He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. Last seen in the 1992-1993 season with the San Diego Gulls (IHL). Hockey was like that for me -- I was constantly focused on numbers. He sat down with Donnovan Bennett to discuss the struggles, success and lessons that came. He was also able to open doors and create a level of acceptance for young black players who could point to him and his contemporaries as successes. I was there in the audience watching the games, and I heard the comments that were [made about him]. Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. There was nothing special about the goal. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. Buy his book. Tony McKegney, former NHLer and ambassador for, Hockey is for Everyone, congratulates a participant during the clinic sponsored by the NHL and the. We only use official stats. 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. Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). BIOGRAPHY. McKegney was arrested June 23 and pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal contempt on July 8, according to court records. Today we look at former NHL forward Tony McKegney. 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. You reached out to him afterwards. SN: When you got to the league was it a lonely existence for you? 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. "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". He continued to score despite playing no more than three seasons with the same team for the rest of his career. So Bassin gave him that chance. 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. TM: Everything. 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. Before Jarome was an NHL superstar and represented Canada in three Olympics, he was just like every other Canadian kid playing ball hockey in the school yard -- except he stood out for looking different than the 'typical' hockey player.
It's also available for football, basketball and baseball. "We just felt like other Canadian boys and wanted to play hockey.". TM: It just made me want to be better. That's where he met Guy Carbonneau, who was in his first full professional season. 710K subscribers Tony McKegney is one of the pioneers of breaking the colour barrier within the NHL. Why did you feel like that was necessary? of 1 Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. TM: I knew John because we were teammates, we were roommates, and it seemed out of character for him.
Tony S McKegney, 64 - East Amherst, NY - Has Court or Arrest Records SN: What were the conversations like with your parents about it? SN: Trevor was able to persevere. As part of the NHL's celebration of Black History Month, NHL.com will highlight great moments and important figures in black hockey history each day throughout February. When submitting content, please abide by our, Hockey Night in Canada: Senators vs. Blue Jackets on Sportsnet, Watch Hockey Night in Canada with Steve Dangle: Oilers vs. Enter your email address to get a new one.
Tony McKegney Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com Sabres Send Asplund to Nashville for 7th Rounder, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline: Open Thread & How To Watch. The conversation about black players in hockey is often a binary one even during Black History Month. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. Tony McKegney has never won a Stanley Cup as a player.
Tony McKegney Makes His Mark in the NHL | AP News Who was the first Black player to top 40 goals in an NHL season? 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.
Tony McKegney Net Worth, Age, Bio, Birthday, Height, Facts Subscribe: bit.ly/3925J0FVisit Sabres.com for moreFollow: twitter.com/BuffaloSabresLike: facebook.com/buffalosabresF. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. * Some data is missing to provide a correct summary. They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. His older brother John was the first to lace up skates. And I said to myself, Geez, this is great. It was awesome to see these guys and theyre all good players. He vowed his sons would never play, but his eldest, Jonathan, had other plans. Thats basically what got me where I am today., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 . "Everything Bernie Saunders has, he earned, in spite of [whether] there's been prejudice along the way.". Sabres Host Lightning in Saturday Matinee. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 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. Join our linker program. Tony McKegney had 320 goals over his career. Today, were giving a quick shoutout to former Buffalo Sabres forward Justin Bailey. "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. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. But I cherish everything about that goal that found my stick in the last minute of the last game of my 1987-88 season with the St. Louis Blues. Bassin knew Saunders was getting racist taunts, but said Saunders always handled it in stride and never let it get to him. Or write about sports? More Tony McKegney videos. His supporters created a fan club. He still remembers, almost 50 years later, the smile on Saunders's face when he was told he wasn't going back to his old team. I was too timid to talk to a girl. Akim Aliu hasnt had the same ability to bounce back from his difficult treatment in the game. 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. 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. He would play 23 games with the San Diego Gulls in 1992-93 before retiring. Another referee determined he made a kicking motion and gave him a match penalty. SN: What were the conversations like between you and your brother about the abuse he faced? It was a simple chip-in that just dribbled through the goalie's pads. Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL.
tony mckegney family '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. McKegney spent less than two years with the Nordiques, and had several more stops around the NHL during the next several seasons. Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. Transaction information may be incomplete. By submitting a comment, you accept that CBC has the right to reproduce and publish that comment in whole or in part, in any manner CBC chooses. Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. He believes he could have had a 10-year career in the NHL if he had been given a proper shot. Oilers' Mike Green out three to four weeks with knee injury, Islanders re-assign Josh Ho-Sang to Blues' AHL affiliate. The people in our hometown of Sarnia, Ont., were so supportive through sports. 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. So, we laughed about it later on over a few beers. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. One of his greatest disappointments is not being included in conversations about the first black NHL hockey players, but he insists he feels no animosity. 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. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. "People just forget me because I didn't play. Sorry we could not verify that email address. Sometimes what has been said in the past is that once hes established he doesnt produce as much. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. He jumped to the AHL's Hershey. The things he went through were things I experienced in my time. Until we get rinks in the inner (American) cities, I dont think thats going to change.. Go inside the Hockey Reference Database. 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. The second person to achieve (and ultimately surpass) this milestone? Hes had the most success. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. I loved basketball, football, baseball, golf. He was told teams were interested in trading for him, but the Nordiques didn't let him go. He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.". His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. He played six games and didn't score, but played well. Two years ago, when he scored 15 times and had 25 assists, was the only season he scored fewer than 23 goals or compiled fewer than 45 points. "I think for us growing and trying to make it into the NHL, guys like [Bernie], who help you and calm you at the right time, it was huge.". I didnt talk to many people about it.
Former Sabres player charged for violating order of protection [RELATED: Black History Month coverage |Hockey Is For Everyone coverage]. McKegney was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. One house seemed perfect for me and my wife, Sue. Go beyond the basics. Saunders scored twice in his debut, and it quickly became clear to Bassin he should have been playing at a higher level.
Judge to former NHLer Tony McKegney: 'You were a danger to yourself' Did that ever dissuade you at all from getting into the game? Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. He has a copy of a newspaper article following a game in Rochester, N.Y., that mentions a fan who heard people yelling the N-word at him all night. But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. Id like to make the best of the last couple of years.. Today, Tony McKegney, the first Black player to score 40 goals in an NHL season, tells his story of overcoming racial bias and serving as inspiration for Jarome Iginla, the only other Black.
Sabres Tony Mckegney Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Brother: Ian McKegney
During his first stint in Quebec, he played for the team until December 14, 1984 when he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars along with Bo Berglund in exchange for Brad Maxwell and Brent Ashton. by TM: No, not really. "I could not imagine [why] this guy wasn't given a better opportunity," Bassin said. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. After leaving the NHL, he had a long, successful career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. I probably should have, and I never did that. My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The subtext of the situation was clear: Because I'm a Black man, there were certain things the homeowner felt like I couldn't or shouldn't do. He was released on his own recognizance by City Court. But I always wanted to be, and knew I could be, a dominant player. 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. He is vaguely aware of the recent push to change hockey culture. 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. And the NHL has done a great job with helping. 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 signed with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association, but that news generated a great deal of hate mail, etc., in the South. He scored a goal in that game and got a standing ovation from the crowd. It seemed very normal to me, and no one in our neighborhood or city really treated us any different, he said. It's the number of Black players who have ever scored 40 goals in an NHL season. On June 15, 1989, Tony was traded to the Detroit Red Wings along with Bernie Federko in exchange for Adam Oates and Paul MacLean. There hadnt been many blacks in the NHL when he arrived, but hopefully his talent made quite a few people color-blind.
Tony McKegney Goal vs. Toronto 12/13/80 - YouTube As a teenager, he played for Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. Hockey made me gave me all the confidence in the world.". We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. He talked about him, his brother Ian, and his mother who lives in Kincardine. He is to appear in court in Belleville, Ontario, on May 18. I was trying to convey something that I think is still true today: Sports can be the common denominator that brings people together. You have permission to edit this article. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. His father eventually returned to Nigeria, and when Tony was a year old, he was adopted by the McKegneys, a white couple that lived in Sarnia, Ontario. When Saunderswas still a teenager, the family moved back to Quebec, to Chteauguay a town on Montreal's South Shore with a strong hockey tradition. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane on salary cap, Gabe Davis expectations, Damar Hamlin update and more, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Owner of Buffalo CPA firm denies claims of financial, workplace wrongdoing, Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to take year off from coaching, Yellow Corp. to close two trucking terminals, Sabres acquire defenseman Riley Stillman from Vancouver for prospect Josh Bloom, 14 police agencies break up fights outside Boulevard Mall, Democrats explore blue-collar struggles as brand is 'damaged', Erie County comptroller calls for state to investigate Forest Lawn, Oklahoma RB Eric Gray at the NFL scouting combine, Ohio State C Luke Wypler speaks at the NFL scouting combine, UB players mom sings stirring rendition of national anthem on senior night, Serena Williams says her daughter doesn't like playing tennis. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 2023 Getty Images. Saunders decided that was it. Two years ago, when he scored 15 times and had 25 assists, was the only season he scored fewer than 23 goals or compiled fewer than 45 points. (Tony) McKegney will need to be working on his paddle stroke or riding as a passenger. Of course, sports will never make us color blind, and colorblindness is not the goal. The year after he graduated, he had offers from a few teams. Willie [ORee] had a good thing. - Improve your search rank Jonathan freaked out. It was like, all the emotions from my career, my life: it was too much for me," the elder Saunders said. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. But I know my brother took a lot more abuse than I did because I saw it. Tony McKegney was born on February 15, 1958. The Buffalo Sabres recently unveiled a partnership with local artist Edreys Wajed in honor of Black History Month. The Montreal-born left wing was a big scorer in junior hockey, finishing with 135 points (58 goals, 77 assists) in 66 games with Kingston of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League in 1976-77 and 92 points (43 goals, 49 assists) in 55 games the following season, when he also played for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. McKegney still does alumni work for the Sabres and Red Wings. But it wasn't to be. After scoring 36 goals for the Sabres in 1982-83, McKegney was traded to the Quebec Nordiques. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular seasons 80 games. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994. *I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. I suppressed a lot of things over the years. All Rights Reserved. When he left, he was the all-time leading scorer. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. At the same time, he's disappointed that he's been excluded from conversations about the first black players in the NHL.