Late Saturday afternoon, Len and Joanne Boogaard signed paperwork to have their oldest son's brain donated to science.
The generous, yet gut-wrenching decision came one day after beloved former Minnesota Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard, 28, who suffered a season-ending concussion in December with the New York Rangers, died in his Minneapolis apartment. The cause of death is not yet known.
"Derek loved sports and obviously in particular hockey, so we believe Derek would have liked to assist with research on a matter that had affected him later on in his career," said Ryan Boogaard, 27, who along with younger brother Aaron found Derek unconscious and not breathing soon after 6 p.m. CDT on Friday.
Boogaard's brain will be donated to the Sports Legacy Institute, which in 2008 teamed with Boston University Medical School to advance the study, treatment and prevention of the effects of brain trauma in athletes.
In March, it was announced that even though NHL fighter Bob Probert died of heart failure, he had the degenerative brain disease Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the same disease found in 1960s enforcer Reggie Fleming's brain. CTE is a progressive disease believed to be caused by repetitive trauma to the brain, including concussions.
Boogaard suffered multiple concussions in his career, although the decision by the Boogaards should not lead to a presumption their son died of complications from brain trauma. An official cause of death could take at least two weeks as the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office waits for results from multiple tests, including a toxicology report.
Boogaard's funeral will be in his home town of Regina, although Ryan Boogaard didn't know a date yet.
"Deep down, Derek had a big heart," former Wild general manager Doug Risebrough said. "He liked people and he liked to help people."
Wild fans placed flowers outside Gate 2 of Xcel Energy Center. A Facebook campaign began to hold a Boogaard memorial in the Twin Cities. A mother of a player reached out to several other Wild moms to organize something special for Boogaard's mom, "a lady that we all got to know so well." A moment of silence was held before the Eastern Conference final began.
"Our family appreciates everybody's calls and condolences," said Ryan Boogaard, who also is grieving in town with his sister, Krysten, and half-brother, Curtis. "Derek loved Minnesota. . . . He loved the fans here."
Derek Boogaard was badly affected by his latest concussion. In March, Boogaard said he spent three weeks inside his apartment at one point because of the complications.
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