Bill Masterton

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Bill Masterton (born August 16, 1938 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - January 15, 1968) was a center in the National Hockey League. He played only one year for the Minnesota North Stars.

Bill was signed by the Montreal Canadiens soon after he came out of the University of Denver in 1961. He would bounce around the minor league before the North Stars picked him up before their inaugural season in 1967. Masterton scored the first goal in North Stars history on October 11, 1967.

Bill was the first and (as of 2006) only player to die in an NHL game. On January 13, 1968, in a game against the Oakland Seals at the Met Center, Bill was checked by Larry Cahan and Ron Harris of Oakland, and fell backwards onto the ice. The force of the back of his head hitting this ice caused much bleeding, and he quickly lost blood. He was seriously injured, preventing doctors from doing surgery, as the pons of his brain were the area injured, a very critical area. Two days later, Bill died. He was the first player in 40 years to die from on-ice action in the NHL. His death would result in more intense lobbying for hockey players to wear helmets, which were uncommon in professional hockey at that time.

No other North Star ever wore his No. 19, and it was officially retired in 1987, six years before the North Stars left Minnesota. [1]

The Bill Masterton Trophy is named in his honor. The trophy goes to dedication, sportsmanship, and perseverance.

Bill Masterton attended Miles MacDonell Collegiate in Winnipeg, where he was the male athlete of the year at the school in 1955. The Masterton family created a scholarship in his honour for students of Miles MacDonell Collegiate in 1968.