When I started in the league, I never would have guessed. Id like to make the best of the last couple of years.. SN: What were the conversations like with your parents about it? When you and your teammates compete together, practice together, eat together, and grow up together, you start to see people for who they are. I tried to, basically, suppress a lot of those feelings back then, and I just buried a lot of things. Browse 82 tony mckegney stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Saunders was sent back to the minors, without any explanation. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. Position: LW Shoots: Left. Do you have a sports website? Tony McKegney - Elite Prospects Call 1-800-GAMBLER. But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. It's the number of Black players who have ever scored 40 goals in an NHL season. I guess, if you could say, the guy thats done the best is probably Grant Fuhr, McKegney said of the Edmonton goalie. "It was just time. Tony McKegney was born on February 15, 1958. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. One of his teammates even offered to rent his apartment to Saunders, thinking he would need one since he'd be there long term. Fast forward to 1987-88, and my performance in the NHL was helping to prove the stereotypes wrong. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. Buffalo Sabres Schedule, Roster, News, and Rumors | Die By The Blade, Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney, Game Thread: Sabres vs. Sabres Send Asplund to Nashville for 7th Rounder, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline: Open Thread & How To Watch. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. So I did the only thing I could do: I focused on perseverance. I'm certainly proud to have been one of the first consistent Black players in the NHL. Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. Years later, I found out I was one of the reasons why. "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. While in Chteauguay, he played for Jacques Demers, who went on to coach the Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens. Tony McKegney spoke about his experience being one of the few black players in the NHL and how the league has progressed since his playing days. But on the. He believes the colour of his skin is part of the reason he didn't. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. His older brother John was the first to lace up skates. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. Like I said, numbers never tell the whole story. 8 9 25 25 10 7 14 11. When sports are at their best, that's what they can do. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. TM: I remember mentioning to Grant Fuhr, it mightve been an All-Star Game or something, I said, Youre lucky. You sort of never felt like you were different. He vowed his sons would never play, but his eldest, Jonathan, had other plans. "I could deal with it individually, but to see my son go through it was just overwhelming.". TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. In fact, I didn't play against another Black hockey player for nearly 18 years -- when Ray Neufeld, Grant Fuhr, and I were all active in the League. Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Hockey Reference Database. Because you never forget scoring 40 in one year. His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. Pioneers like Willie O'Ree, Angela James and Grant Fuhr will be featured. He heard the N-word on the ice and from fans in the stands, and opponents always made sure to finish their checks on him. The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. That year, he also played against a team from Birmingham, Ala. His first game there, team executives told him he might be shot, so he went into the arena with extra protection. It was wintertime and my dad had floodlights out there. Well give you the latest news when it becomes available, or feel free to add some more selections to My Favourites. 2023 Getty Images. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Tony McKegney, 1958-02-15 Montral, QC, CAN Canada. They were there for me for the most part. Oilers' Mike Green out three to four weeks with knee injury, Islanders re-assign Josh Ho-Sang to Blues' AHL affiliate. He appeared in 363 regular-season games with Buffalo, putting up 127 goals and adding 141 assists. My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features. There was nothing special about the goal. Your existing password has not been changed. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. Complete player biography and stats. He said, Just turn on the red light, which means scoring a goal. Go beyond the basics. Height, Weight & Physical Stats: Tony McKegney is 6 feet 1 inches tall and weight 90.7 kilograms. I know there werent very many [black players]. Approaching the All-Star break, McKegney led the club with 26 goals. Anytime I faced adversity, I said, Okay, Im going to put a couple of pucks in the net today for sure. And I was just going to show everybody that I was as good or better than them. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. He continued to score despite playing no more than three seasons with the same team for the rest of his career. Complete record of every goal scored or assisted by the player. 'I loved the game, but the game didn't love me': How hockey shaped one of NHL's first black players on and off the ice | CBC News Loaded. 1989-1990 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (1) 1987-1988 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (4) 1986-1987 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (1) 1985-1986 Postseason Fight Card NHL (2) 1983-1984 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (1) Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. TM: I just would tell them to persevere. Tony McKegney Stats and News | NHL.com Jarome Iginla gave me a very nice compliment when he said he felt he was at home on the ice and in the school yard, because he could say, Hey, Tony McKegney, hes playing in the NHL. He felt like he belonged on a hockey rink because I was out there. SN: Trevor was able to persevere. He has three 30-goal seasons. SN: When you got to the league was it a lonely existence for you? If I could be half the man my father was, Id be doing pretty well, he said. His NHL career ended with nine games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1990-91, but he went on to play for the Canadian National Team, overseas in Italy with Varese HC and in the IHL with the San Diego Gulls before hanging up the skates in 1993. I feel that I had a pretty good upbringing. Jarome Iginla. Even now, when I tell the story of the 1987-1988 season, I use a lot of numbers to explain why the season turned out so special. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Former Sabres player charged for violating order of protection Never fully comfortable: Maple Leafs Kerfoot and the trade he dodged, Canucks commit to re-tooling over re-building with Hronek addition, On a career heater, Nugent-Hopkins four-point night helps Oilers ground Jets. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. While in Fredericton, he says the coach told him he may play a couple dozen games at the NHL level, but his main role would be to tutor the other players. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. One was Saunders. Its just something I never envisioned when I was growing up seeing five black hockey players playing in the same game. Tony McKegney was bom in Montreal, Quebec, in February of 1958 to a Nigerian father and Canadian mother. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. It's a big deal that Grant, Willie, and now Jarome have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Then the Buffalo Braves were there, the basketball team. Please contact us. It was like, all the emotions from my career, my life: it was too much for me," the elder Saunders said. I remember the reporter asking me about growing up in a town where there were only two Black families among 50,000 people. Amateur Teams: Kingston Canadians. Following his time in Buffalo, he spent two seasons with the Quebec Nordiques, then made stops in Minnesota (North Stars), New York (Rangers), St. Louis and Detroit before finding his way back to Quebec. TM: I liked all sports. I always loved the game, but I didn't see myself reflected in it. He signed with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association, but that news generated a great deal of hate mail, etc., in the South. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. His best season came with the St. Louis Blues in 1987-88, when he had NHL career highs of 40 goals and 78 points. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. 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. How does that make you feel? Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? He played four games with the Nordiques at the end of the 1979-80 season, the team's first season in the NHL. "We just felt like other Canadian boys and wanted to play hockey.". 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. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. He believes he could have had a 10-year career in the NHL if he had been given a proper shot. McKegney had been expected to sign with Birmingham of the World Hockey Association, but the deal fell through and he was taken by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round (No. Subscribe: bit.ly/3925J0FVisit Sabres.com for moreFollow: twitter.com/BuffaloSabresLike: facebook.com/buffalosabresF. Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Odds & lines subject to change. This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Tony McKegney So, there was a lot of black athletes in town in Buffalo. But hockey was a window of opportunity because we saw people from our area making it. Why did you feel like that was necessary? McKegney, Tony 1958- | Encyclopedia.com Judge to former NHLer Tony McKegney: 'You were a danger to yourself' Reality doesn't always add up. After completing the 1990-91 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Tony would spend a season in Italy with HC Varese as well as three games with the Canadian National Team. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Part one focused on diversity and race in hockey, while part two reflected back on their time with the Sabres/Amerks. McKegney was born in Montreal and adopted by a white family in Sarnia. My mother and father -- who adopted me from an orphanage in Montreal, and who happen to be white -- built a hockey rink in our backyard every winter, where I'd skate with my siblings. Data Provided By He is 64 years old. Search instead in Creative? NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Forward Born Feb 15 1958 -- Montreal, PQ [65 yrs. He was coaching the Pickering Panthers, a Junior B team, when he suspended four players for breaking a rule and got four replacements from a lower-level team. They started out with walker-type things out on the ice, and then they graduated to the point where they were scrimmaging, McKegney said. Tony S McKegney, 64 - East Amherst, NY - Has Court or Arrest Records Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. Tony McKegney Goal vs. Toronto 12/13/80 - YouTube To me, there is no better example of such a player than Tony McKegney, who played 13 seasons in the NHL and was the first star of colour. Youre a great player. He has no evidence, he says, but he figures race had something to do with it. When I came along, obviously there were comments made, but I was so focused on what was happening on the ice. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. Want to more about Him? WHA hat tricks courtesy Scott Surgent. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.. TM: I heard some stories about the tough guys like George Laraque, Peter Worrell and Donald Brashear, and apparently it was absolutely brutal for those guys in Quebec. Transaction information may be incomplete. Black History Month spotlight: McKegney opens doors, fills nets So, we laughed about it later on over a few beers. Lightning | Game 61, Sabres Acquire Jordan Greenway, Austin Strand. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! The focus was just on playing hockey. "I got a lot of feedback from people in Canada that they were accepted in the schoolyard or outdoor rink because they could point to me as being a person of color playing in the National Hockey League. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. Hockey players like Akim Aliu, Mark Fraser, and Matt Dumba are just a few of the guys using their voice in meaningful ways. Still, I'd been thinking about that particular goal mark for a while. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. - Ability to add additional data to your career profile: Videos, Images, Social Media, Referrals, Fitness Testing Results and much more! 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. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Editor's note: As part of the NHL celebrating Black History Month throughout February, NHL.com will present first-person essays by some of the game's key Black players and executives. SN: If you had a chance to talk to the young African-Canadian and African-American kids coming into the game, what would you tell them that you wish youd known? McKegney left the NHL after 1990-91 with 639 points (320 goals, 319 assists). After leaving the NHL, he had a long, successful career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Tony McKegney Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki-Bio, Family In February 1988, I was interviewed for an article called "Tony McKegney Makes His Mark in the NHL," where I talked about how the season was going and importance of role models. Contents 1 Playing Career 2 Post-Playing Career 3 Career Statistics 4 Accolades 5 Personal Life Playing Career Collect, curate and comment on your files. With St. Louis, a team decimated this season by injuries, his presence has been more valued than ever was expected. Drafted 1974, 1 #2 overall by Kingston Canadians in the OHL Priority Selection, Cult/Star player for Kingston Frontenacs. Brother: Ian McKegney Today, were giving a quick shoutout to former Buffalo Sabres forward Justin Bailey. "We were so influenced by Hockey Night in Canada," he said, of himself and John. We didn't recognize that password reset code. 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. "I believe if he wasn't a black individual he would have played [more] in the NHL. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Tony McKegney.

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