NHL tough guy Derek Boogaard died accidentally because of a fatal mix of alcohol and oxycodone, a Minnesota medical examiner said Friday.
Boogaard, who was found dead in his Minnesota condo a week ago, had been sidelined as a New York Ranger earlier in the season because of a concussion.
The medical examiner's office said Friday that no more information would be released about the 28-year-old's death.
Oxycodone is a strong prescription painkiller that is known to be addictive. Other overdose deaths have been blamed on the drug.
Boogaard's death comes as the public debate over head injuries rages in hockey, with recent high-profile injuries sidelining stars like Sidney Crosby, who is still unable to train at his normal level because of a January concussion.
Boogaard was known as one of the league's toughest enforcers, and he battered his opponents with his fists and his six-foot-seven, 265-pound frame.
The Saskatchewan native played 255 games with the Minnesota Wild from 2005 to 2010 and became a fan favourite because of his physical play.
He signed a four-year, $6.5 million deal with the Rangers last summer, but his season was cut short following a fight in early December with the Ottawa Senator's Matt Carkner.
Following the fight, which was Boogaard's 70th in the NHL, he was diagnosed with a concussion and a shoulder injury.
Boogaard missed 52 regular season games and also missed the first-round of the playoffs this year, before the Rangers sent him home to Minnesota to get back into shape for the summer.
Known among fans as "The Boogeyman," Boogaard and his brother Aaron once ran a hockey fighting class in Saskatchewan. Though some critics said he was promoting violence, Boogaard said the class was designed to teach self-defence on the ice.
Boogaard's family has donated his brain for research, following similar moves by the families of other deceased professional athletes who played in contact sports.
In research released earlier this year, Boston University said that Canadian NHL player Bob Probert had a degenerative brain disease at the time of his death last July.
Probert, 45, died of a heart attack. He was known as one of the premier enforcers of his era.
With a report from The Canadian Press
