Cards are remembered for different reasons. The rookie card of a legend in the making, the commemoration of a milestone achievement, an error... or a photograph.
Keith Magnuson was a two-time NHL All-Star who played 11 seasons, all with the Chicago Black Hawks. In each of his first two seasons, he led the league in penalty minutes. Upon retirement, he became the Black Hawks' head coach, a position he held for two seasons.
On December 15, 2003, Magnuson was riding in a car with fellow retired NHLer Rob Ramage when Ramage swerved into oncoming traffic. Magnuson was killed. Ramage was found guilty of impaired driving and would serve prison time.
This Topps set is unattractive. I mean, Comic Sans? Most of the big cards in the set are boring player poses (Bobby Orr, Guy LaFleur, Bobby Clarke, among others). This Magnuson card, however, is anything but a studio shot, as a fisheye lens is used to photograph him in the penalty box. It's one of a kind in that way. Where is this game, New York? Pretty cool.
Mike Schopp *** - By the way, one of my absolute favorite baseball cards is so because of the picture. I'll feature it in the coming days. For those of you interested enough in this series I'll give you a few days to guess it. It's from within two years of this hockey issue and is a part of a set that's renowned for its several great action shots. The player on that card, coincidentally, like Magnuson is deceased -- and neither died of old age. That's a pretty good clue.