it was his ticket to a life in the national hockey league. his dream from nildhood in smaun small towns in western canada and he was very good at it. but years of punishment took a terrible toll. numerous injuries and concussions eventually addiction to pain killers. and last may just 28 years old, derek boogaard died of an overdose of medications and alcohol. researchers later determined he had a degenerative condition similar to alzheimers caused by repeated blows to the head. boogaard's story has been chronicled this week in a three-part series in the "new york times". we're joined now by john branch. a sports reporter for the "times" and author of the series. and dr. robert cantu of the boston university school of medicine, one of the researchers who studied boogaard's brain after his death. john branch, so this was a man who rarely if ever scored a goal, couldn't skate fast but was a crowd favorite and a kind of star in a particular way. explain that role for those who don't follow sports. >> sure. the enforcer is a guy who maybe doesn't

they are made shell is the younger brother of the cage the kontinental hockey league which is the biggest ties hockey division off to the north american n.h.l. the junior league is picking up steam in the its third year with now thirty two teams in the standings and permanently expanding the red stars are the a.m.a. shelves all star team and when they toured the u.s. and canada last year they lost only once in five minutes while least time there will be taking on eight of bone and meanwhile these here they may tell decided to stablish one more team consisting of under eighteen players the red star juniors cool travel to denmark for two friendless the us the red star genius is our contribution to russia's junior national team coaches will get a chance to see the players in action once again so they'll be able to make the right choice for the world championships in april hopefully it will be a positive experience and will keep the all star team idea going their red stars tour last year was a great success and dissipation this time will be the same as some of the myth has already sold out th

selectors made up a place from the kontinental hockey league new hampshire. russia has won the combined relay race at the third stage of the world cup in whole foods and mixed. and. left their rivals with no chance and had some problems shooting to made. rush among the ladies by the end of the second stage crushes men what fits in the shooting and fast on the track bates their closest rival czech republic. twenty seven seconds ten france spain. with bronze. to have won the club world cup that's after beating brazilian outfit santas in the final clash in japan finished for nail in favor of god all this meant the game billed as massive name was small i was going against sanchez goalkeeper ruffo carroll the catalans dominated the game all the way through with the opening coming from london messi seventeen minutes and soon after that probably doubled the link for the european champions with a precise strike from inside the box bosses go hailed any remaining trick and of the first half the biggest is for that after the break messi made it funny to bring their seco

about what will start with ice hockey where there were eight games on offer in the continental hockey league on sunday to mobilise conceded and there in nine consecutive matchups are losing to go on home ice already in the score all ford suit defending garri cup champions sell out of your life want to hold match against the world with the same for two scoreline tracks or it should have been scored through second period goals against visit saints or better needs minogue earth which were enough to win the match to time good cup winners are the bars defeated visiting side c.b.d. by three parks one while kate feels bad boys if he has lost two or tribals of a guard in the moscow region by the narrowest of margins to one needs to keep me beaten it's a little bit because now it's. the match between seven style and you grok and it's scoreless in regulation and overtime but the home side go the opera hands in the penalty shoot out while spartak moscow lost to the visiting and that's a look at warsaw two one. so missile are going to divorce have now moved up to fourth in the eastern conference of the

are going to divorce have now moved up to fourth in the eastern conference of the kontinental hockey league following that narrow two one victory over sports. right here in the russian capital now the visitors opened the scoring five minutes into the second period. on the scoreboard for the other kind of charges that moscow spectators have to wait until the beginning of the third period where. got a long way to the equaliser as he made the most of a power play to make it. the lord's response was that much quicker. only forty four seconds to put his teammates in front again sealing the final results off to one. second from bottom in the west. snowboarding now where it seem russia have presented the new kits in which they will perform for the next three years including that's once in fourteen home and then takes in sochi the russian alpine skiing and snowboarding federation has signed a sponsorship deal with one of the biggest brands in extreme sports equipment the country is becoming one of the powerhouses and trendsetters in the snowboarding world with many athletes competing for podium pla

. >>> plus, a brawl breaks out during a youth hockey league postgame handshake. i guess this is how they do things in kazakhstan. we'll have the full clip later in the show. >>> first to the news live at 5:30 a.m. here at 30 rock in new york city. it's not just the recent polling that suggests mitt romney is no longer the top man to beat in the republican race. the candidate himself is now admitting as much. weeks ago, romney's campaign had hoped to seal up the nomination in new hampshire. but now romney expects the primary season will last until june. telling politico he can envision a, quote, epic fight with newt gingrich ahead. >> is newt gingrich the front-runner in this race? >> he is right now. >> why is that? >> got me. i've watched over the last year, and you've seen various people go from very low numbers to very high numbers back down. >> why are people so curious about him, fascinated by him? >> well, they were fascinated with first donald trump. and then michele bachmann. and then herman cain. then rick perry. and now newt gingrich. it's the latest pe

selectors made up a place from the kontinental hockey league new championship. team russia has won the combined relay race at the third stage of the world cup in whole foods and mixed quartet of all developing a full results of the alex a vocal and. left their rivals with no chance had some problems shooting but to made of a great deal of put russia among the leaders by the end of the second stage pressures and then worked perfect in the shooting and fast on the track bates their closest rival czech republic one silver by twenty seven seconds in france came home . with bronze. i have won the club world cup that's after beating brazilian outfit santas in the final clash in japan finished for nail in favor of god all these men the game billed as massive versus name were small i was going against santas goalkeeper rafael carroll the catalans dominated the game all the way through with the opening coming from london messi seventeen minutes and soon after that probably doubled the link for the european champions with a precise strike from inside the box. girl hailed

can even end kazakstan we meet up with a man who's more than left his mark on the kontinental hockey league ice cap and. take two hundred forty seven it's the biggest football rivalry in the club game on the first game of the poem early this season between the big names themselves barcelona and reality. boardgames a competition billed as the olympics of the mind gets its inaugural start in china . more not coming up but we start with ice hockey where the care chelles reaming champion solid have dominated our blunt in a rematch of last year's finals five different players scoring goals for the side for a confidence boosting win away in the moscow region actually drawing first blood before selling allies and then went through on all before entering the final period when the visitors did their damage with three goals coming up to the fifty minute mark some about though just about holding on to a top ten spot this year but have rallied off three straight wins the five one victory a huge boost ahead of another classic conquerable hockey league rivalry sullivan take on twice champions at bars on

that stay on the ice where russia's minor hockey league select of how to hard time getting anything going on their american tour north dakota college side the fighting suit thrashing the red stars five one the americans taking advantage of on on disciplines russian unit it must be said scoring three of their goals on powerplay attacks nelson making the score for nothing here right after like under teach off was forced off the rink for tripping but a man beam off also taking advantage of the strength in numbers ploy to get one back for russia for one the score meaning at least it would not be a whitewash five one though how it ended up they sell select is made up of players from the continental hockey league championship. it was supposed to bring together the planet's top two footballing sides but really the world club cup final was men against boys. went to town on sun toss in that game advertised as messi versus neymar soon turned into barcelona against some tough goalkeeper rafael kepler all the catalans dominating the contest right with the opener coming from the man leading el messi a

was really hard looking with eve started over a step below the cage shelf in the eurasian higher hockey league known in russia as that d.h.l. all but two of today's players and jaroslav have up to now being a part of local which is local it's easy junior team in the n.h.l. with players up to twenty one years of age so this match against in the glitter if jonny became a debut for them as official looking at the players and also at passage into adult ice hockey. i was nervous at the first drop of the puck i knew the level of my team within the m.h.l. but it was hard to fully comprehend how we would look in the v. he was essentially comprised of boys who played in a youth tournament just last week so naturally it was nerve wracking but thank god we did really well the head coach was be modest about the really well part because looking at the completely destroyed last year's finalist five one it's hard to tell who was happier on the night the fans that went into a frenzy after each goal or the players who got the necessary psychological boost in their very first test one thing is certain though bo

five days beginning tonight with the columbus bluejacket's the doormats of the entire national hockey leaguerd-taking a swing their scoreless after what but in the second by cox blow up patrick sharp all of hoassa assessed and victor stall bird show following his own shot in to make it 2-0 chicago stalberg parents arrived today from sweden putting on a show 3-1 early in the third quarter by cox play of the lead and you come away from the chicago bears game yesterday thinking if i josh mccown had been in there for the denver broncos game to beat kansas city chiefs game may be still a foot in the plight of door through for a touchdown at green bay yesterday it bought perfect through two interceptions but aren't a chance maybe for next year strictly for next week >> you have to look at the performance and the performance mattjosh mccown put in last night was impressive that is what we can do so much this week secant have my opportunity to come back and play again can't find a spot for players that played the way he played last night northwestern took off for their bowl game today casual dress p

player incurring defenseman for body system nine the concern and the hockey league she's also a mother to two young children days are kept busy with a very annoyed by the american was determined to find the time to help those directly affected by the look of my chief plane crash she's june jobs that establishing a charity fund in north america or europe involves a relatively straightforward approach to get help from those who done it before in kazakhstan there is no such luxury she would have to start from scratch i felt. obligated to do something for them because i knew how it felt that way and i lost my own father in a car accident and i was seventeen when back then so i remember how much first. without a single parent with a family to raise with no income coming in anymore with a little help from her friends and support from spouses of other hard to play. where's the league much of wife's fund was launched the idea just hit me i could just make a facebook page and people post don't worry if they why. i made facebook page and. it just took off i have like two thousand fans and family

hockey league off. don't hurt either room on cost or of artsy. now reigning world and european champion even score but have has fought back from a slow start to grab the pullin the murray lead at the halfway point of the of the russian all round speed skating championships here in moscow the twenty eight year old had to settle for second best in the five hundred meter event but then went one better in the five thousand meters to inch closer to retain his crown the national tournament is a chance for the skaters to qualify for next year's european championships however old school but have plans to sit at the continental event as he wants to focus on the defense of his world title in moscow next february while on the women's side because that in a lot she ever also lived up to her status of pre-tournament favorite the olympic bronze medalist won the five hundred and three thousand meters to leave the standings with two more events to go. three more teams grab places in the last sixteen of the year league on the final day of the regular season gets

let's start with ice hockey and the continental hockey league where struggling puts up an impressive fight against clowns in a losing effort the most courageous men escaping slovakia with an overtime win thanks to a collage effort by patrick zach prince and live for the final score as love having now lost three straight and sit nineteenth in the table plants on the other hand have extended their win streak to four games and are ranked third overall league leaders scott meanwhile have lost three nothing against a top five teams in a men's in a tough road outing in bella bruce second string goalies for both teams in that one . and staying with ice hockey and they kate shell where sports find they ended a disappointing run of four straight defeats after beating i have on guard three one right here in moscow concept of has all the details. spartak learn the terrifying one with dan defeats in eleven riches and surprisingly traded their captain i like the galleries to our more for a fee for round draft pick just before the encounter while on guard last two previous games in shootouts both

has added to the popularity of the kontinental hockey league their off the ice activities don't hurteither room on cost or of already see more school region stuff now reigning world and european champion even scot but have house for back from a slow start to gravity pulling marie delayed at the halfway point of the russian orion speed skating championships here in moscow the twenty eight year old had to settle for second best in the opening five hundred meter event then went one better in the five thousand meters to inch closer to retaining his crown the national tournament is a chance for the skaters to qualify for next year's european championships however plans to get back to focus on the defense obvious world title due to be held in moscow next february while on the women's side because they know also lived up to her status as a favorite bronze medalist from the five hundred three thousand meters to lead the standings with two more events to go. meanwhile pole vaulter yelena isinbayeva says she hopes to become a legend in her sport the russian is preparing for the london olympics

so you know their eyes russia's minor hockey league select produced a poor start to the american north to quarter call each side the fighting sioux threshing the red stars five one the american players took advantage of the and disciplined russian our feet as they scored three of their goals on power place in making this call for nail heads right after it sounds as though she was paralyzed for tripping the russian square cup at the end of the third period where a model of being a converted to power play feeling won't go back to the fold once called winning at least it wouldn't be what white is for sick of the americans then added one more to complete the routes approximately and the chelsea like is made up of from the continent awfully championship. where the now away team russia has won the combined relay race at the third stage of the world cup in hopeful. makes for terrible all given the holders out so alexei of all gov and anton support in left their rivals with no chance to look and had some problems with suiting but the team made such a great deal of russia among the ladies by th

has added to the popularity of the kontinental hockey league there the ice activities don't hurt either room on cost or of already more school region good stuff was a good day also for speed skating is reigning world and european champion even score but as he fought back from a slow start to grab the lead the russian all round tournament in moscow the twenty eight year old had to settle for second best in the five hundred meter event but then went one better in the five thousand meters to inch closer to retaining his crown at the halfway stage the national tournament is a chance for skaters to qualify for next year's european championships however. plans to skip that to focus on the defense of his world title to be held in moscow next february while on the women's side katharina liebherr also lived up to her status of pretty torn favorite the olympic bronze medalist won the five hundred three thousand meters to leave the standings with two more events to guy. meanwhile pole vaulter you lena is in by says she hopes to become a legend in her sport the russian is preparing for the london o