1980s Vancouver Canucks player Mark Kirton dies after long battle with ALS
Former Vancouver Canucks centre Mark Kirton died Sunday at the age of 67.
Kirton, who played with the Canucks for three seasons in the 1980s, was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. People with ALS, a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons, have an average life expectancy of three to five years. The disease leads to the loss of mobility, the ability to eat and speak, paralysis, and respiratory failure.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Canucks alumni Mark Kirton after his courageous battle with ALS,” the Canucks said in a statement shared on social media.
“Following his diagnosis, he became a tireless advocate, founding ALS Action Canada to raise awareness and push for a cure.
“His strength and determination inspired so many, and he will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with Mark’s family, friends, and former teammates.”
A board member of ALS Action Canada, Kirton made a major impact in awareness and fundraising in the search for a cure.
“We’ve been living this nightmare for what, a few years now, and I can tell you, it’s horrific, it’s cruel, it’s torture,” Kirton said on Parliament Hill in 2024. “The challenges are not daily challenges, they’re like hourly challenges.”
Kirton was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1978 and was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for current Canucks GM Jim Rutherford in 1980. The Canucks acquired him in 1983 in a trade with Detroit for Ivan Boldirev.
Kirton scored 37 points (23-14-37) in 121 games with the Canucks. The Regina native also scored three points (1-2-3) in four games with Vancouver during the 1983 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He was also briefly a teammate of Wayne Gretzky in junior with the Peterborough Petes.
“You are a hero to me,” Gretzky told Kirton last year.
Mark Kirton visited Parliament Hill in 2024, alongside Wayne Gretzky and others (Wendy McCreary/NHL)
Kirton helped get the seven Canadian NHL teams to unite to support the ALS Super Fund, which raised over $1 million in just nine months.
“Mark could have felt sorry for himself when he was first diagnosed with ALS,” former teammate and Hockey Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler said last year. “That would have been understandable. Instead, he’s trying to help raise funds to find a cure for people who have the same thing.”
The NHL Alumni Association released a lengthy statement in tribute to Kirton on Sunday.
“Mark’s career in the NHL was defined by determination, teamwork, and heart. Off the ice, he brought those same qualities into his fight against ALS. Faced with one of life’s toughest challenges, he chose to become a voice and champion for others, raising awareness and inspiring hope,” the statement reads.
“His courage was unshakable, his advocacy was selfless, and his spirit touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Mark was not only a teammate but also a friend, mentor, and role model.
“We will remember Mark for his strength, compassion, and the legacy he leaves behind both in hockey and in the ALS community. His life was a reminder that true heroes are not only defined by their achievements but by the battles they fight with dignity and grace.
“Our deepest condolences to his wife, Lisa, and children, Adam, Sarah, and Taylor, friends, teammates, and all those whose lives he impacted. Mark will be dearly missed, but never forgotten.”
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