Yesterday, many in the hockey world were shocked to hear of the death of 28 year old enforcer Derek Boogaard. He was found dead in his apartment in Minnesota, where he had played for the Wild for 5 seasons after being the 202nd overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft. In the offseason he left as a free agent for the big apple and the New York Rangers, but unfortunately things didn't go as planned.
The 6 foot 7 inch, 265lb giant enforcer only managed to suit up 22 times for the blueshirts before his season was over at the hands of Sens player Matt Carkner on December 9th, 2010. During the game in which the Rangers won 5-3 at SBP, Carkner and Boogaard tangled and #94 was on the losing side of things. He was unable to return to the lineup the rest of the year because of severe concussion problems. It was the last time he ever played in the NHL.
The results of the death won't be known for a few weeks apparently, but one way or another, you would have to think this fight with the Senators tough guy played a major role in his demise. It's a sad ending to a story that will likely becomes more common in the future. On behalf on Sens Town, my condolences to his family, teammates, friends and anyone who knew him.
Derek Boogaard June 23rd 1982 - May 13th, 2011 R.I.P.
UPDATE @ 5pm May 14th:
A video posted from the New York Rangers, he definitely seems to be a gentle giant.