Former Vancouver Canucks Forward Tragically Passes Away at the Age of 67
Photo credit: Canadian Hockey League.
A former Vancouver Canucks forward, who also spent time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, has sadly passed away at the age of 67.
2025 has been a difficult year for the hockey community as we've sadly lost many great players, among them being former Vancouver Canucks goaltender and 1982 World Junior champion Frank Caprice, who passed away back in early May.
Unfortunately, we have some more sad news to share from the hockey world to Vancouver Canucks fans as a member of the club's 1982-83 team, that made the franchise's first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final, has passed away.
Former Vancouver Canucks forward Mark Kirton passes away
In a post on social media, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kirton's first team in the National Hockey League, announced that the 250+ game veteran has passed away following a lengthy battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
"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 were 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. For more information on ALS Action Canada please visit https://alsactioncanada.org" the Maple Leafs said.
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 were 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. For more information on ALS Action Canada please visit https://alsactioncanada.org" the Maple Leafs said.
Kirton began his professional hockey career in 1978-79 with the American Hockey League's New Brunswick Hawks, before making his NHL debut one season later with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team that drafted him in the third round out of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA).
During his first full year in the NHL, Kirton was traded by the Maple Leafs to their Original Six rival, the Detroit Red Wings, where he'd go on to spends parts of the next three seasons, before they shipped him off to the Vancouver Canucks.
In 119 games as a Vancouver Canuck, Kirton registered 37 points (23 goals, 14 assists), 27 penalty minutes and was a minus-21.
The thoughts of everyone here at Canucks Daily are with the family, friends and former teammates of Mark Kirton at this difficult time.
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