Derek Boogaard’s death last Friday was caused by an accidental drug overdose, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled Friday.
The ME found that the Rangers forward, who will be laid to rest tomorrow in Regina, Saskatchewan, overdosed on a combination of alcohol and oxycodone, a narcotic pain medication that can be habit-forming.
The Post reported last Saturday that Boogaard, 28, had been enrolled in the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavorial Health program at the time of his death.
“Earlier today, we received the results of Derek’s toxicology report at the time of his accidental death,” Boogaard’s family said in a statement released by the players union. “After repeated courageous attempts at rehabilitation and with the full support of the New York Rangers, the NHLPA, and the NHL, Derek had been showing tremendous improvement but was ultimately unable to beat this opponent.
“While he played and lived with pain for many years, his passion for the game, his teammates, and his community work was unstoppable.”
“Regardless of the cause, Derek’s passing is a tragedy,” NHL spokesman Frank Brown said in an email.
The Rangers and Wild, for whom Boogaard played the first five years of his career, had no comment.
Boogaard, who had been on NHL injured reserve after sustaining a concussion in a fight in Ottawa on Dec. 9, but who had begun skating on his own in mid-March then joined his teammates in optional morning skates, left the Rangers with approximately a week to go in the regular season to receive treatment and get counseling.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune has reported that Boogaard, who signed a free agent contract with the Rangers last summer, had been enrolled in the NHL/NHLPA program during 2009 training camp and the first two weeks of the 2009-10 season.
Boogaard’s participation in the program was voluntary.
Approximately a dozen Rangers players are expected to attend the funeral, traveling from New York on the team plane early in the morning. Glen Sather and his staff, who have been conducting meetings this week at the GM’s home in La Quinta, will fly from California to Regina to attend the services.
Coach John Tortorella, who had knee replacement surgery two weeks ago, has not been cleared to fly. As such, he has been participating in the meetings via an Internet video connection.
With AP