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Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard
Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard | John Branch
9 posts | 4 read | 5 to read
Shows us, in tender detail, a life consumed by our unholy appetites.Steve Almond, New York Times Book Review The tragic death of hockey star Derek Boogaard at twenty-eight was front-page news across the country in 2011 and helped shatter the silence about violence and concussions in professional sports. Now, in a gripping work of narrative nonfiction, acclaimed reporter John Branch tells the shocking story of Boogaard's life and heartbreaking death. Boy on Ice is the richly told story of a mountain of a man who made it to the absolute pinnacle of his sport. Widely regarded as the toughest man in the NHL, Boogaard was a gentle man off the ice but a merciless fighter on it. With great narrative drive, Branch recounts Boogaard's unlikely journey from lumbering kid playing pond-hockey on the prairies of Saskatchewan, so big his skates would routinely break beneath his feet; to his teenaged junior hockey days, when one brutal outburst of violence brought Boogaard to the attention of professional scouts; to his days and nights as a star enforcer with the Minnesota Wild and the storied New York Rangers, capable of delivering career-ending punches and intimidating entire teams. But, as Branch reveals, behind the scenes Boogaard's injuries and concussions were mounting and his mental state was deteriorating, culminating in his early death from an overdose of alcohol and painkillers. Based on months of investigation and hundreds of interviews with Boogaard's family, friends, teammates, and coaches, Boy on Ice is a brilliant work for fans of Michael Lewis's The Blind Side or Buzz Bissinger's Friday Night Lights. This is a book that raises deep and disturbing questions about the systemic brutality of contact sportsfrom peewees to professionalsand the damage that reaches far beyond the game.
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Mollyanna
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Thanks for the tag @Eggs It‘s #Two4Tuesday on Friday ☺️

1. This was a really moving book about a hockey player. Derek was an enforcer and dealt with numerous injuries and concussions until his untimely death due to an overdose. It‘s hard to call this a favorite, but it‘s important. The NHL failed Derek (IMO) and I hope they have learned multiple lessons from his story.

2. Ice Hockey. I love the evolution of this sport…

TheSpineView Friday is good! Thanks for playing! 😊 3y
11 likes2 comments
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1cameron
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I really liked this part because people said he is clumsy and he was too slow but up he persevered. He went across the province to take lessons and get better and he did. Then he got drafted to the NHL I think it shows how if you work hard you can achieve great things.

MrsBabki Excellent pick! I do love the sports stories. I have more for you!
5y
1 like1 comment
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Mollyanna
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Mollyanna
Pickpick

Wow! As a long time hockey fan... this was hard to digest. As others have stated, it shows what complete disregard the NHL has for the lives of its players and more importantly the life that they might have to endure after leaving hockey. Derek's story is, I'm afraid, just a small example of what hockey enforcers endure and how the NHL views them and their problems.

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ssravp
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Pickpick

The NHL doesn't care about its players. This book cements that for me. Such a sad story. Derek Boogaard's life didn't need to end the way it did.

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ssravp
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This continues to be more and more heartbreaking. And maddening. The league clearly didn't have a handle on substance abuse then, and I'm not sure it's much better now.

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ssravp
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2 of 2. As a massive hockey fan, and someone who is currently celebrating his team's Stanley Cup victory, this is sobering.

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ssravp
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1 of 2. As a massive hockey fan, and someone who is currently celebrating his team's Stanley Cup victory, this is sobering.

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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post! This is a sports bio that may be unlike any other. Derek Boogaard, at 28, was at the pinnacle of the hockey world. From Saskatchewan, he eventually became the Minnesota Wild's star enforcer and then a key player on the NY Rangers. His size and brutality intimated entire teams. With injuries & concussions accruing, he overdosed on alcohol & painkillers. Contact sport violence is spotlighted. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Desha Thanks @MrBook! #anotheronebitesthedust #hockeyfan #blameMrBook 😂😜😍❤️📚👍🏻👍🏻☺️ 8y
ssravp I need to check this one out. 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
83 likes5 stack adds3 comments