Keith Magnuson: The Inspiring Life and Times of a Beloved Blackhawk

by Doug Feldmann, Cliff Koroll (Foreword)

Written with the full support of Keith Magnuson’s wife and children, this thrilling and insightful biography pays tribute to a Chicago icon and true hockey legend. One of the most popular Chicago Blackhawks of all time, defenseman Keith Magnuson was raised on the raw, rough traditions of hockey in western Canada. He captained the University of Denver team to its second straight NCAA championship in the spring of 1969 and by autumn joined Blackhawks stars Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Tony Esposito, becoming the much-needed “policeman” for the team. Over the course of the next several seasons, Magnuson and the Blackhawks fell painfully short of their Stanley Cup aspirations; nonetheless, Magnuson’s leadership qualities led to his being named captain of the team. On December 15, 2003, Magnuson was in Toronto riding in a car driven by former player, Rob he was killed when the car veered over the center line and struck an oncoming vehicle. As veteran sportswriter Bob Verdi described Magnuson upon his retirement from the Blackhawks, “there have been many finer athletes in Chicago, but not one finer person,” and this biography shares the story of his remarkable life.

Genres: Hockey, Sports

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Doug Feldmann is an American author of thirteen books, focusing mainly upon baseball history and the sport's sociological impact on urban and small-town America. His work has been recognized in multiple-time nominations for the Casey Award and the Seymour Medal from the Society for American Baseball Research. He is a professor in the College of Education at Northern Kentucky University and a former baseball scout for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres. He completed his Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies at Indiana University (1999), his master's degree in Secondary Education at Rockford University (1995), and his bachelor's degree in English and History at Northern Illinois University (1992), where he was an outfielder on the baseball team and a walk-on punter on the football team.

Reviews

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book does bring a lot of in-depth stories about Keith Magnuson, it also contains just as much, if not more, of the Blackhawks teams back in the ‘70s during his time on the team.

Hockey was a different sport back then and fighting was a very big part of the game. This book will give the reader a new appreciation for what hockey was like back then, and what players had to endure on a nightly basis.

Magnuson was a rare breed that gave his complete all on and off the ice regardless of the amount of fights he won it points he scored.

This is a good read for any hockey fan who can appreciate a player giving their all for their team.

[Boni · Rating 2 out of 5]

A simple hockey read of a hard working Canadian farm boy who made good, with leadership qualities rising to the fore. Unfortunately this isn’t an autobiography so not much compelling to air, no demons, no surprising anecdotes. I always admired Keith Magnsson as a player, so it was a comforting read to see how loved he was, and deservedly so. But not so interesting a book, even if you loved his tough game.

[Rich Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I really enjoyed this book. It brought back so many memories of the early Blackhawk days when I was just a kid. Highly recommend reading it for all hockey fans.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don't cry at biographies, but that's what happened with this one. At the urging of my Dad, I picked up this book shortly after the Blackhawks were eliminated from the playoffs, to learn some more history about my favorite team. And boy did I learn a lot from this book. I also learned that I missed seeing probably the most important member of the Blackhawks in the team's history. Magnuson truly represented what it meant to be loyal to both a sport and a team. He was there for Chicago through thick and thin, always trying to help others instead of himself. I can only hope that I turn out to be half the person Maggie was. Someone who always did their best to help others no matter what the cause.

[Peter Hickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains some great stories but it was really clear that the author didn't know Magnuson and was basing his story on interviews and other newspaper articles. A biography written by Bob Verdi or other sportswriters who followed the Blackhawks during the time Magnuson played for the team would be a lot better. Also parts of the book just seemed to be about fighting in the NHL during the 70s and odd things about Blackhawks ownership/management with very little connection to the subject.