!". said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. I wouldnt do it.. Thats a philosophy that Scott Masterton views with the ambivalence of both a former competitive athlete and a man left fatherless at the age of 3. He didnt see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. 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. "I wouldn't do it.". 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. What about Howie morenz? [14] He and his wife Carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally. "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. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. [11], The NHL expanded in 1967, doubling from 6 teams to 12. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. Carol referred to the incident as a fluke, saying that it could have happened to anyone. When Bill Masterton's limp body collapsed to the ice on Jan. 15, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars centre appeared to be the victim of an innocuous hit. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. It was kind of one of those things where I asked the question but I knew what he was going to do. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. "What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.". Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Realizing he was already gone, Masterton's 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. We didn't think it was that serious.". Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. 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. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. "He didn't move after that. "I knew he was done.". "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. 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. Minnesota goalie Cesare Maniagos wife, Mavis, had a clear view of Mastertons fall from her seat in the stands. original sound. 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. Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. . Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. said Boudrias, now 72. Among the new entries was the Minnesota North Stars. Yet that might not actually be the case. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. This is the story of the death of Masterton, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history. 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 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. [22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance. 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. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. It was a dictatorship. (Or was she paralyzed). You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. 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. After his death, his #19 jersey was officially retired by the Minnesota North Stars. 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. said Boudrias, now 72. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. 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. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. accessed ), memorial page for William Duncan "Bill" Cromie (24 Apr 1915-20 Feb 2002), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244481111, citing Riverside Cemetery . Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. Playoffs. 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. 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. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. 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. 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.". That was the NHL's code. 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. Bill 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. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Carey Price addresses the media after winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2021-22 season.SUBSCRIBE: http://goha.bs/1qHH4pZ John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. TikTok video from That Stars Fan (@hockey_unpaused): "Bill Masterton is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of an injury suffered on the ice. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. And hopefully the lasthard to believe with how fast, heavy hitting, and dangerous this game is, it hasn't happened since. After reviewing the document, Dr. Charles Tator, a Toronto neurosurgeon and concussion expert, believes Masterton suffered second impact syndrome, a rare occurrence where a second concussion happens on the heels of a first concussion that never healed, causing rapid and severe brain swelling. 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