Ron Duguay, a former New York Rangers forward, has died of cancer at 69, according to the Associated Press and CBC News. A Rangers spokesperson said Thursday that his family had informed the team, the AP reported.

His daughter wrote online that he died "after a hard fought battle with cancer," CBC News reported. Citing the New York Post, CBC News said he had stage 4 colon cancer. His family had started a GoFundMe this year to help pay for travel and treatment, the AP reported.

Duguay grew up in Sudbury, Ontario. The Rangers picked him 13th overall in the 1977 draft, the AP reported. He spent eight seasons in New York, the NHL said.

He helped the Rangers reach the 1979 Stanley Cup Final, CBC News reported. They lost to Montreal in five games, according to the NHL. He was an All-Star in the 1981-82 season, when he scored about a point a game, the AP reported.

He later played for Detroit, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. CBC News reported that he had 274 goals and 346 assists, for 620 points in 860 games over a dozen seasons. The AP reported 673 points when playoff games are counted.

His long, flowing hair made him a star on and off the ice. He was a regular at the Studio 54 nightclub in New York and dated Cher for a time, CBC News reported. He later took part in the first season of the CBC show Battle of the Blades.

The Rangers called him "one of the most popular players in franchise history," the AP reported. The team said his skating style, "with his hair flowing as he moved down the ice," won over fans at Madison Square Garden.

In recent years, Duguay dated former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the AP and CBC News reported. "It's with a shattered heart but also deep peace knowing Ron is with Jesus now," Palin wrote on social media, according to the AP. "He fought so hard. Love never ends."

Wayne Gretzky, a former teammate, sent a video message for a fundraiser for Duguay in September, CBC News reported.

What we know: Duguay died of cancer at 69, the Rangers said.
What we don't: Plans for a funeral or memorial.