He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. 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. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. "You hold out four fingers. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win . [15], Several awards were named in Masterton's memory. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. Masterton, who was always quick to dismiss concerns, was never sent to a doctor. When Masterton's 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. Carol referred to the incident as a fluke, saying that it could have happened to anyone. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. After Mastertons death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. The talented career, and tragic death, of Bill Masterton JJ (Governor) Carrier 1.38K subscribers Subscribe 3 Share 287 views 2 years ago Former NCAA star finally made the NHL with the Stars,. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. 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. Didn't he break his leg then die from complications as a result of it. 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.. [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. . Id said to our trainer, Do you ever look at Billy when the games on? Blair recalled. https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html 11 [deleted] 5 yr. ago This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. [16] Masterton was the first player to sign with Minnesota,[11] agreeing to a two-year contract. Still, it's very hard because I made the play. 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. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". "He was a team man off the charts.". I knew he was done.. [4] At the time of his graduation, he was the Pioneers' all-time leading point scorer, a record he held for 25 years. 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. 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. 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. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. His death eventually led to rule changes, but they were not quick in coming. "You hold out four fingers. The usual story is just as has unfolded here, that they can even talk a bit after that final hit and then they lapse into a coma, Tator said. We didnt really know concussions in those days, said Bush, now 86. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" 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. 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. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. 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. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 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.. [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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. 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". The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. 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. We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.. Thirty hours later, he was dead in hospital. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. 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. 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. 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. You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). cemeteries found in Masterton, Masterton District, Wellington, . Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. We know the second hit can be fatal. 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 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. Yet that might not actually be the case. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blairs decision. He sees both nobility and short-sightedness in the demands placed on hockeys most devoted players. He never laid down.. The team also retired his No. 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. That's what men did. Ive never seen a person work so hard. 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. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" Today his story is nearly forgotten, but for an annual NHL award that bears his name. To order Ron Harris was haunted for many years by his role in Masterton's death: "It bothers you the rest of your life. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. [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. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" [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. 1891 views | original sound - avalon 13.5K .mzrdo "I Got A Plan" Bills Death | #fyp #rdr1 #billwilliamson #johnmarston The team doctor soon joined him. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. It is named after Bill Masterton, the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" All Rights Reserved. That was the NHL's code. 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. RIP Bill 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.". I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. "He was a team man off the charts.". Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. [21], Some players began to wear helmets following Masterton's death,[16] but adoption was slow. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. rights reserved. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. 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. 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. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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. "[3] However, Masterton's family held no animosity towards the players involved or the game. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. They didn't. One of their sticks tangled with Mastertons skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" 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. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. NHL trade grades: Kane deal to Rangers earns high marks for one side, NHL trade tracker: Latest deals, rumors and grades, Rangers clear hurdles, get Kane from Blackhawks, Oilers bulk up defense, secure Predators' Ekholm, Leafs win Schenn sweepstakes, trade for veteran, Leafs deal Sandin to Capitals for Gustafsson, pick, Wild add depth, acquire Johansson from Capitals, NHL suspends Rangers' Miller for spitting incident, Oilers trade ex-No. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. Hes also convinced a helmet would have saved Mastertons life. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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 NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. 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. 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. 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 goes on today, theres no question about it. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. 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. Laperrieres brain was bleeding. 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