Hockey legend Ron Duguay, long linked to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has died at 69 after a hard-fought battle with Stage 4 colon cancer.
Palin shared the news on social media Thursday, writing that she felt both grief and peace. The former NHL forward and New York Rangers favorite had been diagnosed in December 2024, and the disease later spread to his liver.
Daily Mail reported her farewell and the long medical fight that followed the diagnosis. Family members had already asked the public for prayer as his condition worsened.
Palin put it plainly:
"It's with a shattered heart, but also deep peace knowing Ron is with Jesus now. He fought so hard. Love never ends."
Duguay spent 12 NHL seasons from 1977 to 1989. The Rangers drafted him 13th overall in 1977. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings.
Across more than 860 career appearances, he scored 216 goals and added 320 assists for 536 points. His best single season came in 1981-82, when he netted 40 goals.
The New York Post noted he played 499 games for New York alone, with 164 goals and 340 points in a Rangers sweater, and that he reached the 1979 Stanley Cup Final with the club. He is survived by daughters Shay Thomas and Amber Stavros, son Noah Duguay, and several grandchildren.
The Rangers organization issued a statement mourning a player still loved at Madison Square Garden:
"The New York Rangers organization mourns the loss of Ron Duguay, one of the most popular players in franchise history. 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 team added that it joined the hockey community in sending condolences to his friends, family, and loved ones.
After his playing days, Duguay worked 12 years as an in-studio analyst on MSG Network before stepping away in 2018.
Doctors diagnosed Stage 4 colon cancer in December 2024. The cancer later spread to his liver. Treatment included chemotherapy and a hepatic pump. He also lost his gallbladder and appendix during the ordeal.
His daughter Shay Thomas wrote on a family GoFundMe that early care in Florida nearly cost him his life. The family then brought him to Orange County, where she and her sister live, so he could continue treatment there.
Thomas explained the money pressure in plain terms:
"Because of his cancer, he hasn't been able to work the way he normally would."
She also described the Florida scare and the move west:
"Earlier in his treatment journey, the care he received in Florida nearly cost him his life. That led us to bring him to Orange County, where my sister and I live, so he could receive treatment here."
On July 24, Duguay fainted at his residence. He was found unconscious after a fall and suffered severe facial injuries. An ambulance took him to a medical facility. Testing showed varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding, and an ulcer. Pressure from the cancer in his liver, combined with surgery and chemo, had taken a heavy toll.
Earlier this month, Thomas posted a photo from his hospital bedside and asked for prayer, tagging Noah Duguay and Amber Stavros. She said she had not planned to post, but believed in the power of prayer and knew how many people loved her dad.
Palin and Duguay had been closely linked since 2022. The relationship was never formally confirmed in public in the usual celebrity way, but family described them as very close. Palin, 62, was often seen at his bedside. She also carries ongoing care duties for her son Trig, who needs additional support.
On October 18, she posted a hospital photo of herself holding his hand and wrote, "Prayers for Ron Duguay so appreciated." She had issued another prayer plea on Instagram earlier in the week and shared an inspirational quote with a photo of the two of them.
In an interview earlier this year, Duguay described ordinary time at her place in Alaska, help with landscaping in summer and snow in winter, and said he had been there in October but had to leave because he was not feeling himself.
"I go there at different times," he said. "I help with her landscaping in the summer, and I help in the winter clearing a little bit of snow, so I happened to be there in October... but unfortunately, I wasn't feeling myself, so I had to leave."
Thomas said the pair had not been able to see each other as much lately because of his treatment and because Palin also had to care for Trig.
Exact time and place of death were not released in the initial reports. What was clear was the cause he had been fighting for months: advanced colon cancer and the complications that came with it.
A fan favorite who skated with his hair flying at the Garden is gone. So is a man who spent his last chapter surrounded by faith, family, and a partner who refused to look away. That kind of loyalty still means something.
