Only NHL Player To Die On Ice William John Masterton (August 13, 1938 – January 15, 1968) was a Canadian-born professional hockey player in the NHL for the Minnesota North Stars. He remains the only NHL player to die on the ice in National Hockey League History. He died of massive head injuries sustained during a game against the Oakland Seals on January 13, 1968.
Masterton’s childhood dream was of one day playing professional hockey in the NHL; like many Canadian boys growing up in the ’50s, he would listen to Saturday night broadcasts of “Hockey Night In Canada.”Masterton held onto his dream while playing junior hockey in Winnipeg’s hometown and later with the University of Denver, where he was an All-American and led the Denver Pioneers to the NCAA title in 1960 and 1961. The Denver Pioneers were labeled as “the greatest hockey team to ever represent American college or university” after compiling a 30-1-1 record for the season. After two years toiling in the Montreal Canadians minor league affiliate, he saw his dream of turning pro slowly disappear.
Masterton’s dream of playing in the NHL was revived when the NHL expanded from six to twelve teams in 1967-1968. Until this time, Masterton had played two seasons for an amateur team, St. Paul Steers, from 1964 to 1966 and with the U.S. national team from 1966 to 1967. He was the team’s (MVP) most valuable player and captain.
Minnesota North Stars
The year was 1967, and the NHL expanded from six teams to twelve. The new franchises were the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Oakland Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Minnesota North Stars. Wren Blair, the coach/general manager for the fledgling North Stars, had previously scouted Masterton while playing for the United States National team and bought his NHL playing rights from the Montreal Canadians. Masterton accepted a two-year contract from the North Stars, thus becoming the first player to sign with the new franchise.
Masterton had achieved his childhood dream of playing professional hockey in the NHL when, at age 29, he stepped on the ice in the North Stars’ inaugural game on October 11, 1967, against the expansion St. Louis Blues. Masterton scored the first goal in North Stars history in a 2-2 tie that night.
Death
During the first period of a game against the Oakland Seals at the Met Center, Masterton endured a catastrophic internal brain injury due to a hit he received when two Oakland players, Larry Cahan, and Ron Harris, converged on him. The resulting impact sent Masterton falling backward and slamming his head on the ice. Most players didn’t wear helmets in those days, and neither did Masterton, which only compounded his injury. Referee Wally Harris later commented that the hit was like an explosion, saying, “he was checked hard, but I’m sure it wasn’t a dirty play.” The force of the impact was so severe that Masterton was bleeding from his nose, ears, and mouth. According to witnesses, Masterton was out before he hit the ice; they saw his eyes roll back just before the collision, causing speculation that he may have been injured previously and had not fully recovered from that injury before incurring a second concussion. Witnesses say that Masterton briefly came too long enough to mutter “Never again, never again” just before passing out for good.
Nearly two days after the tragic on-ice injury, Bill Masterton was taken off life support as doctors informed the family that surgery was too dangerous. To this day, Bill Masterton remains the only NHL player to die on the ice. Bill Masterton passed away on January 15, 1968; he left behind his parents, brother, wife, and two children.
Conclusion
Bill Masterton’s death sparked controversy over whether or not players should wear helmets. Sadly, it took eleven years before the NHL implemented that all players coming into the league after 1979 must wear helmets on the ice. Only players playing previous to this could choose not to wear a helmet. The last remaining player to go helmetless was Craig MacTavish. Forever gone are the days of the golden jet Bobby Hull or the Flower Guy Lafleur, streaking down the ice with their blonde hair flowing in the wind.
In retrospect, it is sad to acknowledge that Bill Masterton’s tragedy could have been entirely avoided if people had taken the devastating effects of severe brain trauma seriously at that time. Masterton was an unwitting victim of the macho-era mentality and ignorance about the severity of concussion syndrome. Nobody wanted to be labeled a coward, so players would ignore their symptoms to avoid criticism, just as it was years earlier when Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadians demanded to use a face mask and was pressured against doing so. Masterton had complained to teammates about migraine headaches, and several team members noted that his face would look almost purple during practices. Still, when John Muckler pleaded with him to see a doctor, Masterton shrugged it off. Stars goaltender Cesare Maniago recalls Masterton complained of severe migraines the night before the fatal injury. Charles Tator, a respected Toronto neurosurgeon and concussion expert, later reviewed Masterton’s autopsy. They concluded that Masterton had suffered second-impact syndrome, which occurs when an individual receives a second concussion on top of an unhealed first concussion, causing rapid brain swelling.
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy was created in 1968 to honor Bill Masterton and awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the attributes of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The Minnesota North Stars took his jersey out of use immediately after the fatal injury and officially retired Masterton’s number 19 in 1987. When the Stars franchise relocated to Dallas, they also honored his jersey there.
In Memoriam
Only NHL Player To Die On Ice
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