Bill Masterton, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetBill Masterton
Canadian ice hockey player
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
About Bill Masterton
- William John 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.
- He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968, contest against the Oakland Seals. 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.
- He briefly played in the Montreal Canadiens organization before settling in Minnesota where he played senior hockey.
- The NHL's 1967 expansion offered an opportunity to play for the newly founded North Stars, for whom he scored the first goal in the franchise's history. Masterton's death sparked a long-running debate in hockey about the merits of wearing helmets, as few NHL players did so in that 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.
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