December 15, 2003: Black Monday in the hockey world, darkest of all for Chicago’s Blackhawk nation. 

That was the day that Keith Magnuson, rugged defenseman and beloved hero of working-class Chicago, perished in a car crash. He was 56 years old and survived by two children: daughter Molly and son Kevin, a fellow defenseman who played Division I hockey but fell short of the NHL. Nevertheless, the Blackhawks’ robust Alumni Association considers him one of their own. It is a fraternity that many consider sacred. 

Immediately after the Miracle on Ice, Jack O’Callahan came to the Blackhawks and played under the floppy redhead known as Maggie. 

“He was my first coach after the Olympics,” O’Callahan said of Keith Magnuson. “We became very close.” 

When the former Boston University champion ultimately retired as a New Jersey Devil in 1989, he returned to Chicago, where Magnuson, then president of the Blackhawks Alumni, brought O’Callahan back into the fold.

“A really good group up there,” O’Callahan said. “Guys like [Dave] Mackey and Cliffy [Korrol] and Maggie and Troy Murray, all these guys, how close we were, just a big crew.” 

The children of these Red and Black warriors of the ‘80s were swept inside that same loving tent. The Hawks’ next generation included C.J. Koroll, Dave Mackey’s twins Ian and Connor, and, of course, Kevin Magnuson, Keith’s son who shared so many of his dad’s attributes.

Former @umichhockey Natty Champ Kevin Magnuson will always cherish the fact that his dad Keith, a former NCAA champ with @DU_Hockey, got to share the moment. Blackhawks legend known as "Maggie" perished in a car crash December 15, 2003 pic.twitter.com/80g4ThqVyb

— Tim Rappleye (@teeraps) December 12, 2019

“The twinkle in his eye,” O’Callahan said fondly, who has become great friends with Kevin. 

“It starts with that full head of red hair,” former Blackhawk Dave Mackey said with a laugh, one of the last people to see Keith alive. “The day before his death he called me up to do a skate. It was called ‘Save the Rink’ up in Zion. I had a chance to spend a couple of hours with him at a rink.” 

Mackey then got wistful at the memory of the man who gave so much of himself to the community. 

“Boy . . . I learned a lot from him.”

Magnuson, while president of the Blackhawks Alumni, gave Mackey’s twin boys a life lesson when they were barely 6 years old. 

“Keith popped open the trunk of his car and gave them shinny sticks,” Mackey recalled. “He got down on one knee and shook my boys’ hand. Of course, they gave him that limp little handshake.” 

Mackey will never forget Keith’s big paws clamping down on his sons’, and then sharing a message they carry to this day: “When you shake a man’s hand, look him in the eye.”

The elder Mackey continues to live in the aura of the red-headed legend through Kevin Magnuson, now a lawyer who represents his son Connor as his family advisor. Fifteen years after learning the value of a firm handshake, Connor Mackey has grown into a sure-fire NHL prospect playing for Minnesota State. The elder Mackey is completely secure in his son’s representation. 

Connor Mackey skating for the No. 1-ranked Minnesota State Mavericks.

“Knowing Keith, and the family, you’re definitely in good hands.” 

Rather than funnel his son directly to young Magnuson, Dave Mackey allowed Connor to make his own decision when choosing a family advisor. Connor met with several candidates before common sense kicked in. 

“What are we waiting for?” said Connor to his dad. “Why wouldn’t I go with Magnuson?”

“It came down to trust and communication,” Mackey said. “There’s a lot of history there. It’s cool for us to know his father. We’re obviously very happy having Kevin represent my son.”

Had O’Callahan sought representation for his own kin, Kevin Magnuson would have been a no-brainer. 

“Hypothetically, I wouldn’t hesitate to send my son to Kevin. He’s ethical, got a big heart, intellect, honest, and like his dad, he’s a fighter, too.”

O’Callahan is not surprised that Magnuson declined to participate in this story.

“Kevin is the kind of guy that eschews publicity. It’s not his thing.” 

Kevin Magnuson’s “thing” is giving, just like his father. The Special Olympics chapter in Chicago is just one example of his charity work.

“He’s the spitting image of his dad,” Mackey said. “To see him get back with the Special Olympics is a testament to him, continuing his father’s legacy.”

The Mackey clan will be counting on Kevin this spring. Thanks to summer school, Connor has accelerated through Minnesota State and will graduate after his junior year. As an undrafted late bloomer, he will be a free agent after this college season. Magnuson, Dave Mackey, and MSU coach Mike Hastings will be part of the team helping Connor sift through the suitors and asses his options. But for now, Job No. 1 for Mackey and company is to help Minnesota State get to college hockey’s promised land. Mackey hopes to claim the same precious ring that the two Magnusons and O’Callahan have all earned.

“His goal is to win a national championship,” said the elder Mackey. “Whenever the season ends, that’s when Kevin will be busy.”

Tim Rappleye is the author of Jack Parker's Wiseguys: The National Champion BU Terriers, the Blizzard of '78, and the Road to the Miracle on Ice. He can be reached on Twitter @TeeRaps.