19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" There is evidence of massive brain swelling . "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren 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. 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. 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.. "I knew he was done.". said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. [19] They soon concluded that the injury was too severe for surgery to be a viable option. [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. 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. 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. 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. Usually Masterton is described as the first death caused directly by an on-ice incident to differentiate from Morenz dying of complications. "[10], Turning to professional hockey after graduating with an engineering degree,[9] Masterton signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens in 1961. 1/2 Minnesota North Stars F Bill Masterton was tragically lost on this day in 1968, 2 days after having struck his head on Met Center ice. 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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Thirty hours later, he was dead in hospital. Corry believes Masterton's death could have been prevented -- and would be today. That was the NHL's code. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. Its the most gruesome distinction in hockey: Only one player has ever died from injuries directly suffered in an NHL game. It goes on today, theres no question about it. "He didn't move after that. Explore Bill Masterton's biography, personal life, family and cause of death. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. You hold out four fingers. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. 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. Its a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but its regrettable that it ever came to be. 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. Despite several efforts to mandate their use, it was 11 years before the NHL made them compulsory for all new players beginning in the 1979-80 NHL season . "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 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. 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. 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 Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. Ive never said this to anyone before, said Wren Blair, Mastertons coach and general manager, now 85. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. RIP in hockey heaven. [1][2] He added eight points in six games during the Memorial Cup playdowns, however St. Boniface failed to reach the national championship final. My mother, before she died, talked about it. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. It was kind of one of those things where I asked the question but I knew what he was going to do. Just that it was beating very irregularly, cause him to pass out/collapse. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. 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. And hopefully the lasthard to believe with how fast, heavy hitting, and dangerous this game is, it hasn't happened since. 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. 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. 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. I saw Bills head after he was just checked from behind and it just looked like his eyes were in the back of his head, she said. He was a team man off the charts.. Corry believes Mastertons death could have been prevented and would be today. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. [16] Legislators in New York considered a law to make their use mandatory,[20] and the NHL voted on and rejected a rule requiring players wear helmets three times by 1971. 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 wasnt big. -- Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. He admits he lied to team doctors about his post-concussion issues in order to return for a shot at the Stanley Cup. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball, teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. 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. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. When he had headaches early on, we wouldnt have had him on the ice, he said. What makes hockey players hide their injuries and re-enter games knowing the next hit could spell ruin? [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. They and many others claim the league could be doing more to protect its players from returning to action too soon. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. The NHL's expansion from six to 12 teams in 1967-68 rekindled his mothballed dream. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. Blair, in charge of the North Stars, came calling. With a blown knee and broken bones, Scott stepped away from his sport. said Masterton's son, Scott, now 50. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. Masterton, who was always quick to dismiss concerns, was never sent to a doctor. 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. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. "[Masterton] probably had some earlier swelling going on, so if he got a second injury, it would be catastrophic.". https://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/masterton.html 11 [deleted] 5 yr. ago This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. During the North Stars' first game (Oct. 11, 1967 in St. Louis), Masterton scored the team's first goal and the game ended in a 2-2 tie. The team also retired his No. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. 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 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. Masterton died on Jan. 15, 1968, after head injuries suffered during a game. RIP Bill Masterton. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Still, he returned to play following lost teeth, hundreds of stitches and even the discovery of a spot on his brain visible on a CAT scan. Among the new entries was the Minnesota North Stars. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. He said prior to the start of the 196768 season that being able to play in Minnesota was key as he would have been unlikely to consider an offer with any other team. It was always in the back of his mind.. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. [16] The Minnesota North Stars pulled his jersey number 19 out of circulation following his death and formally retired it in 1987. Im fine, hed say, the mantra of a thousand hockey players. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. "I knew he was done.". 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. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. The team also retired his No. Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets dont help the spinning contents slow down, Corry said. The idea that you persevere goes back to time immemorial. The team doctor soon joined him. that is out of proportion to the blow that he got. Fifty years ago on Jan. 15, 1968 Minnesota North Stars rookie center Bill Masterton died from a head injury suffered 30 hours earlier in a home game against the Oakland Seals. 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. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. 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