New York Rangers icon Ron Duguay has passed away at age 69. The retired center had been battling Stage 4 colon cancer.
Today’s somber news was first shared by Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor and United States vice presidential candidate who was in a relationship with Duguay, and followed up with an announcement from the Rangers where they paid respects and referred to him as “one of the most popular players in franchise history”.
Chosen 13th overall by New York in 1977 with a selection they acquired from Los Angeles for Gene Carr, Duguay jumped from the Sudbury Wolves right into the NHL as a rookie with a solid 20-20 goal/assist split in his first 71 games. The next season Duguay continued his progression with 63 points, helping the Blueshirts go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Looking to end the 39-year drought, Duguay found the back of the net twice, but the Rangers came up short to the Montreal Canadiens dynasty, falling four games to one. Throughout the rest of his Ranger tenure, the Sudbury native was perfect for the bright lights of Broadway, with his signature long curly hair and flashy presence off the ice which made him a fan favorite.
Peaking in New York with 40 goals and 76 points in 72 games playing under the legendary head coach Herb Brooks in 1981-82, eventually the pair were unable to see eye to eye. Duguay was traded to Detroit in June 1983, and he immediately made the most of a fresh start with 80 points in 80 games.
Duguay had the opportunity to play with Rangers legend Brad Park, who had departed two years prior to his NHL debut. He also was able to help mentor a rookie center named Steve Yzerman who led the Wings in scoring and never looked back in the decades to come.
With Detroit unable to find their next gear during his three years there, the 28-year-old Duguay was moved to Pittsburgh at the 1986 trade deadline. He got to play alongside another young center who went on to have a Hall of Fame career, Mario Lemieux, who was then closing in on his second NHL campaign.
Duguay made an immediate impact for the Penguins with 13 points in as many games, but it would be the last time he’d be a top-end producer at the highest level. Regressing the following season in 1986-87, Duguay made his way back to the Rangers in January 1987, again pulling on the blue sweater he was most known for and doing so for another 78 games in New York.
It was a reunion with Phil Esposito, a former teammate turned general manager and head coach. The second stint got him up to 499 appearances with the Rangers, his longest with any of his four total NHL clubs.
Making a two-year stop in Los Angeles from 1987-89 to wrap up his NHL career, Duguay was a veteran presence on the high-flying Kings attack led by the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and Bernie Nicholls. Reaching the end of his very impressive 864 game NHL career where he posted 620 points, Duguay went on to play another several years, first making a stop in Germany before another several campaigns in the minors, most notably with the San Diego Gulls of the IHL.
The veteran skated into his late thirties allowing his children to make memories watching him play.
Duguay continued even into the 21st century, playing in two games with the Eastern Professional Hockey League in 2008-09 at age 51 in order to raise funds for charity before finally hanging up his skates for good. Continuing his time connected to the Rangers franchise, he was a television analyst with MSG Network for 12 seasons until 2018.
It was revealed last February that the retired star had been fighting cancer since 2024.
Ranked today as 34th all time for the Rangers with his 340 points recorded there, Duguay also is in the history books as tied for the fastest goal in franchise history with his tally nine seconds into an April tilt against the Flyers. We at PHR extend our condolences to Duguay’s family, friends, and former teammates.
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