Dont forget to read the Q&A we did with several Black players who spent time with the Buffalo Sabres organization. (Tony) McKegney will need to be working on his paddle stroke or riding as a passenger. Complete record of every goal scored or assisted by the player. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. Go beyond the basics. by Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! He played four games with the Nordiques at the end of the 1979-80 season, the team's first season in the NHL. 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. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. There is one number, though, that says a lot about the season I had in 1987-88. "The theme for the next few days is clear: Hey Kevyn, the lonely eyes of Sabres fans are turned to you,"Mike Harrington writes. Did that ever dissuade you at all from getting into the game? And there was a ton of it, ugly stuff. While in Minnesota, he joined the late John Mariucci and Cal Peterson to form an inner-city hockey league for youths. Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: I probably should have, and I never did that. Part one focused on diversity and race in hockey, while part two reflected back on their time with the Sabres/Amerks. 32) of the 1978 NHL Draft. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. 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. I always loved the game, but I didn't see myself reflected in it. It's the number of Black players who have ever scored 40 goals in an NHL season. Jonathan freaked out. At the same time, he's disappointed that he's been excluded from conversations about the first black players in the NHL. I remember the reporter asking me about growing up in a town where there were only two Black families among 50,000 people. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted by a white family in Sarnia, Ont. Im sure it affected me. He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 goals and 78 points. I tried to, basically, suppress a lot of those feelings back then, and I just buried a lot of things. I pride myself in being maybe the first black player to play consistently in the league, McKegney said. He is also aware of his role-model responsibilities as one of only five blacks currently playing in the league. Tony McKegney is an Ice Hockey Player who was born on February 15, 1958 in Canada. 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. It seemed very normal to me, and no one in our neighborhood or city really treated us any different, he said. You get one kick at the can, as they say, in life. Want to more about Him? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The things he went through were things I experienced in my time. "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". Bassin knew Saunders was getting racist taunts, but said Saunders always handled it in stride and never let it get to him. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. Saunders spent most of his career thinking he was the only black player out there. I think his biggest value to our club has been his ability to score, Blues coach Jacques Martin said. Tony McKegney was born in Montreal, Canada. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. An oddity on the ice - CBC Tony McKegney Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. Tony McKegney is 64 years old today because Tony's birthday is on 02/15/1958.Tony McKegney currently lives in East Amherst, NY; in the past Tony has also lived in Saint Louis MO, Detroit MI and Buffalo NY.Tony also answers to Tony S Mckegney, Anthony S Mckegney and Anthony F Mckegney, and perhaps a couple of other names. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. Tony McKegney Tells His Story of How He Came to Buffalo | Sabres Tony McKegney had 639 points over his career. The more hockey lives up to those ideals, the better we'll all be. I showed up there and I remember sitting on my adoptive mothers knee and looking out the dining room window at this ice rink. He said, Just turn on the red light, which means scoring a goal. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. Don't miss out - sign up for our newsletters! by 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. I was there in the audience watching the games, and I heard the comments that were [made about him]. Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. He is a member of famous with the age 63 years old group. 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. 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. 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. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Instead, he was drafted 32nd-overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1978 and went on to score over 320 goals. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. 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. "They always came up with their hardest stuff, their elbows and what-not, and tried to punish me.". Drafted 1974, 1 #2 overall by Kingston Canadians in the OHL Priority Selection, Cult/Star player for Kingston Frontenacs. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.. Please contact us. I said, "I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. Some may find that number low. Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Subscribe: bit.ly/3925J0FVisit Sabres.com for moreFollow: twitter.com/BuffaloSabresLike: facebook.com/buffalosabresF. Tony McKegney. Saunders was the third highest-scorer at training camp. "Tony McKegney showed me it was possible for someone like me to play in the NHL," future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla said in author Cecil Harris' book, "Breaking The Ice, The Black Experience in Professional Hockey." "He set the example. 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. Approaching the All-Star break, McKegney led the club with 26 goals. And my brother was four years older than me and and took a lot more abuse than I did. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Then he was dealt to the Nordiques in a massive swap involving Quebecs Real Cloutier. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox! Saunders decided that was it. 2023 Getty Images. McKegney, Tony 1958- | Encyclopedia.com He vowed his sons would never play, but his eldest, Jonathan, had other plans. He talked about him, his brother Ian, and his mother who lives in Kincardine. I ignored that coach, of course. Throughout 15 years of professional hockey, I'm lucky enough to say that there are many moments I'm proud of. Sherry Bassin, 80, is a former junior hockey executive and another person who helped shape Saunders as a hockey player and a person. Tony McKegney Goal vs. Toronto 12/13/80 - YouTube Bernie Saunders played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques, but he and others say his career would have been longer if he wasnt black. That's where he met Guy Carbonneau, who was in his first full professional season. How does that make you feel? The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. of 1 He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. 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. "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.". It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. There isnt enough recent news in your lineup. 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. Playing hockey at a high level is difficult enough without navigating the pressures of racism in society or figuring out how to respond to the supposed "fan" with a sign that says, "McKegney, grab a basketball" behind the Zamboni entrance. '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. Taking into account various assets, Sue's net worth is greater than $50,000 - $99,999; and makes between $20 - 29,999 a year. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. BIOGRAPHY. 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. Why did you feel like that was necessary? Reality doesn't always add up. Or write about sports? "People just forget me because I didn't play. Tony McKegney Height, Weight & Measurements At 63 years old, Tony McKegney height is 1.85 m and Weight 91 kg. Saunders, a right-winger, played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80 and 1980-81. Tony McKegney Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki-Bio, Family TM: No, not really. Saunders says he is happy and has had a good life, thanks in large part to the sport that broke his heart. SN: How did it make you feel when you saw it? In fact, I think their parents were thinking about saying, Look, why dont you just go play soccer, because it was so bad as far as the remarks. After playing for 15 years professionally, it was a hard transition and Im sure Ive made some mistakes and would do some things differently. 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. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. All Rights Reserved. And the support I got from teammates just carried me through some difficult situations. I wanted to be the best hockey player from my hometown. And my teammates treated me like I was not any different than anybody. Youre a great player. His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. Tony McKegney is a member of famous Ice Hockey list. 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. Hockey players like Akim Aliu, Mark Fraser, and Matt Dumba are just a few of the guys using their voice in meaningful ways. Today we look at former NHL forward Tony McKegney. He would like for both to be able to remember their father in an NHL uniform. Tony McKegney is a well known Ice Hockey. Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney - Die By The Blade All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. There weren't many black players in the junior league at the time. Browse 82 tony mckegney stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. 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.