
Following the death of New York Rangers enforcer Derek Boogaard, 28, reported by The Fix back in May, his 24-year-old brother, Aaron, has been charged with supplying oxycodone to the 6-foot-7 “gentle giant.” Aaron Boogard, who found his brother’s body in the Minneapolis apartment which they shared, allegedly supplied the drug just one day after Derek’s release from the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. Derek’s cause of death was described by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s toxicology report as an accidental overdose from a lethal combination of alcohol and oxycodone. The unprescribed drug sparked a night of clubbing, with the heavy consumption of alcohol and other substances. On Friday at Hennepin County District Court, Aaron was charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and interfering with the scene of a death—he allegedly flushed his stash of remaining pain pills down a toilet prior to the authorities’ arrival. According to the AP report, Derek had substantial amounts of Percocet in his system at the time of his death, as well as oxycodone and alcohol. Under state guidelines Aaron would receive 21 months of probation and no prison time if convicted. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said “authorities can’t prove the single pill he told police he gave his brother directly caused his death.” As a result, the younger Boogaard will not be facing more serious charges.