Bill Masterton
Bill Masterton | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Winnipeg, Manitoba , Canada | August 13, 1938||
Died |
January 15, 1968 Minneapolis, Minnesota , U.S. | (aged 29)||
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
Position | Centre | ||
Shot | Right | ||
Played for | Minnesota North Stars | ||
National team | United States | ||
Playing career | 1961–1968 |
William Masterton (August 13, 1938 – January 15, 1968) was a
A college standout with the
Masterton's death sparked a long-running debate in hockey about the merits of wearing helmets, as few NHL players did so at the time. 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 season. 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. The North Stars retired his jersey number 19, an honour that followed the franchise when it later relocated to Dallas, Texas.
Playing career
A native of
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.
Turning to professional hockey after graduating with an engineering degree,[9] Masterton signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens in 1961.[10] Led by Jean Béliveau and Henri Richard, the Canadiens were extremely deep at center, so Masterton was assigned to the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens of the Eastern Professional Hockey League.[3] He had 31 goals and 65 points for Hull-Ottawa,[1] placing him in the top ten in both categories.[3] Masterton was promoted to the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 1962–63 season, where he led the team with 82 points.[11] He finished as the runner up to Doug Robinson for the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's top rookie.[12]
Faced with little opportunity to make the Montreal roster,
After taking a year off from hockey in 1964, Masterton regained his amateur status so that he could play
Minnesota North Stars
"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."
—North Stars coach Wren Blair describes Masterton's qualities as a player.[11]
The NHL expanded in 1967, doubling from 6 teams to 12. Among the new entries was the Minnesota North Stars.[11] The new team's coach and general manager, Wren Blair, had scouted Masterton while he played with the US Nationals and purchased his NHL playing rights from the Canadiens.[16] Masterton was the first player to sign with Minnesota,[11] agreeing to a two-year contract. He said prior to the start of the 1967–68 season that being able to play in Minnesota was key as he would have been unlikely to consider an offer with any other team.[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.[16] In that game, a 2–2 tie, Masterton scored the first goal in Minnesota franchise history.[14] His wife Carol later recalled that it was a "dream come true" for her husband: "He always wanted a shot at the NHL, and expansion was a wonderful thing for him and guys like him."[16] By mid-season, Masterton had scored 4 goals and 12 points in 38 games.[11]
Death
Masterton suffered a severe internal brain injury during the first period of Minnesota's January 13, 1968, game against the
His wife 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.
Ron Harris was haunted for many years by his role in Masterton's death: "It bothers you the rest of your life. It wasn't dirty and it wasn't meant to happen that way. Still, it's very hard because I made the play. It's always in the back of my mind."[3] However, Masterton's family held no animosity towards the players involved or the game. Carol referred to the incident as a fluke, saying that it could have happened to anyone.[16]
Legacy
Few NHL players wore helmets in 1968. According to several of Masterton's teammates, wearing a helmet was frowned upon in the NHL of that era; at least one North Star who wore a helmet during a game was traded after the season.[15] However, Masterton's death sparked an immediate debate on whether their use should be compulsory.[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.[21]
Some players began to wear helmets following Masterton's death,[16] but adoption was slow. Three years later, only six Minnesota players wore them, the most of any of the NHL's teams.[22] The "macho" attitude of the game, including fear of being called a coward, was an often cited reason for reluctance.[21] It was 11 years before the NHL finally mandated the use of helmets by all players entering the league beginning in the 1979–80 season.[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. Coach Wren Blair believed that Masterton was playing through a pre-existing brain hemorrhage. 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. However, Masterton brushed it off. 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. During the season, several players and coaches recalled seeing Masterton black out during rushes in practice. Goaltender Cesare Maniago recalled that the night before the fatal hit, Masterton had been complaining of severe migraines that he had had for over a week. They felt it caused what was otherwise viewed as a clean, albeit hard, bodycheck to turn fatal. 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. When this happens, it can cause rapid and often fatal brain swelling.[15]
Several awards were named in Masterton's memory. The
Masterton was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1985,[28] and named to the NCAA's 50th anniversary team in 1997.[29]
Career statistics
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1955–56 | St. Boniface Canadiens | MJHL | 22 | 23 | 26 | 49 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
1955–56 | St. Boniface Canadiens | Mem-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | ||
1956–57 | St. Boniface Canadiens | MJHL | 30 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 2 | ||
1958–59
|
Denver Pioneers | NCAA | 23 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1959–60
|
Denver Pioneers | WCHA | 34 | 21 | 46 | 67 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1960–61
|
Denver Pioneers | WCHA | 32 | 24 | 56 | 80 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1961–62 | Hull-Ottawa Canadiens | EPHL | 65 | 31 | 35 | 66 | 18 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||
1962–63 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 72 | 27 | 55 | 82 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | ||
1965–66 | St. Paul Steers | USHL | 30 | 27 | 40 | 67 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1966–67 | United States | NAT TM | 23 | 10 | 29 | 39 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1967–68 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 38 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 38 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Awards and honours
Award | Year | |
---|---|---|
First All-Star Team
|
1959–60 1960–61 |
[1] |
NCAA West All-American | 1959–60 1960–61 |
[1] |
All- All-Tournament First Team
|
1961
|
[30] |
NCAA Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player | 1961 | [1] |
See also
- List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
References
- Career statistics: "Bill Masterton player card". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2013-02-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bill Masterton player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2007-12-04. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
- ^ "History". Manitoba Junior Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84837-742-4.
- ^ Bacher, Erich; Miller, Hannah R., eds. (2012). 2012–13 Denver Pioneers Hockey Media Guide. University of Denver. p. 94.
- ^ Bacher, Erich; Miller, Hannah R., eds. (2012). 2012–13 Denver Pioneers Hockey Media Guide. University of Denver. p. 106.
- ^ "Denver icers favored to whip CC in playoffs". Michigan Daily. 1960-03-06. p. 6. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
- ^ Bacher, Erich; Miller, Hannah R., eds. (2012). 2012–13 Denver Pioneers Hockey Media Guide. University of Denver. p. 97.
- ^ Bacher, Erich; Miller, Hannah R., eds. (2012). 2012–13 Denver Pioneers Hockey Media Guide. University of Denver. p. 90.
- ^ ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
- ^ a b "Denver centre Bill Masterton signs pro contract with Habs". Montreal Gazette. 1961-09-06. p. 30. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
- ^ ISBN 0-88850-800-X.
- ^ "Doug Robinson voted A.H.L.'s top rookie". Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. 1963-05-14. p. 12. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
- ^ a b "Brain injuries takes life of Stars' Bill Masterton". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. 1968-01-16. p. 12. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ a b "Remembering Minnesota's Bill Masterton". The Sports Network. 2008-01-16. Archived from the original on 2013-02-19. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ a b c d Cribb, Rob (2011-05-28). "Star investigation: What really killed NHL's Bill Masterton". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Murphy, Brian (2003-01-19). "Images still vivid". St. Paul Pioneer Press. p. C1. Retrieved 2013-02-03.(subscription required)
- ^ Heika, Mike (2008-01-15). "North Star player's death 40 years ago changed the game of hockey forever". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
- ^ "Canada stymies U.S." Edmonton Journal. 1967-01-05. p. 8. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ a b "Masterton still critical". Montreal Gazette. 1968-01-15. p. 27. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ "Injury shelves 'Shoe'". Vancouver Sun. 1968-01-24. p. 22. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ a b "Helmet-maker uses space material". Montreal Gazette. 1971-11-02. p. 16. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ "Goldworthy enjoys streak". Calgary Herald. 1971-02-16. p. 22. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ "N.H.L. rules new players now must wear helmets". New York Times. 1979-08-06. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ "Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ Bacher, Erich; Miller, Hannah R., eds. (2012). 2012–13 Denver Pioneers Hockey Media Guide. University of Denver. p. 102.
- ^ "Alumni of Distinction Inductees - Bill Masterton Class of 1955" (PDF). Miles MacDonnell Collegiate. June 2012. Retrieved 2013-02-03.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Retired numbers". Dallas Stars Hockey Club. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ "Class of 1985 – William Masterton". Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
- ^ "Division I 50th anniversary hockey team announced". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
- ^ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database