The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Derek Boogaard could have a long-term impact on the NHL, its enforcers and the style of hockey that is played on a nightly basis.
Boogaard was found dead in his New York apartment in May 2011 of an accidental drug overdose. Boogaard, 28, had been an NHL enforcer who made his living by getting into on-ice fights and doling out punishment to opponents.
Boogaard played five seasons with the Minnesota Wild and one year with the New York Rangers. Throughout his career, the lawsuit claims that Boogaard was prescribed "thousands of pain pills" to help him cope with injuries and discomfort. Boogaard's family says the prescriptions continued even after the league learned the player was addicted to pain medication.
The family also makes the claim that Boogaard was not aware of the greater potential for injury that is often associated with NHL enforcers.
The last part of that claim may be quite difficult to prove. It seems quite apparent on its face that a player who tosses off his gloves and exchanges hard punches with an opponent knows he is going to be at risk to injury ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
Will the Derek Boogaard Wrongful Death Lawsuit Be a Game-Changer for the NHL?
July 30th, 2013 by Steve Silverman Leave a reply »
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