On April 10, 2004, nearly four months after legendary University of Denver defenseman Keith Magnuson died in a car accident, the Pioneers captured their first NCAA championship in 35 years.
It was DU’s first title since 1969 — the year Magnuson was captain. And for many of the 2004 players, coaches, alumni and fans, Magnuson’s spirit paved the way to the dramatic 1-0 victory over Maine for the title.
“Maggie and I got to know that team pretty well,” said Cliff Koroll, Magnuson’s teammate at DU with the Chicago Blackhawks. “We all believed the unfortunate accident Maggie had made him an inspiration. His spirit was with that team, especially when that one guy got tripped on the blue line.”
Ah, the trip. Matt Laatsch, a Pioneers junior defenseman at the time, said “The Trip” capped a long list of playoff events that reminded the team Magnuson was with them.
With the Pioneers clinging to a 1-0 lead, no DU player was close to the Maine skater who broke through the neutral zone and was primed to go on a breakaway. But his feet went sideways and he fell to the ice at the blue line.
Maggie got away with a penalty.
“We’re on a bad change and the guy goes in all alone, then trips at the blue line,” Laatsch said. “Explain how that happens? It seemed at times that we had somebody looking over our shoulder throughout that run.
Magnuson attended DU’s homecoming two months before his death. He and Koroll showed up at the alumni game in slacks and collared shirts, and played with just skates, gloves and a stick. Magnuson cross-checked players from the crease, hardly scared of getting hit by a slap shot from the point. He smiled the entire time. He didn’t just participate in the event. He was the event.
“Maggie was such an inspiration to anyone he met,” said former goalie Gerry Powers, who played with Magnuson on DU’s 1968 and 1969 NCAA title teams. “He never, never gave up and was such a great teammate. He was always optimistic, and he’s a big reason why we won back-to- back titles in our day.”
After Magnuson’s death, DU players wore “KM2” decals on their helmets — his initials and jersey number in college. His appearance during the 2003-04 homecoming and ensuing death put a unique stamp on a team that had little direction.
“Having Keith and Cliff Koroll for the alumni weekend was huge to us,” Laatsch said. “Maggie was the biggest alumni we had. He came in and gave us what ended up being our mission statement for the whole year. He said, ‘When you get to the event, you’ll know it.’ He had been to the Frozen Four and national championship game, and he felt like we had the team to get there.
“It was cool because it represented Keith the legend. No disrespect to any alumni, but he was it. He was larger than life. He was the guy you always hoped would come into the locker room when he was in town. He was as high up as you get with this program.
“To lose him was a pretty big blow to that team. But we always thought about ‘getting to the event.’ “
DU’s 2004 run came after getting knocked out of its league tournament in the first round. The improbable run included a 1-0 win over No. 1 North Dakota to get to the Frozen Four, then a four-goal third period in the semis for a 5-3 win over Minnesota-Duluth.
With a heavy heart, Powers enjoyed watching the ride unfold from his Denver home. He said stories about Magnuson were in full-force Friday during DU’s 60th anniversary celebration, which stretched into Saturday with the alumni game and more celebrations.
“When you get a reunion together, there is a void. You have to miss that,” Powers said. “There is a mystic about him that will live forever.”
Said Koroll: “Maggie would have been a big part of this reunion. There’s also 47 other people we’ve lost and we don’t want to forget about them as well. But Maggie would have been front and center of all the activities and probably the brunt of most jokes.”
Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com
