[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. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Death 20 Feb 2002 (aged 86) New Zealand. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. It got deathly quiet.. Blair, in charge of the North Stars, came calling. ", North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player. 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. 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. "[3] However, Masterton's family held no animosity towards the players involved or the game. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. You hold out four fingers. Its the most gruesome distinction in hockey: Only one player has ever died from injuries directly suffered in an NHL game. His death eventually led to rule changes, but they were not quick in coming. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. 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. [16] He was attended to by two neurosurgeons and three other doctors. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. Minnesota goalie Cesare Maniagos wife, Mavis, had a clear view of Mastertons fall from her seat in the stands. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Like Masterton, Laperriere earned an unlikely place in the pros with grit. "You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head?" 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. One account holds that Masterton regained consciousness for a few moments and repeated the words, Never again, never again, before closing his eyes for the final time. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. [21], Some players began to wear helmets following Masterton's death,[16] but adoption was slow. [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. I wouldnt do it.. The general public doesnt understand the adrenaline, the passion, the dedication the players have to get out there and perform.. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. Carol referred to the incident as a fluke, saying that it could have happened to anyone. But he played as though he was, said Muckler. He admits he lied to team doctors about his post-concussion issues in order to return for a shot at the Stanley Cup. 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. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. 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. His death . [Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.. said Boudrias, now 72. I thought he was out then and just went fast right down.. 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. -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. His eyes were gray at the time it was like a horror picture, Boudrias says. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. john@johnrosengren.net|612-926-8835. And it changed hockey forever. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. [16] Masterton was the first player to sign with Minnesota,[11] agreeing to a two-year contract. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. Id said to our trainer, Do you ever look at Billy when the games on? Blair recalled. 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. The team doctor soon joined him. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. 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. Didn't he die on the bench and then was revived. 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. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. Throughout his college career, right through to his training camp in Memphis, Masterton wore a helmet, a rarity in an age when head protection was dismissed by players and management alike. 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. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Masterton left pro hockey after two seasons when it appeared hed never make the NHL. The team doctor soon joined him. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. 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. 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. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. [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. It got deathly quiet.". 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. [3], At the age of 29, Masterton made his NHL debut in the North Stars' inaugural game, played October 11, 1967, against the St. Louis Blues. 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. After Masterton's death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. Coach Wren Blair believed that Masterton was playing through a pre-existing brain hemorrhage. And in Mastertons case, it probably cost him his life. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. He played for Team USA from 1966 to 1967, and the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1968. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. that is out of proportion to the blow that he got. 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. 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. Professional Hockey Player. To order copies of The NHLs expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. 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. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. Brittanie Cecil, as mentioned in the comments above. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about 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. 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. The death of DU hockey Alum Bill Masterton 40 years ago this week was tragic, unnecessary and foolish. 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. 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. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). [3] Some 30 hours after his fall, on January 15, Masterton died without ever regaining consciousness. 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. "You hold out four fingers. Toronto neurosurgeon and concussion expert Charles Tator reviewed Masterton's autopsy and opined that Masterton had suffered second-impact syndrome, which occurs when a person suffers a second concussion on top of an earlier, untreated concussion. 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. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. 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 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. I looked at him and said, What are you going to do? because he was just starting a young family, said Bob. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" The team also retired his No. 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. . Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. 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. That's what men did. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" "You hold out four fingers. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.. [14] He and his wife Carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally. "I knew he was done.". We know the second hit can be fatal. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. 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. 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. Died Jan 15 1968 [Age 29] Height 6.00 -- Weight 185 [183 cm/84 kg] Regular Season. 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