Former Ranger and MSG broadcaster Ron Duguay has died. He was 69.
Duguay’s death was announced by his longtime girlfriend and former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
“It’s with a shattered heart, but also deep peace knowing Ron is with Jesus now. He fought so hard. Love never ends,” she posted on social media Thursday.
Duguay had been battling colon cancer. He collapsed in his family home in late July, but bounced back after family members said he’d been treated for ulcer and internal bleeding. He was also severely dehydrated.
Ron Duguay of the New York Rangers Alumni team moves the puck during the Winter Classic Alumni hockey game with the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni team, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 in Philadelphia. (Tom Mihalek/AP)
The Rangers drafted Duguay in 1977. He spent six season in New York before signing with the Detroit Red Wings, then the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was traded back to the Rangers in 1987 before ending his professional hockey career with the Los Angeles Kings.
The Rangers remembered Duguay as “one of the most popular players in franchise history” in a post mourning his death.
“Ron’s signature skating style — with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice — captivated The Garden Faithful, and his skill, tenacity, and charisma earned him the admiration of all New Yorkers,” the organization wrote.
An interesting quartet is seen at George Martin’s sports hangout on Jan. 26, 1981. Sampling the white wine were Cher, Kate Jackson, tennis star Borg Bjorn and New York Rangers scoring ace Ron Duguay. They were all in the 100G pro-am tennis tournament at Caesar’s Palace in April. The guys showed the gals what real sports they are. They picked up the tab. (Charles Ruppmann / New York Daily News)
The all-star played in nearly 1,000 games and scored more than 300 goals during his NHL career.
Duguay returned to Madison Square Garden in 2007 to become a hockey analyst for MSG Network. That gig ended in 2018 when his contract was not renewed. He was first linked to Palin in early 2022.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) stands with her boyfriend former-NHL star Ron Duguay during a “Save America” rally at Alaska Airlines Center on July 09, 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The former center grabbed headlines in March for commenting on a Rangers loss that coincided with the team’s Pride Night celebration.
“It’s only a select few college brain washed up, woked kids pushing their agenda on others in the organization,” he said in a deleted social media post reported on by the Toronto Sun.
He urged the team to put an end to such events.
A GoFundMe page to pay Duguay’s medical costs in February had raised nearly $170,000 by Thursday morning. It said the Canada native had to travel between Florida and California regularly for treatments.