Derek Boogaard Had Severe Brain Injury CTE At Time Of Death

The son of a former NHL defenseman and a doctor from Colorado have been arrested in connection with the death of NHL enforcer Derek Boogaard, according to a report from Fox 5 New York.

Jordan Hart was arrested by the DEA on Long Island Tuesday, according to Fox, for allegedly supplying the drugs that led to Boogaard’s death. Hart is the son of Gerry Hart, who played 730 games in the NHL between 1968 and 1983, mostly with the Islanders. In addition to the arrest of Hart, the DEA also reportedly arrested Oscar Johnson, a Colorado physician assistant who routinely wrote Hart prescriptions for the painkillers.

The deadline for the grievance against the Rangers has now passed, leading to the lawsuit. The Boogaard family is suing for the $4.8 million due from Boogaard’s contract, and an additional $5 million in punitive damages.

The New York Times’ fantastic report on the life and death of Boogaard paints a picture of a life that is quite tragic. The big, dopey kid in school, Boogaard was always picked on. He learned to fight at an early age. His parents took out a second mortgage to allow him to play hockey, because it was one of the few things that made him happy.

But even there, Boogaard’s NHL dreams solely rested on his fists, and he knew that if he’d ever be able to crack the pros, he’d have to do it by beating people up.

I try not to preach.

I’m eternally grateful that people think enough of my opinions to provide me a platform for them, but I really do try to use that platform the right way. I try not to preach and tell people what to think. It’s not my job.

Boogaard passed away due to a fatal, accidental mix of Oxycodone and alcohol, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner. According a report in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Aaron Boogaard’s July 20 arrest is linked to an alleged crime that took place on May 13, the day Boogaard’s body was discovered in his apartment. That would lead one to believe that the two things are connected, at least in some form.

Boogaard’s lawyer released a statement via the Star-Tribune that reads in part: “This a very unfortunate circumstance and we believe Aaron is involved because he may have potential information about a larger investigation. One thing is certain, the charges brought against Aaron have nothing to do with his brother, Derek Boogaard’s death.”

There were reports that he was involved with the NHLPA’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program, but there’s no indication whether or not the now-known circumstances of his death are related to that at all, and jumping to that conclusion would be premature without more details.

In reality, people mix oxycodone and other pain killers with alcohol all the time. It’s dangerous, and it’s the reason hockey lost a great guy last week. A tragedy. His funeral will be held on Saturday in Regina, Sask.

A portion of the Rangers’ statement, with words from General Manager Glen Sather, can be found below. The full statement can be found at the SNY Rangers Blog.

And, again, condolences go out to Boogaard’s family and friends during this horrible situation.

Details are sparse, but Russo, of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, broke the news on Twitter late Friday evening.

Russo went on to add the following, which gives context and makes this whole situation even tougher to swallow.