Derek Boogaard - Dead

[LMITOUT]

Former Minnesota Wild forward Derek Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment on Friday.

According to the Star Tribune, Boogaard, 28, was found by members of his family. The cause of his death was not immediately known.

Boogaard played five seasons for the Wild from 2005-2010 before joining the New York Rangers last season. In his career, Boogaard scored three goals, tallied 13 assists and racked up 589 penalty minutes while building a reputation as one of the best enforcers in the sport.

[jellio]

I bought one of his shirts a few years ago and never put it in on...got it signed by him when he was up here in Duluth a few years ago I always enjoyed watching him enforce...terrible loss that's for sure. RIP....I'm guessing heart problem or brain injury or something along those lines....sure hope it wasn't foul play.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

That's just crazy. My favorite Wild player. Condolences to his family

[Rippinlip]

RIP Boogie!

Our thoughts and Prayers go out to his family!

[cbrooks]

The good die young

RIP

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

This is really a sad story. Kirby Puckett aside, Derek Boogaard is my favorite professional athlete in MN sports. Never met him, but everything I have read is that he was genuinely a great guy. RIP.

[LightningBG]

. RIP....I'm guessing heart problem or brain injury or something along those lines....sure hope it wasn't foul play.

Doesn't sound like there was anything suspicious found. I'm hoping it wasn't self inflicted. They are waiting for a toxicology report.

[scsavre]

I hope to hear the details of his story soon. Not sure what family members he would have around here. I know he went out on the town with his brother a few times.

I've met boogie a couple times in bars and what not, I tell ya he holds true on the theory of the biggest and meanest dudes being the nicest guys in person. I'm hoping for no foul play.

Too bad.......too young...... I'm really hopping it wasn't brain injury related, for the sae of the sport.

[10,000 Casts]

One of the toughest Enforcers ever to play the game. RIP Boogie.

It will be interesting to see if it has anything to do with his concussion last year or Concussion Meds etc.. It will give the NHL another excuse to take fighting out of the game and put more emphisis on safty..

[cbrooks]

It will give the NHL another excuse to take fighting out of the game and put more emphisis on safty..

I hope this isn't the case. Take away fighting from the NHL and there won't be any Boogards, Probert, Domi ect. IMO this is what makes hockey original from other sports. The role of the enforcer serves a purpose in the game. Your right though they have been phasing out the fighting in the game little by little.

[basssmasher*]

latest "rumor" I heard was possible drug OD. He was hooked on painkillers for his hurt leg and concussion symptoms. He also has checked himself into rehab due to the being addicted to the pain meds.. Hope this isn't true!! Boogieman was a great player and even greater person, as I met him once and he was kind enough to "chew the fat with me for a good 15 minutes or so.. RIP Boogieman-may you win all your fights in Hockey Heaven!

[wormdunker]

What is the point of spreading a "rumor" about a persons death? I never get the understand the need to jump to conclusions. This is not like sharing a "rumor" about a hot bite. Show some class and let the facts come out.

[basssmasher*]

I'm merely reporting what I read, is all, sorry if there is any offense taken

[cbrooks]

If you do a search on the interenet, There's plenty of speculation(twitter) none of them are actual facts but they are out there. I did read that Boogards family has donated his brain to Boston University science to study the effects on a atheletes brain. "The study looks at concussions and other damages to the brain". His autosphy won't come back for atleast a week from what I read.

[cbrooks]

[cbrooks]

KTSP coverage

http://kstp.com/sports/stories/S2112322.shtml?cat=7

click on Dan Terhaar"Minnesota Wild announcer" intereveiw he had a good Boogard story during the 07 playoffs

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

What is the point of spreading a "rumor" about a persons death? I never get the understand the need to jump to conclusions. This is not like sharing a "rumor" about a hot bite. Show some class and let the facts come out.

This isn't a rumor. It was published on one of the news sites that he had entered NHL/NHLPA Rehab.

[Bryce]

Anyone got the fight where he makes the guy cry with one punch? Classic.

[cbrooks]

Lets see if this works

[Bryce]

That's a good one but there is another that's even better.

[lunkerlander]

RIP Boogy-man. You will be missed.

[solbes]

So sad hearing this news over the weekend. He sounded like a real classy guy off the ice too with some of his volunteering. You will be missed boggie man

[OnAFly]

Just heard the news. That's pretty sad. He donated his brain to research on head trauma. Hopefully this improves things for players in the future. From everything I've heard, he was a great guy on and off the ice.

He'll definitely be missed.

[Scott K]

[jwmiller33]

I am still at a loss for words about Derek's death. He is my all time favorite Wild player. I respect the man so much because he knew and did what he had to do to play professional hockey. He wasn't the best skater in the world and worked for half hr-hr each day after practice on just footwork. I think Pierre Marc Bouchard said it best when he said everyone just felt a lot safer on the ice when Boogard was out there. Everything I have ever read on him said he was a stand up guy, one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He wasn't a dirty player and you would never see him throw a punch at a guy after the guy dropped to the ice. He played old time hockey and he did it the right way. I have my own theories about his death but I am not going to say anything as anything said now is just speculation. I will say however that I think the concussion and post concussion depression played a roll.

He loved Minnesota so much that he made it his off season home, and kept living here even when he went to NY to play for the rangers. He had an extremely large amount of respect from everyone in the league. I really liked reading Georges Laraque's tweet about him. Laraque has also come out and blasted the rangers for their treatment of Derek after the concussion.