Longtime NHL forward passes away at age 67 after long battle with ALS
Photo credit: NHL.com
We have tragic news to report, as former Red Wings and Maple Leafs winger Mark Kirton has passed away from ALS at the age of 67.
Mark Kirton was a former Detroit Red Wing and played with the Original Six squad from 1980 to 1983.
Kirton, a 48th overall draft pick by the Maple Leafs, saw his career extend beyond just the Maple Leafs and Red Wings as he played for the Vancouver Canucks before jumping to the AHL.
We are saddened to learn of the passing of Mark Kirton following a battle with ALS.
Mark made his NHL debut with the blue and white and would go on to spend 8 seasons in the NHL. In 2018, he was diagnosed with ALS, and in 2020, he founded ALS Action Canada with PALS (Patients with ALS), a patient-led initiative to find a cure. The Leafs Alumni Association was proud to name Mark a recent recipient of the Carl Brewer Memorial Award in recognition of his work.
Our thoughts are with Mark's friends and family during this time.
Mark made his NHL debut with the blue and white and would go on to spend 8 seasons in the NHL. In 2018, he was diagnosed with ALS, and in 2020, he founded ALS Action Canada with PALS (Patients with ALS), a patient-led initiative to find a cure. The Leafs Alumni Association was proud to name Mark a recent recipient of the Carl Brewer Memorial Award in recognition of his work.
Our thoughts are with Mark's friends and family during this time.
There he'd play for the Newmarket Saints and the Fredericton Express following the end of his NHL career.
His NHL career concluded with him playing 266 games, scoring 113 points (57-56).
Mark Kirton and the ALS Diagnosis
Kirton would be diagnosed with the terrible ALS disease in 2018 and would begin his fight then. He'd have the support of NHLers like Wayne Gretzky in his corner and the Edmonton Oilers' president of hockey operations, Jeff Jackson.
With the help of Jackson, Kirton would continue his fight for himself and his compatriots, who would be battling the disease, like Borje Salming, Bob Jones, and Chris Snow, who have fallen victim to ALS.
Kirton fought to the very end and had help along the way, but unfortunately for this former Red Wing, he passed away too young.
Previously on HawksInsider
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