Two arrests have been made in connection to the overdose that killed former NHLer Derek Boogaard, according to a report from FOX 5 New York.
Jordan Hart, the son of former New York Islander Gerry Hart, along with a physician’s assistant in Utah have been arrested. Hart was apprehended Tuesday morning on Long Island by the DEA’s New York drug enforcement task force and, according to the same FOX report, could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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Boogaard began asking Rangers teammates if they had Percocet connection. According to the indictment, a teammate agreed to look for a source and asked Hart if he would supply Percocet to Boogaard.
Boogaard allegedly drove from Manhattan to Huntington, Long Island to purchase the painkillers from Hart, paying with cash or personal check. According to the indictment, the drugs often came from prescriptions written by Oscar Johnson in Utah. The pills were then mailed to Hart in New York.
In March 2011, Boogaard attempted to return to practice with the Rangers. But at an early April 4, 2011 practice, Boogaard could “barely stand up while skating” and appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. On April 5, 2011, he was admitted to a substance abuse rehabilitation center in California.
Jordan Hart son of fmr #NYIslander Gerry Hart arrested in connection w/ overdose death fmr #NYRangers Derek Boogaard pic.twitter.com/7FWIX5iAQS
— Duke Castiglione (@DukeCastiglione) September 9, 2014
Hart spent two years in Utah playing for the ECHL’s Grizzlies, followed by a brief stint with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. Johnson served on the Grizzlies’ medical staff during Hart’s time with the team (there’s a reference to Johnson on the team’s site.)
Two weeks prior to his death, Boogaard reportedly made one final purchase from Hart. The former Ranger and Wild enforcer passed away on May 13, 2011.
Update: Derek’s father Len Boogaard released the following statement (via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune):
“We miss Derek every minute of every day. Every effort to hold accountable those that contributed to my son’s addiction and death is commendable. My family and I appreciate the tireless and persistent work of the New York Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is our hope that their hard work will save other families from the heartbreak we endure.”