Former Detroit Red Wings forward Ron Duguay, who is being treated for Stage 4 colon cancer, was hospitalized after collapsing at his home in Florida last Friday, according to his daughter, Shay Thomas.
Thomas announced on Instagram that Duguay, 69, had fainted and was found unconscious and suffered facial injuries and lost some teeth.
Her post showed Duguay being loaded into an ambulance and being wheeled on a gurney through a hospital corridor.
“Because of the cancer in his liver, along with everything his liver has endured from surgery, chemotherapy, and the pump, pressure has built up inside the liver,” Thomas said in the post.
“That pressure can back up into the stomach and cause bleeding. The ulcer still needs further evaluation, but the bleeding and liver pressure are the major concerns right now.”
Duguay, who played on a line with Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman for nearly three years from 1983-1986, was acquired from the New York Rangers with Eddie Mio and Ed Johnstone in exchange for Willie Huber, Mike Blaisdell, and Mark Osborne.
A marquee heartthrob with the Rangers and Red Wings during the late 1970s and 1980s, Duguay was a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden and Joe Louis Arena with his high-energy play and long, flowing curly hair.
In New York, he was a regular at the legendary Studio 54 nightclub with celebrities like Andy Warhol, Cher, and Liza Minnelli. He also modeled in a TV commercial for Sasso Designer Jeans.
In Detroit, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound native of Sudbury, Ontario, scored 90 goals with 217 points in 227 games with the Wings.
In 12 NHL seasons with the Rangers, Wings, Kings and Penguins, he had 274 goals with 620 points in 864 games.
Duguay’s family started a GoFundMe that has raised more than $160,000 to help cover medical costs.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron Duguay, being treated for cancer, hospitalized after collapse at home
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Former Wings heartthrob Ron Duguay hospitalized amid cancer battle
Reporting by The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
