And between the benches, one of the guys said it would be termed as a black-on-black crime. They started out with walker-type things out on the ice, and then they graduated to the point where they were scrimmaging, McKegney said. Next, select your favourite teams and leagues and well show you their latest news and scores in the My Favourites section of the home page. One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. Sorry we could not verify that email address. Tony McKegney's birthday is on 15-Feb-1958 and was born on Saturday. Find out more. Tony McKegneny (c.) with his sons, Dan (l.), and Robert. And if those people were wrong about his future in hockey, what else might they be wrong about? Lightning. "I believe if he wasn't a black individual he would have played [more] in the NHL. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Willie [ORee] had a good thing. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. - Verification Badge on your profile, Post a scouting report/trivia/player comment in English (visible here). But while Saunders was playing the role of helping others, he believes the Habs didn't really have any incentive to help him, since the team had its own players to develop. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. It saddens me to hear the accounts of the current crop of Black players and other players of color that are still facing the same obstacles and ugly behavior that I encountered when I was their age. Hes had the most success. Part of the reason McKegney wants to continue a while longer is because of sons Daniel, 2 1/2 , and Robert, 7 months. Will the Sabres make some moves today to improve their post-season chances? All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Tony McKegney Height, Weight & Measurements At 63 years old, Tony McKegney height is 1.85 m and Weight 91 kg. McKegney, while striving to help provide black youths more opportunity, will never forget the chance given him by Lowry McKegney, 70. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. When you and your teammates compete together, practice together, eat together, and grow up together, you start to see people for who they are. Saunders says Demers is one of the people who taught him the work ethic and discipline that carried him until he lost his enthusiasm for the game. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. And I just thought to myself, What are they doing out there? And I couldnt wait to go out there and join them at a year-and-a-half. Tony McKegney had 639 points over his career. The judge ordered McKegney, while on probation, to complete all assessments, counselling and treatments directed by his probation supervisor to deal with issues arising from domestic. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! - Ability to add additional data to your career profile: Videos, Images, Social Media, Referrals, Fitness Testing Results and much more! Call 1-800-GAMBLER. It appears the Sabres have made a few late deals. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Tony McKegney, 1958-02-15 Montral, QC, CAN Canada. Position: LW Shoots: Left. "They always came up with their hardest stuff, their elbows and what-not, and tried to punish me.". It is the 10th NHL season for McKegney, who will be 30 on Feb. 15, and one that he would like to make his best. And there was a ton of it, ugly stuff. While in Minnesota, Tony played for the organization for 3 years until November 13, 1986 when he was traded to the New York Rangers along with Curt Giles and Minnesota's second-round pick in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Bob Brooke and Minnesota's fourth-round choice in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. He would play 23 games with the San Diego Gulls in 1992-93 before retiring. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! The key is for him to keep working.. He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 goals and 78 points. McKegney was supposed to play in the WHA for the Birmingham Bulls, but the team illegally voided his deal after fans in Alabama threatened a boycott. Instead, he was drafted 32nd-overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1978 and went on to score over 320 goals. He said, Just turn on the red light, which means scoring a goal. But sometimes it comes back to haunt you. Saunders says it's tremendous. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: He stayed through 1983 and was a regular almost all of the time. I'd been chasing that red light since I started playing hockey at 3 years old. McKegney was the first Black Canadian hockey player to make an impact in the NHL. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. They had talks about what to do when the racist taunts would inevitably begin don't react, don't let them get to you but sure enough, when his son was a teenager, in the late '90s, an opponent called him the N-word on the ice. In Tony's second stint in Quebec, he played in 98 games for the team until January 29, 1991 when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jacques Cloutier. Lightning. A centre, he said the way they clicked on the ice was as though they'd been playing together forever. I wanted to be the best hockey player from my hometown. I'm certainly proud to have been one of the first consistent Black players in the NHL. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular seasons 80 games. Its just something I never envisioned when I was growing up seeing five black hockey players playing in the same game. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. McKegney vividly recalls the support from his parents - Lowry McKegney, a retired chemist, and Cathy McKegney. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular season's 80 games. The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox! TM: I knew John because we were teammates, we were roommates, and it seemed out of character for him. Subscribe: bit.ly/3925J0FVisit Sabres.com for moreFollow: twitter.com/BuffaloSabresLike: facebook.com/buffalosabresF. Please contact us. He decided to sign as a free agent with the Nordiques because he felt they would give him the best opportunity to play right away plus, he would be reunited with Demers. Some hockey portraits on this site are licensed from Images on Ice, Hockeys Photo Agency. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. So, there was a lot of black athletes in town in Buffalo. Last seen in the 1992-1993 season with the San Diego Gulls (IHL). Dont forget to read the Q&A we did with several Black players who spent time with the Buffalo Sabres organization. He paved the way for me. McKegney, a Montreal native who was raised in Sarnia by his adoptive family, was drafted by the Sabres with the 32nd overall pick in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. Customize your Sportsnet lineup for the latest news from your favourite leagues and teams. You learn that what matters most is their work ethic, their commitment, their passion, their personality, maybe their sense of humor -- certainly not the way they look. He sat down with Donnovan Bennett to discuss the struggles, success and lessons that came. So that support carried over all the negative stuff that happened. You get one kick at the can, as they say, in life. He was the fifth black man to play in the league. Bailey has appeared in three games with the Canucks this season and was placed on injured reserve on February 12 with an upper-body injury. I was the second to be adopted, McKegney, a St. Louis Blues forward, said of the white family in Sarnia, Ontario, he became part of before he was 1 year old. I suppressed a lot of things over the years. But the homeowner's and the coach's comments were unwelcomed reminders that people were constantly viewing me through the lens of my race -- even when I just wanted to be a home renter, or a hockey player. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. There was nothing special about the goal. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. We celebrate Willie ORee, the first black player in the NHL, and maybe mention Mike Marson, who was the second, then the conversation shifts all the way to the unprecedented diversity we see in the game today. Approaching the All-Star break, McKegney led the club with 26 goals. I was trying to convey something that I think is still true today: Sports can be the common denominator that brings people together. ago] Height 6.01 -- Weight 200 [185 cm/91 kg] Drafted by Buffalo Sabres - round 2 #32 overall 1978 NHL Amateur Draft Regular Season Playoffs; It's not the 40 goals I scored. He has no evidence, he says, but he figures race had something to do with it. SN: Trevor Daley went through a difficult, racially insensitive experience with John Vanbiesbrouck. And that was the Buffalo Sabres. McKegney was 20, playing junior hockey for Kingston in the Ontario Hockey Association, when the Buffalo Sabres made him their second-round choice in the 1978 draft. At the age of 20, Tony signed a contract with the now defunct World Hockey Associations (WHA) team in Birmingham, Alabama only to see the owner illegally renege on the deal after fans threatened to boycott the team for having added a black player to its roster. / Special to NHL.com, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. He was told teams were interested in trading for him, but the Nordiques didn't let him go. I remember the dedication that my parents put into it when we were younger, driving us to rinks at 7 in the morning, he said. He got out of his contract, went back to Michigan and started playing for the Kalamazoo Wings, an International Hockey League team, while establishing himself at Upjohn, a pharmaceutical company. Lightning | Game 61, Sabres Acquire Jordan Greenway, Austin Strand. Tony was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. Other blacks are forward Dirk Graham of the Minnesota North Stars, goaltender Eldon Pokey Reddick and forward Paul Neufeld of the Winnipeg Jets. He is 64 years old. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. All Rights Reserved. Tony McKegney had 320 goals over his career. Go inside the Hockey Reference Database. - Improve your search rank Your existing password has not been changed. McKegney would remain with the Sabres through the 1982-83 season before enjoying a lengthy NHL career that took him across the United States and into Canada. The hockey portion and the support from teammates and my parents and other hockey parents all the way along got me through it. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. I think his biggest value to our club has been his ability to score, Blues coach Jacques Martin said. "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32nd overall), 1978 NHL Amateur. He believes he could have had a 10-year career in the NHL if he had been given a proper shot. Not a lot from opposing, players, but more so from fans, that they just couldnt handle the fact that the pure white sport, was being dominated by a black kid and that was me. Tony McKegney is a member of famous Ice Hockey list. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2023. It was wintertime and my dad had floodlights out there. Tony McKegney (born Anthony Syiid McKegney on February 15, 1958) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played in the NHL for 13 seasons from 1978-79 until 1990-91. Until we get rinks in the inner (American) cities, I dont think thats going to change.. But I had a rink in my backyard, my own playground. McKegney left the NHL after 1990-91 with 639 points (320 goals, 319 assists). Submit changes (incorrect DOB, missing stats, incorrect stats, social media links etc) using a web form and we will review your update request within 24 hours and update accordingly. SN: When you were playing hockey as youngster, there werent many black faces for you to see when you watched NHL games on Saturday nights. Tony was adopted by the McKegney family when he was an infant. Tony McKegney. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. (Tony) McKegney will need to be working on his paddle stroke or riding as a passenger. It's the kind of impact that wins, losses, and point totals can't capture. "One of the nicest things I hear from young people is they felt because I was there playing they felt they could be accepted in hockey," McKegney told The Buffalo News in 2017. He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. by Today, were giving a quick shoutout to former Buffalo Sabres forward Justin Bailey. Then he was dealt to the Nordiques in a massive swap involving Quebecs Real Cloutier. 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Saunders, a right-winger, played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80 and 1980-81. 6-0 , 200lb (183cm, 90kg) Born: February 15 , 1958 (Age: 64-344d) in Montreal, Quebec ca. And my brother was four years older than me and and took a lot more abuse than I did. He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 . Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Part one focused on diversity and race in hockey, while part two reflected back on their time with the Sabres/Amerks. Contents 1 Playing Career 2 Post-Playing Career 3 Career Statistics 4 Accolades 5 Personal Life Playing Career So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games. Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Tony sun sign is Aquarius and his birth flower is Violet & Primrose. 32) of the 1978 NHL Draft. But he was reassigned to the minors. Tony McKegney. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. TM: Everything. "I was just this shy, quiet kid in Chteauguay. "It felt like they were ripping out my heart. As of this date, Sue is single. I tried to, basically, suppress a lot of those feelings back then, and I just buried a lot of things. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. All rights reserved. Tony McKegney has not been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame. How does that make you feel? Since then, he has played for five NHL teams - Buffalo, Quebec, Minnesota, New York and St. Louis - scoring a career-high 37 goals in 1980-81. And I followed the advice that the great Willie O'Ree has given so many times: channel your energy into lighting the red light. SN: Was there a brotherhood among the black players in the league? "I was incredulous. 710K subscribers Tony McKegney is one of the pioneers of breaking the colour barrier within the NHL. People weren't used to seeing a Black player succeed on the ice. 'We've taken one step forward and two back': Willie O'Ree on fighting racism in sports, This rural Ontario black hockey line broke barriers producing generations of star players, Being Black in Canada: Highlighting the Black experience, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. It was my 10th season in the League, and I'd gotten more comfortable over time. They were there for me for the most part. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. Saunders was a shy, quiet kid with a remarkable work ethic, Bassin recalls. By midseason, people started to notice. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77.

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