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5h ago

ALS Advocate and Former NHL Forward Mark Kirton Dies at 67

His 2018 diagnosis spurred public advocacy seen from NHL arenas to Parliament Hill.

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Photo of former Canuck Mark Kirton at his home in Oakville, Ontario where he still manages to manipulate a keyboard with one finger.
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Overview

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and the NHL Alumni Association announced his death on Sunday after a seven-year fight with ALS.
  • He helped found ALS Action Canada and later served on its board, focusing on research, awareness and support for people living with the disease.
  • He united all seven Canadian NHL teams behind the ALS Super Fund, a campaign that raised more than $1 million in nine months and was highlighted on Parliament Hill.
  • Drafted 48th overall by Toronto in 1978, he played 266 NHL games from 1979 to 1985 with the Maple Leafs, Red Wings and Canucks, totaling 113 points.
  • He received the Leafs Alumni Association's Carl Brewer Memorial Award for his ALS work, and is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their three children.