Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. Only Andre Boudrias had the temerity to challenge it on Minnesota. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. It got deathly quiet.". They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. 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 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. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. [16] The Minnesota North Stars pulled his jersey number 19 out of circulation following his death and formally retired it in 1987. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). 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. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? 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!. 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. "I'd been knocked out myself playing football. Bob Masterton remembers his brother telling him about the NHL offer over dinner. 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 made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. 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. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. 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. 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 team doctor soon joined him. To order copies of He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. 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. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. He finished with a masters 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. 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. Yeah was going to say maybe the only death by a player, not in general. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" I know that in our training camp he got hit hard a couple of times. 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. More importantly, he earned a degree. Minnesota goalie Cesare Maniagos wife, Mavis, had a clear view of Mastertons fall from her seat in the stands. 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. Witnesses . By "at" an NHL game I'm guessing you just meant players? William Masterton (August 13, 1938 January 15, 1968) was a Canadian American professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars in 196768. 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. 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. In 1967, Mastertons nearly forgotten hope of playing in the NHL re-emerged with the leagues expansion from six to 12 teams. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. Masterton, who was always quick to dismiss concerns, was never sent to a doctor. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury, he said. We didn't think it was that serious.". Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. The season started with promise: Masterton scored the first goal in North Stars history. 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 was not a marquee player, but he was a skilled playmaker who was willing to work in the corners and be a team player. It was kind of one of those things where I asked the question but I knew what he was going to do. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. Carey Price addresses the media after winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2021-22 season.SUBSCRIBE: http://goha.bs/1qHH4pZ 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." [16] He played two seasons with the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. 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. He wasnt the most talented guy in the world but he really wanted to play. Discuss the NHL, AHL, PHF, IIHF, KHL, and every other hockey league you can think of! Republication or distribution of this content is [18], "Because he had a habit of giving everything he had for every second he was on the ice, Bill was the type of player who didn't have to score a lot of goals to help a club. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. What killed this man was second-impact syndrome.. 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 Story Of Hockey History Bill Masterton a unforchanate hit that lead to his death 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. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. Ive never thought that it had anything to do with that hit. 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." 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. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. said Boudrias, now 72. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. Like many Canadian boys growing up in the '50s, Masterton listened to Saturday . Yet that might not actually be the case. Its kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the What if? He had been checked hard into the glass less yielding in those days two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. 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. When he had headaches early on, we wouldnt have had him on the ice, he said. The idea that you persevere goes back to time immemorial. 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. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. Masterton died in a Minneapolis hospital shortly after midnight on Jan. 15, 1968, a little more than one day after the 29 . "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. It honours perseverance and dedication to hockey. accessed ), memorial page for William Duncan "Bill" Cromie (24 Apr 1915-20 Feb 2002), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244481111, citing Riverside Cemetery . 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!". "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. The trophy named in Masterton's honor was originally presented by the NHL Writers' Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars, who . original sound. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. 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. His eyes were gray at the time it was like a horror picture, Boudrias says. rules new players now must wear helmets", "Alumni of Distinction Inductees - Bill Masterton Class of 1955", "Division I 50th anniversary hockey team announced", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Masterton&oldid=1139666631, NCAA Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player, Biographical information and career statistics from, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 07:49. [23], A later analysis by the Toronto Star in 2011 suggested that the "macho" attitude of the NHL in that era, as well as Masterton's aggressive playing style, played a significant role in his death. 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." 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. He was 29.. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Bill Masterton is stretchered off the ice after being hit in a game against the Oakland Seals in 1968. #nhl #hockeydeath #rip #hockey #sports". Its a badge of honour, he said. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. You hold out four fingers. ' said Mastertons son, Scott, now 50. [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. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. RIP Bill Masterton. The death of DU hockey Alum Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish. cemeteries found in Masterton, Masterton District, Wellington, . It got deathly quiet.". Those closest to Masterton concur he was suffering from a brain injury before he stepped on to the ice that night, as does a medical expert who reviewed an autopsy report obtained by the Star. We didn't think it was that serious.". [9] He settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he took a job in contracts administration. Philadelphia forward Ian Laperriere is one of three final nominees for this years Masterton Trophy despite not playing a single game in 2010-11 as he deals with post-concussion syndrome. Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets dont help the spinning contents slow down, Corry said. 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. As dramatic music replaced a play-by-play call of the incident, the video moved backwards in slow motion until just before Laperrieres face absorbed the slapshot. Of playing in the NHL 's expansion from six to 12 teams 1967-68! A thousand hockey players, where he took a job in contracts administration ;... Your head? by a player, not in general swelling would have been from... 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