Ron Duguay's daughter asks fans for 'all the prayers we can get' after sharing grim diagnosis

If you were a hockey fan in the late '70s and '80s, you knew Ron Duguay. The flowing hair, the silky hands, the swagger of a guy who owned Madison Square Garden on any given night. The former Rangers star was one of those players who transcended the sport, beloved not just for his talent but for his personality. Now, at 69 years old, Duguay is fighting a battle no amount of toughness can prepare you for, and his family is reaching out to the hockey world for support.

On Sunday, Duguay's daughter Shay Thomas took to Instagram with an emotional post that stopped a lot of people in their tracks. She shared a photo of herself kneeling beside her father's hospital bed, her hand resting on his lap, as Duguay battles Stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver. Thomas admitted she hadn't planned on sharing anything publicly, but said she believes in the power of prayer and that right now, her family needs every bit of it they can get.

A year-long fight that keeps getting harder

Duguay's family first went public with his diagnosis back in February, revealing that the cancer had actually been developing in his colon for roughly a year before the announcement. Since then, the former NHLer has lost both his appendix and gallbladder as part of his treatment.

Things took a particularly frightening turn in July when Duguay collapsed at home and was found unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital by ambulance after suffering facial injuries in the fall, losing all of his veneers and two natural teeth in the process. Doctors determined the fainting episode was caused by severe dehydration, as Duguay had been struggling to eat due to how sick he was feeling. Further testing uncovered varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding, and an ulcer.

Thomas explained at the time that the cancer in his liver, combined with everything his body had endured from surgery, chemotherapy, and the pump, had caused pressure to build up inside the organ. That pressure was backing up into his stomach and causing bleeding, which became a major concern alongside the liver issues. Even after returning home, Duguay lost additional teeth.

Despite all of that, Thomas noted in a follow-up update that her father's numbers had started trending downward at recent appointments, which she called encouraging. She painted a picture of a man who, even through the worst of it, still cracks jokes, still smiles, and still tries to keep a positive attitude for the people around him.

A Rangers icon who gave everything to the game

For those who need a refresher on Duguay's career, the man was a legitimate star. Selected 13th overall by the Rangers in the 1977 amateur draft, he spent eight of his 12 NHL seasons in New York and quickly became a fan favorite. He was a key part of the Blueshirts team that reached the 1979 Stanley Cup Final, and he earned his lone All-Star selection in 1982 after potting a career-best 40 goals.

Duguay also suited up for the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings before hanging up his skates in 1989. Over the course of his career, he tallied 274 goals and accumulated 620 points across 860 regular season games, adding 53 points in 89 playoff contests.

When the family launched a GoFundMe to help cover Duguay's mounting medical expenses, some people questioned why a former NHL player would need financial assistance. Thomas was quick to set the record straight, pushing back on assumptions that her father had millions stashed away from his playing days. She explained that his credit card debt was climbing and that the family made the collective decision to ask for help because, frankly, the alternative was unthinkable. Duguay spent his career helping others, and now it's the hockey community's turn to rally around one of its own.