Friday, May 13, 2011

Former Tiger Derek Boogard Passes Away

The New York Rangers on Friday confirmed the death of enforcer Derek Boogaard.

The Rangers released a statement not long after a report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune indicated that Boogaard was found dead early Friday morning in his Minneapolis apartment.

He would have turned 29 next month.

"Derek was an extremely kind and caring individual," Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather said in a statement. "He was a very thoughtful person, who will be dearly missed by all those who knew him. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time."

Boogaard had just completed his first season with the Rangers after signing as a free agent. He spent the first several seasons of his career with the Minnesota Wild, who drafted him in 2001.

The six-foot-seven forward earned a reputation as arguably the most fearsohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifme fighter in the league. He scored three goals and 13 assists while racking up 589 penalty minutes in 277 career NHL games.

Born in Saskatoon, Boogaard played with Regina, Prince George and Medicine Hat while in the Western Hockey League.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2011/05/13/sp-obit-boogaard.html

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