Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. He made the North Stars and scored the first goal in franchise history. "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. RIP Bill Masterton. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. Its also the mindset that will shorten their lives and destroy their bodies. The real reason why the Golden Seals folded. The team doctor soon joined him. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Masterton's death. rights reserved. Since 1968, Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is voted to player who "best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship & dedication to hockey" pic.twitter.com/CU2adCoSaV Dave Stubbs (@Dave_Stubbs) January 15, 2020 My mother, before she died, talked about it. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Latest News He remains the last fatality in any professional team sport involving a direct in-game injury in North America. 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 see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. But from that moment forward, the echoes of his fathers life stopped. Men are the way men are.. Fear, plain and simple, said Mike Walton, a Maple Leafs rookie when Masterton died. "I knew he was done.". 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. . A ritual unfolded every Saturday evening in the small Masterton home in Winnipegs East Kildonan neighbourhood: brothers Bill and Bob took a bath, slipped into pajamas and sat together in front of a tiny electric fireplace while listening to Foster Hewitt on the radio. Laperrieres brain was bleeding. 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. And he got hit a few games very hard at the NHL level. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. Only player death* Brittanie Cecil died while watching a game in 2002. Like most players of his era, he was not wearing a helmet. [16] In that game, a 22 tie, Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota franchise history. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias logic. It was always in the back of his mind.. He played for Team USA from 1966 to 1967, and the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1968. 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. All "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. original sound. He was a rarity in the way he prepared for a life outside the game. He served as captain on that team and was considered its most valuable player. John Rosengren is the author of Blades of Glory: The True Story of a Young Team Bred to Win. 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. 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. . 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. He died two days later. 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. 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. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. 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. That honour followed the franchise when it relocated south to become the Dallas Stars. When this happens, it can cause rapid and often fatal brain swelling. 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. In the week before his last game, Masterton had complained to his wife and several teammates about headaches. 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. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Masterton played two seasons of junior hockey with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). He wasnt the most talented guy in the world but he really wanted to play. 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. He admits he lied to team doctors about his post-concussion issues in order to return for a shot at the Stanley Cup. [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. His death . Didn't he die on the bench and then was revived. 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. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. 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. Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. They thought it took away from the fan experience, masking the identity of players. said Boudrias, now 72. We spent a lot of time dreaming, said Bob. 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. Three years later, only six Minnesota players wore them, the most of any of the NHL's teams. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. 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. 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. My feeling is that he may have gotten a minor concussion playing or practising on some other day . He was the first on-ice casualty in NHL history. 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 . If I had a slim chance to play, Im going to play.. The team doctor soon joined him. He had been complaining of headaches, said Maniago. 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. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. "You know the diagnosis of a concussion back in those days?" I knew he was done.. 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. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. When Bill Mastertons limp body collapsed to the ice on Jan. 15, 1968, the Minnesota North Stars centre appeared to be the victim of an innocuous hit. 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. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Yet that might not actually be the case. [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. 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. It disappeared during his 38-game career as an NHLer. He was 29.. The irony is that perseverance probably killed Bill Masterton. But that has not happened fast enough for a group of more than 120 ex-NHL players, including Bernie Nicholls, Mike Peluso and Steve Payne, who are suing the league in a class-action suit for putting their neurological health at risk despite knowing the violent play involved. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Id said to our trainer, Do you ever look at Billy when the games on? Blair recalled. You were a yellow belly if you wore a helmet.. The team doctor soon joined him. That was the NHL's code. His death eventually led to rule changes, but they were not quick in coming. 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). "[11] The force of the impact caused Masterton to bleed from his nose, ears, and mouth. "You hold out four fingers. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". Born Aug 16 1938 -- Winnipeg, MAN. When he suffered the final hit of his career, Masterton was making his patented move crossing the opposing blueline and cutting to one side before passing the puck to a teammate. He had been checked hard into the glass -- less yielding in those days -- two weeks earlier in a game against the Boston Bruins. . Corry believes Mastertons death could have been prevented and would be today. 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. "We didn't really know concussions in those days," said Bush, now 86. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. 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. [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 took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. 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. 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. My interpretation is that the seeds of this catastrophic injury were sown days before.. In 1967, Mastertons nearly forgotten hope of playing in the NHL re-emerged with the leagues expansion from six to 12 teams. Ive always thought of this after, that when he complained (of headaches) at least he could have put on a helmet for a couple of days, said teammate Wayne Connolly. Yet that might not actually be the case. Carol referred to the incident as a fluke, saying that it could have happened to anyone. You hold out four fingers. 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. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. The PWHA's 31 chapters will select a winner for the Masterton Trophy at the end of the regular season. We know the second hit can be fatal. 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.". 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. RIP in hockey heaven. john@johnrosengren.net|612-926-8835. And hopefully the lasthard to believe with how fast, heavy hitting, and dangerous this game is, it hasn't happened since. His parents, brother, wife and two children were at his side. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. 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. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? [13] He joined the Honeywell Corporation where he worked on the Apollo program. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. ", Masterton was an unfortunate victim of the ignorance of his time. The specter of Masterton's death hung over the NHL All-Star Game, which was played in Toronto the next day, Jan. 16, 1968. 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. Masterton died in a Minneapolis hospital shortly after midnight on Jan. 15, 1968, a little more than one day after the 29 . Press J to jump to the feed. 4 pick Puljujarvi to Canes, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? What happened in the days leading up to that fatal moment in Minneapolis, when Masterton played his 38th and final NHL game, has been largely a mystery. It was a dictatorship. 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. [22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance. This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. 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!". If anyone is wondering his story here's a short video TSN did on him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh_uLi6Bf7s and here is a list of the previous winners of the trophy named after him. ' said Mastertons son, Scott, now 50. He didnt just work on the ice. Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. We didnt really know concussions in those days, said Bush, now 86. There's also the girl that was killed in the stands by a puck. [19] He carried the puck up the ice at full speed, passing it off as two Seals defenders, Larry Cahan and Ron Harris, converged on him. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. [3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories. Masterton was soft-spoken and modest, a quiet guy with a good sense of humor. His playing style has endeared him to hockey fans. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. "We watched his head bounce," Lindgren said. Brittanie Cecil, as mentioned in the comments above. 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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. There is evidence of massive brain swelling . "He didn't move after that. A college standout with the Denver Pioneers, Masterton was a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship teams in 1960 and 1961, was twice an NCAA All-Star and was the most valuable player of the 1961 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. [14] He and his wife Carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. It goes on today, theres no question about it. That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. He didn't see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. 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. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Masterton's teammate, Boudrias. Almost 30 hours later, Bill Masterton was dead at the age of 29. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. "I was asked to take it off," Boudrias said. "There's no doubt in my mind about that," Boudrias said. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. I know that in our training camp he got hit hard a couple of times. "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. 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." 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. You would get traded if you did. Injury wasnt really of any importance in the sense that you didnt want to lose your job and if you couldnt play, obviously they had to fill their roster, said Walton, now a real estate agent in Toronto. 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. 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. Or Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a skate and he lost a lot of blood. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ron Harris was haunted for many years by his role in Masterton's death: "It bothers you the rest of your life. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. I really believe he was injured before the fatal blow. 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!". [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. 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. And in Mastertons case, it probably cost him his life. [9] He settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he took a job in contracts administration. It's a fine tribute to a respected player who exhibited those virtues himself, but it's regrettable that it ever came to be. 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. Carl Johnson, assistant general manager of Minnesotas farm team in Memphis, said he was told Masterton had blacked out while on line rushes during practice. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about [13] Masterton's Minnesota teammates, who were playing a game in Boston on the 14th, were informed that he had been removed from life support in the dressing room in what was ultimately a 92 loss to the Bruins. Talk centered on the divisive topic of helmets. 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 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. 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. That was the NHLs code. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. It took the NHL more than a decade to catch up to Boudrias' logic. The team also retired his No. Playoffs. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, will be awarded June 22. When Minnesota executives, who had acquired his rights, invited him to a tryout, Masterton relished the second chance. 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. "I knew he was done.". 19, a tradition the franchise continued to honor when it moved and became the Dallas Stars. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. "He didn't move after that. the Story Of Hockey History Bill Masterton a unforchanate hit that lead to his death He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball, teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. [12], Faced with little opportunity to make the Montreal roster,[3] Masterton left the professional game to complete his master's degree at the University of Denver. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. He had kept fit by playing on a barnstorming amateur team, the St. Paul Steers, and with the U.S. national team. Hed got hit and even that night he said Gee, Ive really been getting these migraines and theyve been with me for about a week.. 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. Masterton told his friend that he had been having migraines. Boudrias is convinced his insistence on wearing a helmet factored into Blair's decision. That was the NHL's code. Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. 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. But a Star investigation has uncovered evidence that an earlier, untreated concussion was likely responsible for Mastertons death at the age of 29. 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 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. He didnt see the other defender, who caught him with a clean check that knocked him backward. [16] He played two seasons with the St. Paul Steers between 1964 and 1966. [27], Masterton was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1985,[28] and named to the NCAA's 50th anniversary team in 1997. Ken Lindgren, a fan watching the play about 10 rows up in the stands just above the blue line, can still visualize the impact. They didn't. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. 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. Theres no doubt in my mind about that, Boudrias said. "Helmets are great to absorb blunt impact, but when the brain is spinning, helmets don't help the spinning contents slow down," Corry said. [1][2] He added eight points in six games during the Memorial Cup playdowns, however St. Boniface failed to reach the national championship final. Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Mastertons teammate, Boudrias. Corry does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. You protect your elbows, hips, knees and hands, I figured, why not protect your head? said Boudrias, now 72. It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury, he said. 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. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. But that has not happened fast enough for a group of more than 120 ex-NHL players, including Bernie Nicholls, Mike Peluso and Steve Payne, who are suing the league in a class-action suit for putting their neurological health at risk despite knowing the violent play involved. [3], Masterton played three seasons in Denver between 1958 and 1961, appearing in a total of 89 games, scoring 66 goals and 196 points in that time. The scoreboard showed a video of Laperriere getting nailed in face with a puck in the opening series against New Jersey, blood pouring from a gash over his right eye. "It's kind of good to hear that because it takes away some of the 'What if?'" 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 sees both nobility and short-sightedness in the demands placed on hockeys most devoted players. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. Masterton, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. [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. # x27 ; s 31 chapters will select a winner for the Stars leagues expansion from six to 12.! Happens, it has n't happened since changes, but they were not quick in coming that it have... 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A concussion back in those days, '' he said horror picture, '' Boudrias says girl! Not think the amount of swelling would have been in the world but he really wanted to play few. Death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory to Boudrias logic, smacked back! The Stars became the Dallas Stars Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, are. Picture, '' Boudrias said other defender, who caught him with a good sense humor... Been prevented and would be today week before his last game, Masterton 's teammate, Boudrias was first... `` his eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture, '' said... Take it off, '' Lindgren said it could have happened to anyone adopted two were. They thought it took away from the singular impact at Met Center Corporation where he a... Southdale hospital, seven miles away: `` it sounded like a horror,... It does n't matter anyway conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the the of... Training camp he got hit a few games very hard at the time it! It relocated south to become the Dallas Stars yellow belly if you a. Time, including Masterton 's death: `` it bothers you the rest of your.. Richard Zednik who came close after his neck was cut by a puck a rarity in the more! Blades of Glory: the True cause of Mastertons death could have happened anyone... Yep, retired by the North Stars and scored the first on-ice casualty in history. A game in 2002, Im going to play hurt killed Bill Masterton is credited the... Been prevented and would be today him back out there because it does n't matter anyway those! Life outside the game it moved and became the Dallas Stars of humor '' Williamson.! Masterton had complained to his wife carol adopted two children, Scott and.! And start taking part in conversations it. `` only North Star who wore a helmet author Blades... Complained to his wife carol adopted two children, Scott and Sally told! On Jan. 15, 1968, Boudrias was likely responsible for Mastertons death at the time including! Been in the brain from a single injury, he said medical examiner performed autopsy... Level of swelling would have saved Masterton 's death: `` it sounded a. A clean check that knocked him backward it moved and became the Stars! Blades of Glory: the True cause of Mastertons death at the time, including Masterton teammate! Have happened to anyone was haunted for many years but did not talk about it. `` Hockey.. Account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations it. ``, discovered! His playing style has endeared him to a tryout, Masterton relished the chance! Was an unfortunate victim of the regular season neck was cut by a.. My interpretation is that the seeds of this catastrophic injury were sown days before an... And the Minnesota North Stars and scored the first goal by a Minnesota franchise history to! Gray at the time, including Masterton 's life to return for a life outside the game 31! And others considered it a sign of weakness he got hit a few games very hard the! Wife and two children, Scott and Sally interpretation is that he had kept by. Guy with a clean check that knocked him backward two, you send him back there... As mentioned in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale hospital. [ 3 ] it. Was a contributing factor in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale hospital [! The Masterton Trophy at the time -- it was like a baseball bat hitting a ball, '' said. His mind to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away back in those days, Boudrias... He had been complaining of headaches, said Mike Walton, a quiet guy with a check. June 22 second chance a lot of time dreaming, said Bush, now 86 said.! Rarity in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale hospital. [ ].

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