Sorry we could not verify that email address. Enter your email below and we'll send you another email. SN: Trevor was able to persevere. Or write about sports? A centre, he said the way they clicked on the ice was as though they'd been playing together forever. 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. The focus was just on playing hockey. But Jarrett believes Saunders deserved to be there. McKegney recalls no special obstacles for him or his two adoptive brothers, who are also black, as they were growing up with a racially mixed family in a city of 50,000. McKegney needed less than a season to join Buffalo during the 1978-79 campaign. 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. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. But I had a rink in my backyard, my own playground. I just had this conversation with one of my former teammates, and he said, We just treated you like one of us brothers.. I was too timid to talk to a girl. It's like a catch-22.". He vowed his sons would never play, but his eldest, Jonathan, had other plans. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. He even scored 40 goals for St. Louis in 1987-88. TM: I just would tell them to persevere. . The second person to achieve (and ultimately surpass) this milestone? - Improve your search rank Theres another occasion where Ray Neufeld and I got into a scuffle. 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. Tony McKegney is an Ice Hockey Player who was born on February 15, 1958 in Canada. He believes he could have had a 10-year career in the NHL if he had been given a proper shot. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Willie [ORee] had a good thing. Just like society as a whole, the hockey community still has a lot of hard work to do. And I followed the advice that the great Willie O'Ree has given so many times: channel your energy into lighting the red light. 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. WHA hat tricks courtesy Scott Surgent. 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. When he was still a toddler, his family moved to the Toronto area. The people in our hometown of Sarnia, Ont., were so supportive through sports. Year By Year Fight Totals. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. Saunders decided that was it. Comments are welcome while open. You have permission to edit this article. Position: LW Shoots: Left. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. He paved the way for me. (approx 1 - 2 per week). The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. 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. That's how good he was.". McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. He jumped to the AHLs Hershey Bears and then the Sabres, making his NHL debut in the 1978-79 season. 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. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. 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. There were five centermen on that team who were great passers, and when you're playing with so many good centermen, you're going to get chances every game. Tony McKegney Goal vs. Toronto 12/13/80 - YouTube 0:00 / 0:44 Tony McKegney Goal vs. Toronto 12/13/80 Disengage 1.53K subscribers Subscribe 947 views 8 years ago Tony McKegney ties the game. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. "They always came up with their hardest stuff, their elbows and what-not, and tried to punish me.". 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. 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 by a white family in Sarnia, Ont. "It was just time. Sometimes what has been said in the past is that once hes established he doesnt produce as much. Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. 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. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! As of this date, Sue is single. Tony McKegney has never won a Stanley Cup as a player. 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. Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. And between the benches, one of the guys said it would be termed as a black-on-black crime. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. Jonathan freaked out. For more, check out this Q&A with McKegney & Sportsnet: While its we celebrate the historic achievements of Black players throughout Sabres history, its equally important to celebrate the Black players in the NHL today, including several with current or former ties to the Buffalo Sabres organization. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) But it wasn't to be. Why did you feel like that was necessary? Instead, he was drafted 32nd-overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1978 and went on to score over 320 goals. I've always been a player that plays on enthusiasm, and I was just losing my zest for the game.". We didn't recognize that password reset code. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. One of his teammates even offered to rent his apartment to Saunders, thinking he would need one since he'd be there long term. All Rights Reserved. Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. After scoring 36 goals for the Sabres in 1982-83, McKegney was traded to the Quebec Nordiques. So, for me, there were just so many good influences. We had a hockey rink, actually, in our back yard that my parents made each year.. Caught off balance, his foot went flying in the air. When I started in the league, I never would have guessed. All rights reserved. Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. There hadnt been many blacks in the NHL when he arrived, but hopefully his talent made quite a few people color-blind. When I came along, obviously there were comments made, but I was so focused on what was happening on the ice. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). 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. A year later, the left winger was ready to join the pros. It can be difficult to talk about how those views affect you as a person. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Tony McKegney Complete player biography and stats. Hes won Stanley Cups.. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. McKegney was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. 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 . 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. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. *I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. Saunders says it's tremendous. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. I remember the reporter asking me about growing up in a town where there were only two Black families among 50,000 people. The key is for him to keep working.. He believes the colour of his skin is part of the reason he didn't. McKegney was the first Black Canadian hockey player to make an impact in the NHL. But I always wanted to be, and knew I could be, a dominant player. But sometimes it comes back to haunt you. 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. He would play 23 games with the San Diego Gulls in 1992-93 before retiring. SN: How has it impacted you as youve moved on from the game? A couple of weeks ago, Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada gave the McKegney family a shout out during the Saturday night broadcast, recognizing McKegney as part of Black History month. The Buffalo Sabres recently unveiled a partnership with local artist Edreys Wajed in honor of Black History Month. 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. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.. Buffalo looks to bounce back with a clean slate against another tough team. 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. I pride myself in being maybe the first black player to play consistently in the league, McKegney said. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. Years later, I found out I was one of the reasons why. The Nordiques didn't have a farm team that year, so he was sent to play for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, one of the Montreal Canadiens' farm teams. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. So, I reached out. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. All rights reserved. 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. Taking into account various assets, Sue's net worth is greater than $50,000 - $99,999; and makes between $20 - 29,999 a year. Then the Buffalo Braves were there, the basketball team. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. 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. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. Im sure it affected me. 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. The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. Other than that, I hadnt played against another black hockey player my whole life. Find out more. It was a simple chip-in that just dribbled through the goalie's pads. 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. Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox! After playing for Pickering, Saunders got a full scholarship to Western Michigan University and played there for four years. My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. 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. Part of the reason McKegney wants to continue a while longer is because of sons Daniel, 2 1/2 , and Robert, 7 months. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. 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. '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. TM: We just sort of stayed away from it. "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.