Because it was the defendant in the case, the National Hockey League was the audience for the statement U.S. District Judge Gary Feinerman issued after he dismissed a wrongful death suit filed by the parents of former New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard on Monday.
Still, the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and any other sport in which pain killers are used to put players back on the field of play should also take notice.
“Although judgment is entered in the NHL’s favor,” Feinerman wrote, “this opinion should not be read to commend how the NHL handled Boogaard’s particular circumstances – or the circumstances of other NHL players who over the years have suffered injuries from on-ice play.