Rob Ramage Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for DUI Death

Back in October, we reported that ex-NHL player Rob Ramage had been found guilty in the death of fellow former player Keith Magnuson. The charge? Impaired driving causing death.

The death seemed ironic since both men had just been at a funeral to mourn the death of another hockey personality. While sources and friends claimed Ramage wasn't drunk, blood tests showed Ramage had FOUR time the legal blood alcohol limit, and was more blotto than Chief Engineer Scotty.

Today, Ramage was sentenced for his crime, and got off quite light, it would seem.

Rob Ramage was called an "exemplary citizen" Thursday, but an Ontario judge said he had to send a message of deterrence against drunk driving and ordered Mr. Ramage to prison for four years for a crash that killed his friend, a former Chicago Blackhawks player.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Alexander Sosna called the accident that killed Keith Magnuson, when a car driven by Mr. Ramage slammed head-on into another vehicle just north of Toronto, on Dec. 15, 2003, "tragic and senseless."

Let's not forget that a Missouri jury already awarded the Magnuson family $9.5 million in their civil suit against Ramage and National Car Rentals of Canada, so it's not as if Ramage isn't going to suffer financially for this ordeal.

Of course, this story isn't QUITE over, since Ramage plans to appeal the sentence. Rather than just serve his rather lenient four years (which would be less with good behavior), Ramage wants to drag this out and deny his responsibility in the manner. How 'exemplary' of him.