Sarah Palin’s Cancer-Stricken Hockey Star Boyfriend Makes Heartbreaking Confession

Ron Duguay is pulling back the curtain on his health crisis — and how it’s changed his relationship with Sarah Palin.

The 68-year-old former New York Rangers star said he first realized something was seriously wrong in October 2024 while he was at Palin’s home in Alaska, helping out with winter chores. According to Duguay, he’d been shoveling snow when he suddenly didn’t feel like himself and had to leave early.

Not long after, testing revealed a devastating diagnosis: Stage 4 cancer.

Since then, Duguay says the battle has been intense, and it’s affected how often he and Palin can be together. His daughter, Shay Thomas, said the couple is “very close,” but they haven’t been able to see each other as much lately because of what Duguay is going through — and because Palin also has major responsibilities at home, including caring for her son, Trig, who needs extra support.

Duguay also shared that his treatment journey has been complicated, claiming he has lost both his gallbladder and appendix along the way. With his diagnosis requiring what he described as an all-out fight, his family decided to go public with a GoFundMe after months of handling everything privately.

The fundraiser originally aimed to bring in $26,000. But it quickly exploded past that goal, with the family saying the total has climbed to more than $111,000 — money they say could help Duguay pursue alternative treatment options, including programs outside the U.S. in places like Mexico, Russia, or Germany.

Thomas said her dad never wanted to talk about the financial strain, but the family could feel it building — especially as his numbers began climbing again. She explained they finally reached a point where they felt they had to ask for help, especially with so many people constantly reaching out wanting to support him.

For Duguay, the flood of donations has been emotional — and a massive relief. He said the love has been overwhelming, with contributions coming from old friends, familiar names from the past, and people he hasn’t spoken to in years.

But while Duguay’s family is grateful for the public support, they also say there’s one silence that stings.

Thomas claimed the Rangers organization has been “very quiet” during his illness and that the lack of outreach has been especially painful given Duguay’s long history with the team. She said he served as an ambassador for around 25 years and remained loyal long after retirement — which is why the family says this moment has felt “hurtful” and deeply disappointing.

For now, Duguay is focused on the fight ahead — and leaning on the wave of support that’s helped turn his next steps into a real possibility.