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I wanted to be the best hockey player from my hometown. Year By Year Fight Totals. While in Chteauguay, he played for Jacques Demers, who went on to coach the Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Im sure it affected me. The Buffalo Sabres recently unveiled a partnership with local artist Edreys Wajed in honor of Black History Month. So I did the only thing I could do: I focused on perseverance. Tony McKegney had 639 points over his career. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted by a white family in Sarnia, Ont. 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 197879 until 199091. I was scared to say a peep in class. 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. 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. Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. I remember the reporter asking me about growing up in a town where there were only two Black families among 50,000 people. Then the Buffalo Braves were there, the basketball team. I remember I was tired when a shot from the point came my way. I was at a Queens University hockey game. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. I guess, if you could say, the guy thats done the best is probably Grant Fuhr, McKegney said of the Edmonton goalie. They were there for me for the most part. We didn't recognize that password reset code. It's the kind of impact that wins, losses, and point totals can't capture. Coming into the next season, he thought he was a shoo-in to make the team. Its basically black children. The Buffalo native was drafted by the Sabres 52nd overall in 2013 and began his pro career with the Sabres and Amerks. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. SN: Given what you went through in your career, does it make it tougher to hear stories of the abuse faced by players who came after you? He scored a goal in that game and got a standing ovation from the crowd. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Economics and demographics - there are far fewer blacks in his native Canada than in the United States - still keep blacks from following him to the pro ranks. Saunders, a right-winger, played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80 and 1980-81. Tony McKegney was born on February 15, 1958. Then he was dealt to the Nordiques in a massive swap involving Quebecs Real Cloutier. He has three 30-goal seasons. And the NHL has done a great job with helping. Comments are welcome while open. During my career, I know I tried my hardest not to think about them at all. He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 goals and 78 points. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. '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 scored 37 goals in 1980-81. Saunders was a shy, quiet kid with a remarkable work ethic, Bassin recalls. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. SN: How has it impacted you as youve moved on from the game? My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. Customize your Sportsnet lineup for the latest news from your favourite leagues and teams. 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. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Sue maintains relationships with many people -- family, friends, associates, & neighbors -- including Daniel Mckegney, Daniel Mckegney, Marilynn Habberfie, Roger Habberfield and Tony Mckegney. 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. And my teammates treated me like I was not any different than anybody. After leaving the NHL, he had a long, successful career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. It's like a catch-22.". Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. [RELATED: Black History Month coverage |Hockey Is For Everyone coverage]. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. TM: I knew John because we were teammates, we were roommates, and it seemed out of character for him. Season Players Videos. But he was reassigned to the minors. BIOGRAPHY. "The theme for the next few days is clear: Hey Kevyn, the lonely eyes of Sabres fans are turned to you,"Mike Harrington writes. Enter Search Term. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) 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. He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. Youre going to do well in the NHL. I just praised him, knowing that he was a great player and he was going to play in the NHL for a long time. 6-0 , 200lb (183cm, 90kg) Born: February 15 , 1958 (Age: 64-344d) in Montreal, Quebec ca. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Tony McKegney, 1958-02-15 Montral, QC, CAN Canada. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. tony mckegney family https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 ICC ICC https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images . Tony was adopted by the McKegney family when he was an infant. Some may find that number low. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Position: LW Shoots: Left. He was following in the footsteps of his older brother Ian, who had been a star with the Sarnia Legionnaires before moving on to the pros. When the last road trip started, I thought about how meaningful it would be to end the season with a goal total that was a round number. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Overall, his NHL career saw him appear in 912 regular season games and accrue 639 points. Theres another occasion where Ray Neufeld and I got into a scuffle. I suppressed a lot of things over the years. People weren't used to seeing a Black player succeed on the ice. He is a member of famous with the age 63 years old group. And between the benches, one of the guys said it would be termed as a black-on-black crime. If my career took some pressure off of him, or anyone who looks like us, I'm very proud of that. It was a simple chip-in that just dribbled through the goalie's pads. It's not the 40 goals I scored. Go inside the Hockey Reference Database. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. I relied on the support of my teammates who were always there for me. Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday that former Buffalo Sabres winger Tony McKegney was arraigned before a Buffalo City Court Judge back on. 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 player to hit the 40-goal milestone. 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. Hes had the most success. 32) of the 1978 NHL Draft. Still, I'd been thinking about that particular goal mark for a while. SN: How did it make you feel when you saw it? McKegney scored 31 goals in 1986-87, 29 of them after being traded to the New York Rangers. McKegney was the first Black Canadian hockey player to make an impact in the NHL. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. "I was just this shy, quiet kid in Chteauguay. There isnt enough recent news in your lineup. "It was just time. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. But sometimes it comes back to haunt you. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! I know there werent very many [black players]. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. If you said Tony McKegney, you are correct. Back in 1988, I'm not sure if I realized what it really meant. Fast forward to 1987-88, and my performance in the NHL was helping to prove the stereotypes wrong. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Previously, in the early '80s, one of my team's assistant coaches advised me to start dating a Black woman instead of Sue for similarly ignorant and bigoted reasons. 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. We use cookies to improve your experience. TM: No, not really. It's also available for football, basketball and baseball. Today, were giving a quick shoutout to former Buffalo Sabres forward Justin Bailey. There have been 93 black players in the NHL. "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". "Everything Bernie Saunders has, he earned, in spite of [whether] there's been prejudice along the way.". Stay tuned to Die By the Blade over the course of the month as we continue to highlight Black players in Buffalo Sabres history. Join our linker program. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media account that can be used to sign in here. But I know my brother took a lot more abuse than I did because I saw it. He is not dating anyone. To see your localized preferences, please enable geolocation services in your browser settings. All rights reserved. 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? Of course, I also thought about the bonus clause in my contract, which promised $15,000 if I happened to score 40 goals (that was a lot of money in those days). I was there in the audience watching the games, and I heard the comments that were [made about him]. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He continued to score despite playing no more than three seasons with the same team for the rest of his career. However, the team now had a new farm team, the Fredericton Express, and the organization wanted Saunders to play there. '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. Gambling problem? I went to [Daley] and said, Hey, how are you doing and how are you feeling? I just wanted to reach out and say, Been there, just keep at it. Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: TM: Everything. One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. "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. Who was the first Black player to top 40 goals in an NHL season? By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular season's 80 games. Tony McKegney's birthday is on 15-Feb-1958 and was born on Saturday. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. He played in St. Louis for two years. 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. But I had a rink in my backyard, my own playground. 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. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. 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. Forward Born Feb 15 1958 -- Montreal, PQ [65 yrs. That was my first exposure, to have a hockey rink in my backyard. If I could be half the man my father was, Id be doing pretty well, he said. You get to keep that mask on and Im out there for everybody to see. So, I told Grant, jokingly, that I was envious of him. All Rights Reserved. Of his 13 years in the NHL, he spent the most time with the Sabres. - Ability to add additional data to your career profile: Videos, Images, Social Media, Referrals, Fitness Testing Results and much more! An error has occurred while trying to update your details. Showing Editorial results for sabres tony mckegney. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Until we get rinks in the inner (American) cities, I dont think thats going to change.. 2023 Getty Images. That is a great start and I am looking forward to rooting for the Black players drafted in the past few years who are going to carry on this legacy. 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. It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. 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. 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. INDIANAPOLIS Along with the change in defensive coordinator with Leslie Frazier deciding to "take a step back," Bills General Manager Brando, The Buffalo Sabres' mostly injury-free season at forward took a decidedly darker turn Saturday night when the club placed top-line right winge, Frazier, who turns 64 in April, plans to return to coaching in 2024, the Bills said. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. TM: Its wonderful. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. The more hockey lives up to those ideals, the better we'll all be. Another referee determined he made a kicking motion and gave him a match penalty. Akim Aliu hasnt had the same ability to bounce back from his difficult treatment in the game. Highlighting Black players throughout Buffalo Sabres history. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. He believes the colour of his skin is part of the reason he didn't. Dont forget to read the Q&A we did with several Black players who spent time with the Buffalo Sabres organization. They started out with walker-type things out on the ice, and then they graduated to the point where they were scrimmaging, McKegney said. I wanted to be as good as my brothers. But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. He stayed through 1983 and was a regular almost all of the time. Tony was born on February 15, 1958 in Montreal, Quebec.. Tony is one of the famous and trending celeb who is popular for being a Ice Hockey. When you and your teammates compete together, practice together, eat together, and grow up together, you start to see people for who they are. Complete record of every goal scored or assisted by the player. McKegney was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994. Jarrett won the scoring title and says he couldn't have done it without Saunders at his side. "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 always loved the game, but I didn't see myself reflected in it. 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. So, we laughed about it later on over a few beers. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. WHA hat tricks courtesy Scott Surgent. The next day, the other team's coach called to apologize for what had happened, which Saunders found promising a sign that things were changing, albeit slowly. More Tony McKegney videos. I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. So, there was a lot of black athletes in town in Buffalo. Did that ever dissuade you at all from getting into the game? of 1 He talked about him, his brother Ian, and his mother who lives in Kincardine. He was the fifth black man to play in the league. Jets, Hockey Night in Canada: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada: Oilers vs. Collect, curate and comment on your files. And the support I got from teammates just carried me through some difficult situations. Boards and the whole thing. His older brother John was the first to lace up skates. 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. When sports are at their best, that's what they can do. It was a personal best for me -- the first and only time I'd join the NHL's 40-goal club. (OHL). You get one kick at the can, as they say, in life. 710K subscribers Tony McKegney is one of the pioneers of breaking the colour barrier within the NHL. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. 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. And I'll always be proud of the 40-goal season I had in 1987-88, the wonderful camaraderie of that Blues team, and the little chip-in that somehow found its way into the net. He was following in the footsteps of his older brother Ian McKegney (who had been a star with the Sarnia Legionnaires before moving on to the pros). 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. Saunders spent most of his career thinking he was the only black player out there. 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. 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 played in Detroit for only 14 games before being traded back to the Quebec Nordiques on December 4, 1989 in exchange for Robert Picard and Greg Adams. I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. A t-shirt with this logo is available for purchase here, with a portion of proceeds going to Breaking Barriers. We only use official stats. 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. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. But I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments. The focus was just on playing hockey. - EP Contact Book listing of your profile (optional) Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. I'm certainly proud to have been one of the first consistent Black players in the NHL. 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. 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.