Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mark Kirton died at 67 after fighting ALS, the team announced Sunday.
Kirton was diagnosed with ALS in 2018 and was prominent in his battle against the neurogenerative disease, known to some as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He founded ALS Actions Canada with PALS in 2020, an initiative designed to find a cure. As a result of his work, the Leafs Alumni Association named Kirton as a recipient of the Carl Brewer Memorial Award.
Kirton began his NHL career with the Maple Leafs during the 1979-80 season, registering one goal in two games, then played 11 games with the Maple Leafs during the 1980-81 campaign, before joining the Detroit Red Wings. Kirton registered 57 goals, 113 points and 121 penalty minutes in 266 games with the Maple Leafs, Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks, playing his final NHL season with the Canucks during the 1984-85 campaign.
“It breaks my heart that anyone and their family should have to go through this,” Kirton said via
Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, after Borje Salming died of ALS in 2022. “Such hopelessness and so hard to stay positive, even though there are some slow-progression meds in the field.
“Make noise every time you hear the words ALS. Be loud and try to make a difference. Sooner or later, the more people know about this, then help will come all at once, like a cavalry, and our government will have to take notice.”
During an April 2023 game, the Maple Leafs presented Kirton with a cheque in recognition of funds raised for Salming and their shared fight against ALS.
“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 told NHL.com in September 2024. “The challenges are not daily challenges, they’re like hourly challenges.”
For more information on the fight against ALS and Kirton’s work, please visit alsactioncanada.org
