Nine seconds into a game on April 6, 1980, Ron Duguay had already scored. It was the fastest opening goal in New York Rangers history, a quick glimpse of the offensive ability that could sometimes get overshadowed by his curls, television appearances and nights out in Manhattan.
Across 12 NHL seasons, the Canadian forward scored 274 goals and collected 620 points in 864 regular-season games. New York made him famous, but his most productive season came in Detroit. His hockey life then stretched well beyond the NHL, through Germany, minor-league championships, coaching and a return to the Rangers as a broadcaster.
From Val Caron to the Sudbury Wolves
Born on July 6, 1957, in Sudbury, Ontario, Duguay grew up in nearby Val Caron. Northern Ontario provided both his introduction to hockey and his first serious opportunity: a place with the Sudbury Wolves.
He joined the Wolves in 1973 and spent four seasons in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. His scoring developed steadily, reaching 42 goals and 92 assists for 134 points in 1975-76. Sudbury won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team that season.
Those numbers revealed more than a shooter. Duguay could finish, but his passing made him equally useful alongside another scorer. At a listed 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, the right-handed forward also had the size to handle the next level.
During his final junior season, he helped Canada win silver at the inaugural official IIHF World Junior Championship in 1977. That summer, the Rangers selected him 13th overall in the NHL amateur draft. He was leaving home for a city where hockey would be only part of his public identity.
Finding his place at Madison Square Garden
Duguay went straight into the Rangers’ lineup in 1977-78, scoring 20 goals as a rookie. A year later, he was part of the New York team that reached the 1979 Stanley Cup Final.
The Rangers eliminated the heavily favored New York Islanders in the semifinals before losing to Montreal in five games. Duguay would never get closer to winning the Cup.
His own game continued to grow. The nine-second goal in April 1980 put him in the club’s record book; the 1981-82 season established him as its leading goal scorer. He finished with 40 goals and earned selection to the 1982 NHL All-Star Game.
He also represented Canada at the 1981 Canada Cup, where the team reached the final.
In New York, however, his visibility was not confined to the rink. The long hair, open-ice rushes and willingness to embrace the city made him recognizable beyond the usual hockey audience. A Sasson jeans commercial featuring Duguay and several Rangers teammates captured that crossover appeal: these were players being marketed as personalities, not just names on a lineup card.
A trade to Detroit: his biggest season
The first Rangers chapter ended in June 1983. New York sent Duguay, Eddie Mio and Eddie Johnstone to Detroit in exchange for Willie Huber, Mark Osborne and Mike Blaisdell.
His relationship with coach Herb Brooks had become strained, according to accounts of their time together. Stories about Duguay’s social life also became attached to the departure, including reports linking him romantically with Farrah Fawcett. Those reports should not be treated as proof of why the Rangers traded him.
Detroit offered a change of surroundings and a substantial offensive role. He scored 33 goals and 80 points in 1983-84, then improved to 38 goals and 51 assists the following season.
The resulting 89 points in 1984-85 remained his NHL career high. His 40-goal season in New York was the better finishing year; Detroit was where his scoring and playmaking combined most productively.
For a player so often remembered through his appearance, those consecutive seasons provide a useful corrective. He was producing at a high level, not merely attracting attention.
Pittsburgh, another Rangers spell and Los Angeles
Detroit traded Duguay to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 1986. His stay was brief: in January 1987, Pittsburgh sent him back to the Rangers in a deal for Chris Kontos.
The return reunited him with the club most closely associated with his career, though not with the same role he had held earlier in the decade. In 1988, he moved to the Los Angeles Kings, where his NHL career ended after the 1988-89 season.
His final regular-season totals were 274 goals, 346 assists and 620 points in 864 games, with 582 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he added 31 goals and 22 assists in 89 appearances.
He played for four NHL franchises, with two separate spells in New York. There was no Stanley Cup championship, but there were meaningful playoff runs, an All-Star selection and several seasons of substantial offensive production.
More hockey, different responsibilities
Leaving the NHL did not mean putting away his equipment.
Duguay played for Mannheim ERC in West Germany during the 1989-90 season, then joined the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League from 1990 to 1992. He later returned to San Diego with the Gulls’ West Coast Hockey League incarnation, winning the Taylor Cup in 1995-96.
The setting was smaller than Madison Square Garden, but the work remained familiar: travel, practices and another game to prepare for.
Jacksonville eventually brought a different responsibility. Duguay took on a player-coach role with the Barracudas in 2003 and coached the club through 2006. Under his direction, Jacksonville won the WHA2 playoff championship in 2003-04.
Even coaching did not entirely end his playing days. In 2009, he made one-game appearances for the Brooklyn Aces and Jersey Rockhoppers in the Eastern Professional Hockey League. His helmet-free appearances recalled the look that had made him instantly identifiable in the NHL.
The player behind the curls
Duguay played both center and right wing. His strengths were offensive: skating into space, finishing chances and finding teammates. The 51 assists in his best Detroit season matter as much to that description as the 40 goals he once scored for New York.
He also worked on special teams, including penalty-killing assignments. Describing him only as a flashy scorer misses some of the responsibilities he carried.
Still, the visual memory is hard to separate from the hockey. With his long curls flowing behind him, “Doogie” stood out before anyone checked the number on his sweater. His appearance helped make him a celebrity; his production explains why he stayed in NHL lineups for 12 seasons.
Family, television and life beyond the rink
Duguay’s family life has included two marriages. He married Robin Bobo in 1983, and they had two daughters. He later married model Kim Alexis in 1993; they had a son before divorcing in 2016.
His relationship with Sarah Palin became public in 2022. He confirmed it that February, moving the story beyond the earlier speculation about whether they were dating.
Television provided another outlet for a personality already comfortable in public. From 2007 to 2018, he worked on MSG Network’s Rangers coverage, discussing a franchise he knew from two stretches as a player. His screen appearances also included an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210.
Charity hockey remained another connection to the game, including events supporting the Garden of Dreams Foundation. Between those appearances, coaching and broadcasting, his post-NHL career kept returning to the same place: a rink, a dressing room or a conversation about the Rangers.
FAQ
How many NHL goals did Ron Duguay score?
He scored 274 goals in 864 regular-season games. He also recorded 346 assists, giving him 620 points.
Which NHL teams did he play for?
He played for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Los Angeles Kings. He had two spells with the Rangers.
What was his best NHL season?
His highest points total was 89 with Detroit in 1984-85. His highest goal total was 40 with the Rangers in 1981-82.
Did Ron Duguay win a Stanley Cup?
No. He reached the 1979 Stanley Cup Final with New York, which lost to Montreal in five games.
Was he married to Kim Alexis?
Yes. They married in 1993, had a son and divorced in 2016. Duguay also has two daughters from his earlier marriage to Robin Bobo.
Did he work as a Rangers broadcaster?
Yes. He worked as an analyst on MSG Network’s Rangers coverage from 2007 to 2018.
