Former NHL Star Ron Duguay Dies at 69 After Cancer Battle: Daughter and Sarah Palin Post Tributes
New York: Ron Duguay, a former National Hockey League star who later became a longtime television analyst, died on Thursday at the age of 69. His daughter, Shay Thomas, wrote on social media: 'Ron Duguay passed away peacefully on October 22, 2026 after a hard fought battle with cancer,' adding that a celebration of his life would be announced at a later date. No openly licensed photograph of Duguay himself was available, so this report is illustrated with his longtime team, the New York Rangers, at their home arena.
Duguay's partner, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, posted a tribute on Thursday, writing: 'It's with a shattered heart, but also deep peace knowing Ron is with Jesus now. He fought so hard. Love never ends.' According to People magazine, Duguay had been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer that later spread to his appendix and gallbladder.
Born in Canada, Duguay became an NHL star after joining the New York Rangers in 1977. He later played for the Detroit Red Wings and, briefly, the Pittsburgh Penguins, before returning to the Rangers in 1987. After retiring, he worked as an on-air analyst at the MSG Network from 2007 to 2018. Palin and Duguay began dating in 2022.
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Photo: 图：纽约麦迪逊广场花园内的游骑兵队主场冰场（资料图）。经维基共享资源，CC BY-SA 3.0。Photo: The New York Rangers' home ice at Madison Square Garden in New York (file photo), via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
