Former New York Rangers hockey star Ron Duguay said he predicted the team would lose on Pride Night due to the “bad mojo” created by the promotion.
Duguay, the longtime boyfriend of former Republican veep nominee Sarah Palin, melted down on X Monday as the Rangers fell to the Los Angeles Kings, 4-1, at Madison Square Garden.
“I didn’t want to say it before the game but i saw this coming tonight down 4-1 after the singing National anthem to [rainbow] flag to a small group, bad idea bad mojo,” he wrote in the now-deleted post that was shared by the Toronto Sun in a screengrab.
“I don’t blame all of the Rangers organization It’s only a select few college brain washed up ,woked kids pushing their agenda on others in the organization.”
Ron Duguay eventually deleted this post, but a different one that also demeaned the team’s outreach to LGBTQ+ fans remained up.
Bleacher Report hockey writer Adam Herman pointed out that the Rangers, who rank last in points in the Eastern Conference, have consistently been victorious on Pride Night. He gave a sounder reason for their setback.
“Maybe this year’s team lost because they lose most games,” he wrote.
The New York Rangers won every single Pride Night game between 2012 and 2025. Just in case any bigots are keeping score at home. Maybe this year’s team lost because they lose most games.
— Adam Herman (@AdamZHerman) March 17, 2026
Duguay has far more pressing matters to attend to than insulting LGBTQ+ hockey fans. He recently announced he has Stage 4 cancer.
But his words carry weight for some fans. After his 1977-89 playing career concluded, he later served as a TV analyst for the Rangers on MSG for 12 years until 2018.
Before Monday’s game, he slammed the team for giving away a Pride Night pouch to the first 10,000 spectators.
Duguay griped that the promotion was “encouraging Transgender lifestyle” in a post that he left up.
The NHL’s effort to recognize the gay community has faced pushback before.
Perhaps Duguay should take a cue from U.S. Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes, who scored the winning overtime goal in Team USA’s gold medal game last month.
Hughes, who plays for the New Jersey Devils, said in a 2024 interview: “The team I play for … we really support that. We’re a really welcoming organization … Obviously, with how we grew up, my family really supports that too.”
Duguay and Palin attended a “Save America” rally in Anchorage in 2022.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images