Numbers, however, never tell the whole story. Dont forget to read the Q&A we did with several Black players who spent time with the Buffalo Sabres organization. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. 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. The funny thing is that Im starting to enjoy the game more than I ever have, he said. McKegney, while striving to help provide black youths more opportunity, will never forget the chance given him by Lowry McKegney, 70. of 1
Tony McKegney | NHL Wiki | Fandom 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. 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. Until we get rinks in the inner (American) cities, I dont think thats going to change.. From the time he was in the crib, Jonathan was obsessed with the sport, and so he followed in his father's footsteps. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. So I did the only thing I could do: I focused on perseverance. 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. Just like society as a whole, the hockey community still has a lot of hard work to do. "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. Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. . They were there for me for the most part. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Height, Weight & Physical Stats: Tony McKegney is 6 feet 1 inches tall and weight 90.7 kilograms. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. Tony McKegney has not been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Tony McKegney was bom in Montreal, Quebec, in February of 1958 to a Nigerian father and Canadian mother.
Tony McKegney Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com And I followed the advice that the great Willie O'Ree has given so many times: channel your energy into lighting the red light. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. We only use official stats. Tony was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. I wanted to be the best hockey player from my hometown. 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. 20 Sabres Tony Mckegney Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images All News Archival Browse 20 sabres tony mckegney stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Get all the latest stats, news, videos and more on Tony McKegney If you said Tony McKegney, you are correct. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Tony McKegney. SN: Was there a brotherhood among the black players in the league? 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. There is one number, though, that says a lot about the season I had in 1987-88. Saunders says it's tremendous. 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. "Everything Bernie Saunders has, he earned, in spite of [whether] there's been prejudice along the way.". Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. 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). Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC.
Tony McKegney has a great family story - Kincardine Independent SN: Trevor was able to persevere. '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. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.". One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. We were all set to move, until the homeowner told us there was a problem: They didn't want to rent to us once they found out we were a biracial couple. The second person to achieve (and ultimately surpass) this milestone? But Jarrett believes Saunders deserved to be there. 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. McKegney was the first Black Canadian hockey player to make an impact in the NHL. When sports are at their best, that's what they can do. All rights reserved. So, there was a lot of black athletes in town in Buffalo. Find out more.
Tony McKegney Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki-Bio, Family Season Players Videos. 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. Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. Fast forward to 1987-88, and my performance in the NHL was helping to prove the stereotypes wrong. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. Its just something I never envisioned when I was growing up seeing five black hockey players playing in the same game. Other than that, I hadnt played against another black hockey player my whole life. So Bassin gave him that chance. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. 6-0 , 200lb (183cm, 90kg) Born: February 15 , 1958 (Age: 64-344d) in Montreal, Quebec ca. My parents had three children of their own, and they adopted three children, he said. 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. 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. 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. It was a simple chip-in that just dribbled through the goalie's pads. He learned to fight, to defend himself, but mainly he tried to keep scoring. One house seemed perfect for me and my wife, Sue. Looking back on his incredible career and contribution, McKegney shared with me the pleasure, pain and purpose hockey brought to his life. Thats basically what got me where I am today., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. 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. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. ST. LOUIS (AP) _ If not for an early twist of fate, Tony McKegney would probably not be plying his talents in a sport that is essentially all white. TM: Everything. BIOGRAPHY. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Transaction information may be incomplete. 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. He continued to score despite playing no more than three seasons with the same team for the rest of his career.
Tony McKegney - Elite Prospects I ignored that coach, of course. Years later, I found out I was one of the reasons why. Some may find that number low. They're too neat; too objective. More Tony McKegney videos. 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. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular season's 80 games. As of 2018 Tony McKegney is 59 years years old. People weren't used to seeing a Black player succeed on the ice. Well give you the latest news when it becomes available, or feel free to add some more selections to My Favourites. While in Chteauguay, he played for Jacques Demers, who went on to coach the Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? Its basically black children. Year By Year Fight Totals. 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. And the support I got from teammates just carried me through some difficult situations. Please contact us. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. It's not the 40 goals I scored. Saunders, a right-winger, played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80 and 1980-81. It takes time to grow a sport, he says, and now young black kids have something he didn't: the opportunity to play the game they love with people who look like them, and to see more than one black person playing it at the highest level. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). He stayed through 1983 and was a regular almost all of the time. I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. He was told teams were interested in trading for him, but the Nordiques didn't let him go. TM: We just sort of stayed away from it. Enter your email address to get a new one. 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. Enter Search Term. I just tried to shut everything else out. The more hockey lives up to those ideals, the better we'll all be.
Tony McKegney - Hockey Fights 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.
How Tony McKegney Survived And Thrived For 13 Seasons In The NHL (OHL). Tony McKegney is a well known Ice Hockey. One was Saunders. It appears the Sabres have made a few late deals. Will the Sabres make some moves today to improve their post-season chances? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Things just felt right that year. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. TM: Its wonderful. "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 is a member of famous with the age 63 years old group. Jets, Hockey Night in Canada: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada: Oilers vs. All Rights Reserved. I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. SN: When you got to the league was it a lonely existence for you? 8 9 25 25 10 7 14 11. I don't talk much about the taunts and racial slurs I faced in youth and minor hockey. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. I was there in the audience watching the games, and I heard the comments that were [made about him]. Go inside the Hockey Reference Database. He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. In this article, we covered Tony McKegney's net worth, wiki, bio, career, height, weight, pics, family, affairs, car, salary, age, facts, and other details in 2022. Tony McKegney player profile, stats and championships. Tony sun sign is Aquarius and his birth flower is Violet & Primrose. You reached out to him afterwards.
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. Saunders scored twice in his debut, and it quickly became clear to Bassin he should have been playing at a higher level. 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. Tony McKegney had 639 points over his career. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted by a white family in Sarnia, Ont.