Ron Duguay

Ron Duguay (born July 6, 1957) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and minor league coach. He spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1977 and 1989, and later coached for four seasons in the minors. As a player, he reached the 1979 Stanley Cup Final with the New York Rangers. From 2007 to 2018, he worked as an in-studio analyst for MSG Network's Rangers coverage.

Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Duguay grew up in nearby Val Caron. He played his entire junior career from 1973 to 1977 with the hometown Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL). A top scorer for the Wolves, he put up 134 points in the 1975–76 season, helping the team win the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as regular-season champions before losing the league final to the Hamilton Fincups in six games. He also represented Canada at the 1977 World Junior Championships, scoring one goal and four assists in five games as the team finished second.

The New York Rangers selected Duguay 13th overall in the 1977 NHL amateur draft. He jumped straight from juniors to the NHL, scoring 20 goals as a rookie. Over his first six seasons in New York, he became as well-known for his long hair and flashy lifestyle as for his on-ice play. On April 6, 1980, he set a Rangers record by scoring the fastest goal from the start of a game—nine seconds into a match against the Philadelphia Flyers.

After injuries slowed his progress, a stint with Canada's senior team at the 1981 Canada Cup helped his game, and in 1981–82 he led the Rangers with 40 goals and played in the NHL All-Star Game for the Wales Conference. His production dropped to 19 goals in 1982–83, and he clashed with coach Herb Brooks over his play and nightlife popularity. On June 13, 1983, the Rangers traded Duguay, Eddie Mio, and Ed Johnstone to the Detroit Red Wings for Willie Huber, Mark Osborne, and Mike Blaisdell.

During his first Rangers stint, Duguay took part in team president Sonny Werblin's efforts to make the club trendier in disco-era New York. He sang on the 1979 single "Hockey Sock Rock," written by Alan Thicke, alongside Phil Esposito, Pat Hickey, Dave Maloney, and John Davidson.

In Detroit, Duguay's career rebounded. In 1983–84, he finished third on the Red Wings with 33 goals and second with 47 assists, totaling 80 points. The next season, he ranked second on the team in goals (38), assists (51), and points (89)—the best offensive numbers of his career. At the 1985–86 trade deadline, Detroit sent him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Doug Shedden.

Duguay played parts of two seasons in Pittsburgh, but his production never matched his earlier highs. On January 21, 1987, the Penguins traded him back to the Rangers for Chris Kontos, reuniting him with former teammate and Rangers general manager Phil Esposito. He re-signed with New York that summer. Near the end of this second stint, he was sent to the minors for the first time, playing two games for the Colorado Rangers of the International Hockey League (IHL).

After briefly returning to the Rangers, Duguay finished his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings in 1988–89. Attempted comebacks with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1990 and the Tampa Bay Lightning (where Esposito was general manager) in 1992 did not succeed.

Duguay continued playing in the minors after his NHL career. He played 22 games in Germany with Mannheim ERC of the Bundesliga in 1989–90, then spent two seasons in the IHL with the San Diego Gulls. He retired after the 1991–92 season but returned three years later to play for a new incarnation of the San Diego Gulls in the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL). He said he came back to help the injury-riddled team and to let his children, who were too young to see him in the NHL, watch him play. He recorded eight goals and nine assists in 12 games for the Gulls in 1995–96, then played only five more games for them over the next two seasons. In 1998–99, he joined the Jacksonville Lizard Kings of the East Coast Hockey League but played just one game before retiring again.

In 2003, Duguay joined the Jacksonville Barracudas of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL), playing six games as a forward before becoming the team's head coach. In 2003–04, he led the Barracudas (now in the World Hockey Association 2) to the league's best record and a playoff championship. The next season, the team joined the newly formed Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). Over parts of three seasons as coach, the Barracudas posted a record of 92–92–0–3 with a 6–3 playoff mark.