A beloved NHL star, a political firebrand girlfriend, and a cancer fight that’s forcing a GoFundMe-America, you couldn’t script it tighter.
Ron Duguay, the New York Rangers legend with the flow that launched a thousand Garden crushes, is in a brutal health battle, his family says, that has brought him “close to death a few times.” Their words, not mine-and they’re asking for help.
The sharper edge here? Even icons end up passing the hat when medicine turns into a marathon. Fame isn’t a health plan; it’s a spotlight.
The Moment
Duguay’s daughter, Shay Thomas, says the 67-year-old former NHL forward was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in November 2024. She describes a fast slide: fatigue, abdominal discomfort, a flight back to Florida, then lab work that signaled something was very wrong.
Radiation followed, but cancer markers reportedly spiked again. This week brought a lifeline: the family says Duguay was just approved for a new T-cell trial, aimed at training the immune system to fight harder.
Meanwhile, a family-run GoFundMe is underway to offset mounting bills and travel. Sarah Palin-yes, the former Alaska governor and Duguay’s long-time girlfriend-has been taking red-eyes from Alaska to Florida to be by his side, according to the family.
The Take
Strip away the headlines, and you see two truths. First, the intimate one: a tight-knit family trying to keep an athlete’s spirit intact as the body throws curveballs. Second, the national one: a sports name big enough to light up Madison Square Garden still has to crowdsource care. That’s not a moral failing; it’s a mirror.
Colon cancer doesn’t care about celebrity. Duguay’s message, as shared by his family, is painfully simple: get screened. It’s the unglamorous chore that saves lives (and spares families a lot of what they’re going through now).
Fame isn’t a health plan-it’s a spotlight that goes dark when the bills arrive.
As for Palin’s support, set your politics aside. A partner catching red-eyes to sit in oncology waiting rooms is the only headline that matters there.
Receipts
Confirmed
- Duguay is a former New York Rangers forward who also played for Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles; he later worked as a TV analyst. (League/team records; MSG Network archives)
- He has been publicly linked to Sarah Palin for years through interviews and public appearances. (Public appearances and prior interviews)
Reported/Unverified by us
- Stage IV colon cancer diagnosis in November 2024; post-radiation marker spike; recent acceptance into a T-cell clinical trial. (Family statements in a published interview, Feb. 25, 2026)
- Family-run GoFundMe created to help cover medical and travel costs, reportedly raising tens of thousands so far. (Family statements in a published interview, Feb. 25, 2026)
- Quote that he’s been “close to death a few times” attributed to daughter Shay Thomas. (Same interview)
Backstory (For the Casual Reader)
Ron Duguay, now 67, was a marquee Ranger in the late ’70s and early ’80s-explosive speed, movie-star hair, and big-game buzz. After hanging up his skates, he slid into broadcasting, including analyst work with MSG Network and a popular Rangers-focused podcast. He and Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice-presidential nominee, have been publicly connected for several years. The family now says his fight has reached a critical stage and is urging fans to get screened and, if they’re moved, to help.
Your turn: How do you feel about public figures turning to crowdfunding for serious medical care? Does it inspire community or expose a system gap we keep ignoring?
Sources: Family interview published Feb. 25, 2026; NHL/league player records (accessed Feb. 26, 2026); MSG Network archives (accessed Feb. 26, 2026).
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