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. 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. Theres something wrong.. Boudrias helped the team's trainer onto the ice to tend to Masterton. 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. 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. "His eyes were gray at the time -- it was like a horror picture," Boudrias says. And in Masterton's case, it probably cost him his life. 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. "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. That was the NHLs code. 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 the brain hasnt healed completely from a previous injury, a subsequent blow can cause the type of sudden and severe swelling found in Mastertons brain. "I knew he was done.". That same year a trophy called the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was established by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, in his memory. 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. The team also retired his No. With a blown knee and broken bones, Scott stepped away from his sport. Yep, retired by the North Stars and carried over to Dallas. 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. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. 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. It disappeared during his 38-game career as an NHLer. asked Williamson, who has a photo hanging in his office of Masterton on the stretcher. That rotation was a contributing factor in the severity of his injury. He and the Stars' trainer had noticed Masterton's face was "blood red, almost purple," and were concerned enough that they wanted Masterton checked out by a doctor. He bore the bruises of that hit and others in subsequent games -- on his left arm, both thighs and, unwittingly, his brain. 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. "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. 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. 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. 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. We watched his head bounce, Lindgren said. "When he had headaches early on, we wouldn't have had him on the ice," he said. In 1968, Boudrias was the only North Star who wore a helmet. [15] He received treatment on the ice and in the dressing room before being rushed to Fairview-Southdale Hospital.[3]. He cherished his son, Scott, 3, and daughter, Sally, 1. One of their sticks tangled with Masterton's skates as he slid a pass to his wing, and he lost his balance, pitching forward. We were not allowed to wear helmets, said J.P. Parise. But he played as though he was, said Muckler. [16] In that game, a 22 tie, Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota franchise history. He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. 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. 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, who was not wearing a helmet, smacked the back of his head on the ice. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". They didnt. We didn't think it was that serious.". "It is very rare to see that level of swelling in the brain from a single injury," he said. It goes on today, theres no question about it. Yet that might not actually be the case. He admits he lied to team doctors about his post-concussion issues in order to return for a shot at the Stanley Cup. Masterton is credited with the scoring the first goal by a Minnesota franchise in the NHL. "We lived with the accident for many years but did not talk about it.". Only a handful of NHL players wore them at the time, including Mastertons teammate, Boudrias. [15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory. That was the NHL's code. Bill Masterton is the only man to die of injuries sustained in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. He was traded the following season to Chicago. "He didn't move after that. 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. It was a no-no in no uncertain terms. 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. 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 1967-68. This reminded me of Rich Beverly or Peverly for the Stars. 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. Yet players such as Masterton learned to play hurt. It was always in the back of his mind.. But even if they had, he might still have been in the lineup against Oakland. After Mastertons death, the North Stars set up a scholarship fund in his name. "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 does not think the amount of swelling would have been caused from the singular impact at Met Center. 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. 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. Laperriere acknowledged his career may be over, though he cant bring himself to retire. Typical of the attitude of the day, North Stars coach Wren Blair frowned on the practice. "He was a team man off the charts.". Seven hours later, when the Hennepin County medical examiner performed an autopsy, they discovered the true cause of Mastertons death. They carried Masterton off on a stretcher, and an ambulance rushed him to Fairview Southdale hospital, seven miles away. 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. "It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a ball," teammate Andr Boudrias recalled. He and others considered it a sign of weakness. 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. "I wouldn't do it.". He's also convinced a helmet would have saved Masterton's life. [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. If the guy only sees two, you send him back out there because it doesn't matter anyway. "He played that game standing up," Williamson said. Awareness about brain injuries and how to treat them has come a long way since then. 's top rookie", "Brain injuries takes life of Stars' Bill Masterton", "Star investigation: What really killed NHL's Bill Masterton", "North Star player's death 40 years ago changed the game of hockey forever", "N.H.L. The team also retired his No. 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. Masterton was caught in an awkward collision that sent his head slamming backwards onto the ice. It was kind of one of those things where I asked the question but I knew what he was going to do. 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. Bill Masterton, the only player to die from injuries suffered during an NHL game, might not have died in vain. 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