Kukla's Korner Hockey
A Look At Derek Boogaard In Youth And Junior Hockey
by Paul on 12/03/11 at 07:32 PM ET
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from John Branch of the New York Times,
Punched Out, Part 1- Over six months, The New York Times examined the life and death of the professional hockey player Derek Boogaard, who rose to fame as one of the sport’s most feared fighters before dying at age 28 on May 13.
This article, the first of a three-part series, revisits Boogard’s childhood in the rugged youth and junior leagues of western Canada and his progression from physically awkward boy to renowned brawler on the ice.
Derek Boogaard was scared. He did not know whom he would fight, just that he must.
Opportunity and obligation had collided, the way they can in hockey.
His father bought a program the night before. Boogaard scanned the roster, checking heights and weights. He later recalled that he barely slept.
A trainer in the dressing room offered scouting reports. As Boogaard taped his stick in the hallway of the rink in Regina, Saskatchewan, he was approached by one of the few players bigger than he was. Boogaard had never seen him before. He did not know his name.
“I’m going to kill you,” the player said.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Non-NHL Hockey, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: derek+boogaard
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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
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Is there a better link for this story? The one provided is a news feed page with a ton of stuff on it and I’m having a hard time finding this story.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 12/03/11 at 09:06 PM ET