Ron Duguay is back in the hospital after a frightening fall at home left the former NHL star unconscious, injured, and in need of ambulance transport on Friday.
His daughter shared the update on social media, posting video from the scene and laying out just how serious the situation became. According to her, Duguay “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.
She said he was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where doctors ran extensive tests and found that he was severely dehydrated and having trouble eating because of how sick he had been feeling. The tests also revealed varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding, and an ulcer. Cancer in his liver, combined with earlier surgery and chemotherapy, had created dangerous pressure that backed up into his stomach.
Duguay is now receiving blood transfusions while doctors monitor his condition. His daughter said he remains strong, positive, and full of faith despite the setback, and she asked for continued prayers while promising more updates.
The latest scare comes five months after the family first revealed his stage IV colon cancer diagnosis earlier this year. A GoFundMe was launched to help with mounting medical expenses and travel for treatment.
Sarah Palin has been by his side through much of the process. The former Alaska governor and Duguay have been linked since 2022, though they have never formally confirmed their relationship status.
Duguay played 12 seasons in the NHL from 1977 to 1989, suiting up for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Los Angeles Kings. He finished his career with 216 goals and 320 assists for 536 points.
After his playing days ended, he became a familiar face on MSG Network, where he worked as a Rangers analyst for more than a decade. The family says it’s now focused on his recovery and grateful for the support pouring in from the hockey world.
In Other News...
Kobe's Old Lakers Message Just Made LeBron's Move Hit Harder
Kobe Bryants old comments about loyalty have taken on fresh weight in the wake of LeBron James decision to leave the Lakers for Philadelphia. In those resurfaced remarks, Kobe made clear that he saw staying with one franchise as part of the job, the kind of commitment that meant riding through the bad years as well as the good ones. For Lakers fans, it is the sort of message that lands differently when a star of LeBrons stature chooses a new path.
The debate around that move has only grown more layered because Kobes voice is being invoked on both sides of it. His career was built on the idea of enduring with the Lakers, and he even framed the down seasons as part of winning the right way. At the same time, LeBrons camp has suggested Kobe might have appreciated the competitive challenge of Philadelphia, which leaves the old Lakers standard and the modern star mindset in uneasy conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Ownership Just Took A Serious Turn Fans Wont Ignore
The Lakers ownership picture has taken on an uneasy new layer, with Mark Walter now facing scrutiny in an investigation that has nothing to do with basketball but plenty to do with the business empire behind the franchise. Walter, who also owns the Dodgers, has become part of a federal probe tied to allegations of financial improprieties involving Guggenheim Partners and insurance companies, a reminder that the people steering a teams future can be just as newsworthy as the roster itself.
The inquiry is still unfolding, and the uncertainty is the part Lakers fans will notice most. No charges have been filed and no wrongdoing has been proven, but the case has already drawn attention because of where it reached Walter and how far the questions appear to extend, including undisclosed loans and a deal with Mubadala Capital. For a franchise that lives under a constant spotlight, even off-court developments like this can ripple through the conversation around ownership. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Reaves Just Reopened A Frustrating Rockets Playoff Memory
Austin Reaves went back to a familiar talking point when he defended Deandre Aytons time with the Lakers, and it naturally sent the conversation back to the playoffs. Aytons run in Los Angeles was uneven, but there was a stretch when he looked like the kind of frontcourt piece the Lakers had been hoping for, especially in the first-round series against Houston, where he helped them get through in six games.
The problem for Ayton has always been the same one that has followed him around his career: the good stretches have not come often enough. His value has been shaped as much by inconsistency as by production, which is part of why the Lakers moved on and why Reaves comments reopened a memory that still stings for Rockets fans who watched Ayton tilt that matchup before the rest of the postseason went sideways. [Read more 🡒]