John Ferguson, Dave Schultz, Terry O’Reilly, the Plager brothers . . . there were plenty of bad dudes in the NHL during Keith Magnuson’s playing days. He fought them all and lost to most of them–Carol Vadnais being a notable exception.
But it wasn’t his fighting ability that distinguished Keith Magnuson, it was his fighting spirit. As much as the great Bobby Hull or Stan Mikita, he came to symbolize a proud, talented Blackhawks team that was great fun to watch and follow.
Modest talent, im-measurable desire. The Stadium crowds loved him.
And off the ice you couldn’t find a more decent man. Magnuson would sooner back down from a dropped-gloves challenge than say no to a charity or affect the trappings of celebrity.
First Lloyd Pettit, now Keith Magnuson. It has been a tough year for those of us who remember when hockey used to matter.