Ron Duguay, the long-haired Rangers star of the 1979 Stanley Cup Final run, dies at 69

Ron Duguay, the Rangers forward whose long, curly hair flowing behind him as he skated made him one of the most recognizable athletes in late-1970s New York, has died. He was 69.

The Rangers said Thursday that Duguay's family had informed the team of his death, ABC7 reported. He had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and battled the disease for more than a year, NHL.com reported, citing his interview with the New York Post. The team called him "one of the most popular players in franchise history" and said his skill, tenacity and charisma "earned him the admiration of all New Yorkers."

A Garden favorite

A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Duguay joined the Rangers straight from junior hockey after they took him with the 13th pick of the 1977 NHL Draft. He played eight of his 12 NHL seasons in New York, in 1977-83 and again in 1986-88, with stops in Detroit, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles.

He was a key part of the 1978-79 Rangers who upset the top-seeded Islanders in the semifinals and reached the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. That same year he appeared with teammates in the Sasson jeans TV ad remembered for its "Oo La La" jingle. On April 6, 1980, he scored nine seconds into a game in Philadelphia, tying a Rangers record, and he was an All-Star in 1981-82, when he scored at a point-a-game pace.

By the numbers

• Regular season: 274 goals and 346 assists, 620 points in 860 games.
• Playoffs: 31 goals and 22 assists in 89 games.
• After playing: 12 years as a Rangers analyst on MSG Network.

Late in life, Duguay was known for his relationship with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who wrote on social media that she was heartbroken. His family had started a GoFundMe earlier this year to help pay for travel and treatment, ABC7 reported.