Column: Aaron Worm, Behind the Mic

At 6-foot-7, 265 pounds, Derek Boogaard fit the profile of a NBA power forward, not someone who would make his living on the ice.

In the NHL, the average player is between 6- and 6-foot-1 — a good half foot shorter than the guy nicknamed “Boogeyman.”

Many of us here in Freeborn County, including myself, got the chance to meet Boogaard June 10, 2008. Boogaard, then Minnesota Wild teammate Todd Fedoruk, and former North Star Tom Reid were in town that day for the Minnesota Wild caravan. The guys came out to the studio and met the entire staff at Albert Lea Radio.

I can’t imagine how intimidating Boogaard was on the ice, because just standing next to him that day I realized he was definitely someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. I remember him being a man of few words that day but someone that you could tell was a gentle giant.

I followed the caravan bus to Wells Fargo, where there were local fans lined down the sidewalk and around the corner, waiting to get a chance to say “hi” and get autographs from the guys. Reid is a great guy to talk hockey with, and Fedoruk has a personality where you know he enjoyed getting the chance to hang out with the fans, but that day I think most fans were there to see the enforcer.

I got a chuckle watching Boogaard taking pictures with young area hockey players, and watching the kids look up at him with that “wow” look in their eyes. Boogaard was even handed a cell phone to say hi to a fan that wasn’t able to make it in person to see him.

On May 13 I was with some friends at the Twins game when one of them got a text message that Boogaard was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment at the age of 28. My first thoughts were “no that can’t be, my friend must have misunderstood that message.” Late that night after learning more through various news sources, I spent time thinking about the day he brought a lot of smiles to hockey fans in Freeborn County.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office last week ruled his death was accidental and due to mixing of alcohol and oxycodone.

When on the ice, Boogaard had the role of delivering big hits, standing up for his teammates and the occasional fight (61 in his career). Putting the puck in the back of the net was not in his arsenal (three goals in six seasons). Even though he was a bruiser on the ice, that one day in June 2008, he was a big teddy bear to fans in Albert Lea. I think everyone who was there will always remember the day they met the enforcer, the gentle giant and the guy they called the Boogeyman.

Aaron Worm’s column appears every Monday in the Tribune. He can be heard from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays on The Breeze.