Former Canucks, Leafs, and Red Wings forward Mark Kirton sadly passed away after battling ALS for several years; Mark was an advocate against this horrible disease. Mark Kirton, a former NHL center and ALS Action Canada board member, <a href='https://www.nhl.com/news/mark-kirton-former-nhl-player-prominent-figure-in-als-fight-dies-at-67' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>sadly died on Sunday at the age of 67.</a> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/canucks/status/1957259793925853190'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Mark Kirton was diagnosed with ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2018. It is a degenerative disorder that targets the nerve cells within the spine and brain and gradually robs a person of their muscle control, the ability to move, speak, and, eventually, their capacity to breathe. <h3>A Patient's Life is Usually Claimed Within 5 Years of an ALS Diagnosis</h3> Patients generally lose their lives two to five years after they are diagnosed, but Kirton made his fight a public issue. Kirton was wheelchair-bound, and he also started ALS Action Canada in 2020 with other patients. Three years on, and through persistent campaigning, all seven Canadian NHL teams united and hosted multiple gala fundraising and awareness events with a focus on research to help fund a cure for this horrible disease. As of September 2024, the ALS Super Fund had surpassed the $1 million mark in donations, and the occasion was celebrated on Parliament Hill with the assistance of hockey legends like the great Darryl Sittler and Wayne Gretzky. He's a hero to me. - Wayne Gretzky Kirton's message of hope arrived just as ALS struck again through the hockey community, taking the life of Hall of Famer and former linemate Borje Salming in 2022, Flames executive Chris Snow in 2023, and Senators assistant coach Bob Jones in 2024. When Salming received his ALS diagnosis, it was Kirton who assisted him and his family through the very difficult process. A 48th overall selection in 1978 by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kirton spent six years in the NHL with Toronto, Detroit, and Vancouver, where he totaled 113 points in 266 games. May Mark rest in peace.