Former New York Rangers star Ron Duguay is fighting stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver, and his daughter Shay Thomas is pleading for prayers after sharing a photo of herself kneeling beside her 69-year-old father's hospital bed. The image, posted amid a brutal stretch of complications, shows just how serious the situation has become for a player once beloved across Rangers nation.
Thomas's post detailed a terrifying collapse that sent her father to the hospital by ambulance, according to the New York Post. She wrote that Duguay fainted at home on a Friday in July, was found unconscious, and suffered facial injuries that knocked out two natural teeth and all of his veneers. Doctors determined the fainting spell was caused by dehydration tied to difficulty eating, and he reportedly lost additional teeth after returning home, the outlet reported.
Liver Pressure and Bleeding Concerns
Beyond the fall, Thomas identified bleeding and liver pressure as major ongoing concerns in her father's treatment, a combination tied to his liver surgery, chemotherapy, and the pump used in his cancer care, per the same account. That pressure can cause blood to back up into the stomach, and doctors have flagged an ulcer that still needs further evaluation. Duguay's cancer developed in the colon over a year before the story was published, and he has since lost his appendix and gallbladder as part of his treatment.
Duguay was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer around 2025, and his family created a GoFundMe page to help cover mounting medical costs. As of October, that campaign has raised more than $167,000 from over 1,100 donors, according to the GoFundMe page, a dramatic climb from its original $26,000 goal as medical expenses and travel needs expanded.
Cross-Country Flights for Treatment
Part of what drove that fundraising surge was a shift in Duguay's care. He moved his primary oncology treatment from Florida to Orange County, California, after experiencing near-fatal complications early in his treatment journey, according to Awful Announcing. That change required biweekly cross-country flights, with his daughters Shay Thomas and Amber Stavros, who both live in California, helping facilitate his care transfer.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee, has been dating Duguay since 2022 and has frequently visited to help with his bedside care during hospitalizations, as reported by Us Weekly. Palin has previously described her relationship with Duguay as a source of comfort during her own legal proceedings in 2022.
What the Numbers Say About Stage 4 Colon Cancer
The prognosis for stage 4 colon cancer that has metastasized to organs like the liver is statistically stark. The American Cancer Society puts the five-year relative survival rate at approximately 13 percent, based on National Cancer Institute data tracking outcomes by stage at diagnosis. The organization projected nearly 159,000 new colorectal cancer diagnoses and more than 55,000 deaths nationwide in 2026, making it the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the country.
There is a more hopeful data point for patients whose cancer has spread specifically to the liver, however. Research from Johns Hopkins Medicine indicates that between 40 and 60 percent of patients with isolated colon cancer liver metastases survive past five years when they undergo specialized multidisciplinary treatment and surgical resection, often pairing liver resection surgery with targeted systemic chemotherapy.
From Stanley Cup Run to Studio Analyst
Duguay's name carries weight far beyond this health battle. The Rangers selected him 13th overall in the 1977 Amateur Draft, and he went on to play eight of his 12 NHL seasons in New York, helping the club reach the 1979 Stanley Cup Final. He made his only All-Star Game appearance in 1982, the same year he scored 40 goals, and he shares the Rangers' franchise record for fastest goal from the opening faceoff — nine seconds into an April 6, 1980 game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a mark he shares with Fred Cook and Jean Ratelle, according to Blue Line Station.
His career also included stints with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings, with his best offensive season coming in 1984-85 with Detroit, when he posted 89 points on 38 goals and 51 assists. His NHL career ran from 1977 to 1989. Before turning pro, Duguay starred for his hometown Sudbury Wolves from 1973 to 1977, leading the team in scoring and eventually having his jersey number retired by the franchise, per Sudbury.com.
After hanging up his skates, Duguay became a familiar face to a new generation of Rangers fans as an in-studio television analyst on MSG Network for 12 years, a run that ended in 2018 when the network opted not to renew his contract, according to Newsday. Thomas's photo and plea for prayers now stand as the latest chapter for a player whose on-ice heroics and broadcast presence made him a lasting fixture in New York hockey history.
