Magnuson played 589 career NHL games, all with the Chicago Black Hawks, wearing # 3, and scoring 14 goals and 125 assists for 139 points. Although he did not score many goals, he was a part of a solid defensive team with the Blackhawks. Perhaps his most telling statistic is his 1,442 career penalty minutes, which included many fighting majors. For a few seasons, Magnuson was captain of the Chicago Blackhawks team. In April 1970, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In 1971 and 1972, Magnuson played in the National Hockey League All-Star Game. He never played for a Stanley Cup winner, losing in the finals twice in 1971 and 1973 both to the Montreal Canadiens. Prior to his NHL career, Magnuson was a two time All-American at the University of Denver, who led his team to two consecutive NCAA titles in 1968 and 1969.
Magnuson was the great uncle to Major League Baseball pitcher Trystan Magnuson and uncle to former Canadian Football League player, Quinn Magnuson. His son Kevin was a member of the 1998 NCAA Ice Hockey Championship team at the University of Michigan and is now a NHLPA registered player agent and lawyer.
Awards and honours:
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| All-WCHA First Team | 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 | |
| AHCA West All-American | 1967–68 1968–69 | |
| All-NCAA All-Tournament First Team | 1968, 1969 |