As loved ones, friends, teammates and the extended hockey world mourn the loss of Derek Boogaard and await the findings of an autopsy performed yesterday in Minneapolis, The Post has learned that the 28-year-old Rangers’ winger had been receiving counseling in the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse & Behavioral Health Program in the weeks prior to his death Friday night.
Sources close to the situation stressed it would not only be unfair to draw inferences from Boogaard’s participation in the program as to the cause of his death, but that everyone who had been in recent contact with the universally popular athlete was impressed with his positive attitude and shocked to learn of his death.
Boogaard, who was sidelined for the season after just 22 games when he sustained a concussion in Ottawa on Dec. 9 in a fight with Matt Carkner, was given permission by management to leave the team with approximately a week to go in the regular season in order to receive counseling to help him deal with unspecified issues.
Results from the autopsy, performed by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office, may not be known for up to two weeks. Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment on Friday night by family members. The police do not believe the death was a result of foul play.
Boogaard — one of the NHL’s most feared heavyweights throughout his career, in which he spent five years with the Wild before signing with the Rangers as a free agent last summer — was remembered across the hockey community as “a gentle giant” with a giving nature and infectious personality.
“I got to know him pretty well in three years as his teammate in Minny, and I can tell you that no one ever had a bad word to say about him,” the Devils’ Brian Rolston said by phone. “He was a friendly, outgoing guy with a big heart who had time for everyone, who loved interacting with fans and who was terrific in the community.
“He was a great teammate who leaves an enormous number of friends behind.”
Boogaard, whose contract was four years at a cap hit of $1.625 million per, had difficulty claiming a spot and role in the Rangers’ lineup after reporting to training camp significantly above his reported weight of 265 pounds. Coach John Tortorella was loathe to give the big man ice time and repeatedly referred to Boogaard’s need to improve his conditioning. The 6-foot-7 native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who told reporters late in the year that he was embarrassed by his season, had planned to spend this summer in New York working with club conditioning coach Reg Grant.
Despite playing a total of 100:05 as a Ranger (4:32 per in 22 games during which he had a goal, an assist, seven fights and 45 penalty minutes), he nevertheless became a valued member of the community through his “Boogaard Booguardians” program in which he hosted members of the military and their families at home games, as well as a very popular teammate.
“That’s one of the things about him that impressed me the most,” Ryan Callahan said during a phone conversation. “A lot of guys going through that kind of a year would have complained and had a negative impact, but Boogey showed up with a smile every day and was supportive and a great teammate.
“He never made it about himself or his situation. He was such a caring individual. If you never met him and all you knew about him was from watching his fights, you probably would never have guessed, but the term ‘gentle giant’ was just about invented for him.
“It’s a tremendous loss.”
larry.brooks@nypost.com