Rangers enforcer Derrick Boogaard found dead in his home

Derek Boogaard/Courtesy: thehockeynews.com

The 28-year old popular hockey player was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment around 6 p.m Friday night. An autopsy is planned as authorities have no idea what led to Boogaard's death.

Though known as a tough guy on the ice, Boogaard was one of the most respected and well liked players in the game. He started his career with the Minnesota Wild before signing a 4-year, $6.5 million contract with the New York Rangers in 2010.

From the Rangers Website: “Derek was an extremely kind and caring individual,” said New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather.  “He was a very thoughtful person, who will be dearly missed by all those who knew him.  We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.”

More from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune RIGHT HERE

While many wonder about why Hockey needs people with the unofficial job title "Enforcer", it's a part of the game. The violence may be questioned at times, but the role is primarily to protect and make sure nobody takes cheap shots at the "Stars" on a given team. It was a job that many considered Derek Boogaard the best at.

Boogaard was known by many as "The Boogeyman" because of his propensity for scaring his opponents. He only played in 22 games this past season for the Rangers because of a severe concussion, a concussion severe enough that he apparently struggled to deal with the sunlight. The question now is, how much did that affect him?

Here's some video of Boogaard doing what the job he was paid for (Courtesy: Hockeyfights.com):