Ron Duguay’s ex-wife Sarah Palin confirmed Thursday that the former Rangers star died at 69 following a battle with colon cancer.
Duguay, a 12-year NHL veteran whose feathered hair and Hollywood lifestyle made him one of hockey’s first crossover celebrities, passed away after the illness, Palin said. The Sudbury, Ontario native was drafted 13th overall by the Blueshirts in 1977 and spent six seasons electrifying Madison Square Garden crowds.
The Rangers organization posted a statement on X mourning one of its most popular players ever. “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 wrote. “We join the hockey community in sending our condolences to Ron’s friends, family, and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Duguay’s on-ice production backed up the flash. Over 499 games with New York, he recorded 164 goals and 176 assists for 340 points, and he remains tied for the franchise record for fastest goal to start a game, scoring nine seconds in against the Flyers on April 6, 1980. His 1979 run to the Stanley Cup Final, where the Rangers fell to Montreal in five games, marked the peak of his playing tenure in the city.
What separated Duguay from his peers was his effortless drift between sports and pop culture. The 1980 introduction by Rod Gilbert to Andy Warhol led to Duguay gracing the cover of Warhol’s “Interview” magazine and appearing in the artist’s “Athletes” series alongside Muhammad Ali, Tom Seaver and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That meeting with Warhol opened a door to Steven Spielberg, who briefly considered Duguay for the lead in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Farrah Fawcett reportedly introduced herself to him at a subsequent event.
The Sasson jeans commercial — featuring Duguay alongside Rangers teammates Phil Esposito, Anders Hedberg and Dave Maloney jingling “ooh la la” — became a lasting piece of sports-marketing lore. His Studio 54 nights rankled then-coach Herb Brooks but cemented his image as something new in the buttoned-down NHL.
Duguay himself traced his connection with fans to the energy of performing in New York. “As soon as I stepped on the ice, I could feel the energy. You then become more than a hockey player,” he told TVA Sports in 2023. “You become an artist, because you entertain and you have an opportunity to make spectators jump out of their seats every time you make a check.”
His romantic life drew nearly as much attention as his play. After a reported run-in with Cher in the late 1970s, Duguay married California model Robin Bobo in 1983; the marriage ended in divorce. He wed fashion model Kim Alexis in January 1993, and the pair spent two decades together before splitting in 2016.
Duguay’s hockey journey stretched far beyond his NHL retirement. He played minor league hockey until age 41 in 1999, then resurfaced in 2002 with the Jacksonville Barracudas of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. After six games as a player, he took over as head coach when Kurt Wickenheiser was fired, leading the club to its first championship in 2003-04 and remaining behind the bench through 2006. “If it wasn’t for Ron, the Barracudas would not be here today,” majority owner Steve Croskrey said when Duguay moved to an advisory role that year, per OurSports Central.
In March 2009, at 51, Duguay signed a two-day contract with the Brooklyn Aces and Jersey Rockhoppers in the Eastern Professional Hockey League, donating his earnings to the Garden of Dreams Foundation. He also competed that year in CBC’s inaugural “Battle of the Blades” skating competition, partnered with Barbara Underhill for World Vision Canada.
From 2007 to 2018, Duguay served as an MSG Network analyst for Rangers broadcasts, returning to the building where he had become an icon. Former Rangers head coach Fred Shero once summed up the Duguay appeal bluntly: “I’d rather have Duguay the way he plays than [Mike] Bossy the way he plays.”
Duguay is survived by daughters Shay Thomas and Amber Stavros, son Noah Duguay, and grandchildren Aiden, Jayden, Cole, Nora and Ranger.
The Rangers have not announced plans for a formal tribute at Madison Square Garden.