Keith Magnuson
Canadian ice hockey player
Died when: 56 years 232 days (679 months)Star Sign: Taurus
Keith Arlen Magnuson (April 27, 1947 – December 15, 2003) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman from Wadena, Saskatchewan who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1969 and 1979.
Magnuson played 589 career NHL games, all with the Chicago Black Hawks, wearing # 3, and scoring 14 goals and 125 assists for 139 points.Although he didn't score many goals, he was a part of a solid defensive team with the Blackhawks.
Perhaps his most telling statistic is his 1,442 career penalty minutes, which included many fighting majors.For a few seasons, Magnuson was captain of the Chicago Blackhawks team.
In April 1970, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.In 1971 and 1972, Magnuson played in the National Hockey League All-Star Game.
He never played for a Stanley Cup winner, losing in the finals twice in 1971 and 1973 both to the Montreal Canadiens.
Prior to his NHL career, Magnuson was a two time All-American at the University of Denver, who led his team to two consecutive NCAA titles in 1968 and 1969.
Magnuson was the great uncle to Major League Baseball pitcher Trystan Magnuson and uncle to former Canadian Football League player, .
His son Kevin was a member of the 1998 NCAA Ice Hockey Championship team at the University of Michigan and is now a NHLPA registered player agent and lawyer.
Magnuson was killed in an auto accident in Vaughan, Ontario.Fellow NHL alumnus Rob Ramage was behind the wheel (Ramage survived the accident and later found guilty of impaired driving causing death).