Former NHL star Ron Duguay was found unconscious at home and rushed to the hospital after suffering a horrifying fall that left him with severe facial injuries.
The 69-year-old hockey icon – who publicly revealed earlier this year that he is battling stage IV colon cancer – fainted at his residence on Friday, July 24, before being transported by ambulance to a nearby medical facility.
His daughter, Shay Thomas, revealed the alarming details in a heartbreaking social media post, sharing a video of her father being loaded into an ambulance.
‘He fainted at home, was unconscious, injured a few parts of his face, and knocked out a few teeth in the fall… this time, it wasn’t from hockey,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘He was taken by ambulance to the hospital.’
She explained that extensive medical testing revealed severe underlying complications tied to his ongoing cancer battle.
Hockey icon Ron Duguay opens up to the Daily Mail about his struggles with Stage 4 cancer
Duguay’s daughter, Shay, revealed the worrying update via a post on her Instagram
‘After extensive testing, doctors found that he was extremely dehydrated and had been struggling to eat because of how sick he had been feeling,’ she continued.
‘They also discovered varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding, and an ulcer.’
Shay added that the cancer in his liver – combined with the physical toll of surgery, chemotherapy, and a hepatic pump – caused severe pressure to build up inside the organ, backing up into his stomach and causing internal bleeding.
Duguay remains admitted to the hospital, where he is receiving blood transfusions while medical staff monitor his condition closely.
Despite the terrifying ordeal, his daughter noted that the former New York Rangers star maintains a strong spirit.
‘Through it all, our dad remains strong, positive, and trusting God every step of the way,’ Shay wrote. ‘We will continue to keep everyone updated. Please keep him covered in prayer.’
In a follow-up message on her Instagram Story, she expressed her gratitude to supporters, writing: ‘Our entire family appreciates you more than you know.’
The crisis comes months after Duguay’s family opened up about the immense financial and physical strain of his diagnosis, with his partner, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, frequently by his side during his treatments.
Former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, has been seen by Duguay’s side during treatment
The New York Rangers icon from the 1970s and ’80s has been undergoing a battle for his health
While the pair have been closely linked since 2022 and Palin has frequently been seen at his bedside throughout his illness – including in family videos showing her feeding him in his hospital bed – the two have never officially confirmed their relationship status publicly.
In February, Shay defended her family’s decision to set up a GoFundMe to help cover her father’s medical bills, pushing back on assumptions about his financial status.
‘I see so many things where people are like, ‘He has millions of dollars from back in the day.’ I’m like, ‘What are we talking about?” Shay explained at the time.
‘We spoke as a family and we said, ‘We need to make this GoFundMe. We gotta do everything we can. Because if we don’t, it’s going to kill you.”
Duguay enjoyed a stellar 12-season NHL career from 1977 to 1989, making over 860 appearances across stints with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings.
Drafted 13th overall by the Rangers in 1977, the forward became a fan favorite in New York. He recorded 216 goals and 320 assists for 536 career points, highlighted by a standout 1981-82 season where he notched a career-high 40 goals.
Following his retirement from professional hockey, Duguay transitioned into broadcasting, serving as an in-studio analyst for MSG Network’s coverage of the Rangers for 12 years before stepping away in 2018.
