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. TM: No, not really. Anytime I faced adversity, I said, Okay, Im going to put a couple of pucks in the net today for sure. And I was just going to show everybody that I was as good or better than them. Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. "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.". 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. I'd been chasing that red light since I started playing hockey at 3 years old. We didn't recognize that password reset code. Coming into the next season, he thought he was a shoo-in to make the team. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. TM: I remember mentioning to Grant Fuhr, it mightve been an All-Star Game or something, I said, Youre lucky. TM: Its wonderful. After playing for Pickering, Saunders got a full scholarship to Western Michigan University and played there for four years. I pride myself in being maybe the first black player to play consistently in the league, McKegney said. Jets on Sportsnet, Marchment, Pavelski end droughts as Stars dominate Avalanche, Cooper on benching Stamkos, Kucherov, Point: 'Weren't giving us the best chance to win', Bertuzzi sets up goal, Bruins stretch winning-streak in win over Rangers, Lightning fall to Sabres, bench Kucherov, Stamkos, Point for third period, {* backButton *} Today we look at former NHL forward Tony McKegney. Thats basically what got me where I am today., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! It's a big deal that Grant, Willie, and now Jarome have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tony McKegney. The Buffalo Sabres recently unveiled a partnership with local artist Edreys Wajed in honor of Black History Month. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). - Verification Badge on your profile, Post a scouting report/trivia/player comment in English (visible here). Saunders was the third highest-scorer at training camp. I always said that the game is tough enough as it is just trying to survive and make it outside of having that stuff on the sidelines. Tony currently does periodic work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association and the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team. I just tried to shut everything else out. 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. 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. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. I loved basketball, football, baseball, golf. Please note that CBC does not endorse the opinions expressed in comments. 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. Because you never forget scoring 40 in one year. "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. Carbonneau, a Hall of Famer who played and coached for the Canadiens and now works as an analyst, remembers Saunders as an honest player and hard worker someone who could do pretty much anything on the ice and served as a veteran presence on the team. 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. There is one number, though, that says a lot about the season I had in 1987-88. There hadnt been many blacks in the NHL when he arrived, but hopefully his talent made quite a few people color-blind. TM: He brought up a lot of memories for me, ugly memories. 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. Saunders was part of a wave of black players who debuted after Willie O'Ree became the first black player in the National Hockey League in 1958. Tony McKegney, former NHLer and ambassador for, Hockey is for Everyone, congratulates a participant during the clinic sponsored by the NHL and the. It was a simple chip-in that just dribbled through the goalie's pads. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. McKegney vividly recalls the support from his parents - Lowry McKegney, a retired chemist, and Cathy McKegney. 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 remember the dedication that my parents put into it when we were younger, driving us to rinks at 7 in the morning, he said. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular seasons 80 games. SN: What were the conversations like with your parents about it? "Everything Bernie Saunders has, he earned, in spite of [whether] there's been prejudice along the way.". "People just forget me because I didn't play. (approx 1 - 2 per week). 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. Sue maintains relationships with many people -- family, friends, associates, & neighbors -- including Daniel Mckegney, Daniel Mckegney, Marilynn Habberfie, Roger Habberfield and Tony Mckegney. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. Buffalo looks to bounce back with a clean slate against another tough team. Tony was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. Tony McKegney is an Ice Hockey Player who was born on February 15, 1958 in Canada. Part one focused on diversity and race in hockey, while part two reflected back on their time with the Sabres/Amerks. Jets, Hockey Night in Canada: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada: Oilers vs. But I always wanted to be, and knew I could be, a dominant player. When I came along, obviously there were comments made, but I was so focused on what was happening on the ice. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. I don't talk much about the taunts and racial slurs I faced in youth and minor hockey. His supporters created a fan club. Tony McKegney Height, Weight & Measurements At 63 years old, Tony McKegney height is 1.85 m and Weight 91 kg. If you said Tony McKegney, you are correct. But Jarrett believes Saunders deserved to be there. Of course, sports will never make us color blind, and colorblindness is not the goal. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. So that support carried over all the negative stuff that happened. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media account that can be used to sign in here. It seemed very normal to me, and no one in our neighborhood or city really treated us any different, he said. TM: Everything. He jumped to the AHL's Hershey. Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. I showed up there and I remember sitting on my adoptive mother's knee and looking out the dining . Tony McKegney was born in Montreal, Canada. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Id like to make the best of the last couple of years.. But I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. My parents had three children of their own, and they adopted three children, he said. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Saunders says he is happy and has had a good life, thanks in large part to the sport that broke his heart. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. He has three 30-goal seasons. He was told teams were interested in trading for him, but the Nordiques didn't let him go. McKegney spent less than two years with the Nordiques, and had several more stops around the NHL during the next several seasons. While in Minnesota, Tony played for the organization for 3 years until November 13, 1986 when he was traded to the New York Rangers along with Curt Giles and Minnesota's second-round pick in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Bob Brooke and Minnesota's fourth-round choice in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Numbers, however, never tell the whole story. 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. He went to New Brunswick, feeling discouraged but not ready to give up. It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. Saunders didn't seem bitter or disappointed about not quite making it in the NHL, Jarrett said. SN: How has it impacted you as youve moved on from the game? Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. *I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. 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. But he was reassigned to the minors. I tried to, basically, suppress a lot of those feelings back then, and I just buried a lot of things. 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 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. They were there for me for the most part. At the same time, he's disappointed that he's been excluded from conversations about the first black players in the NHL. He was released on his own recognizance by City Court. Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. The judge ordered McKegney, while on probation, to complete all assessments, counselling and treatments directed by his probation supervisor to deal with issues arising from domestic. I wanted to be the best hockey player from my hometown. 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. Hes won Stanley Cups.. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. 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. Jarome told me that he felt comfortable at the school yard because he could point to me and say, "Look, Tony McKegney's playing in the NHL.". McKegney was arrested June 23 and pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal contempt on July 8, according to court records. Saunders, 63, who now lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has since retired and written a book about his life. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. That was my first exposure, to have a hockey rink in my backyard. 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. But hockey was a window of opportunity because we saw people from our area making it. Browse 82 tony mckegney stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. How does that make you feel? 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. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994. Akim Aliu hasnt had the same ability to bounce back from his difficult treatment in the game. I know there werent very many [black players]. Jarome Iginla. 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. It was never published. I was there in the audience watching the games, and I heard the comments that were [made about him]. Overall, his NHL career saw him appear in 912 regular season games and accrue 639 points. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. That fast-forwarding tends to bypass the magical middle and the stories of many players who felt alone but nonetheless accomplished great things, opening opportunities for those who followed. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. It made me angry, made me sad. Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. 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. By midseason, people started to notice. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. So I did the only thing I could do: I focused on perseverance. He believes the colour of his skin is part of the reason he didn't. Year By Year Fight Totals. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. I feel that I had a pretty good upbringing. His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. However, the team now had a new farm team, the Fredericton Express, and the organization wanted Saunders to play there. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. Jonathan freaked out. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. The year after he graduated, he had offers from a few teams. He says he has moved on. 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. Transaction information may be incomplete. And I followed the advice that the great Willie O'Ree has given so many times: channel your energy into lighting the red light. And obviously we watched the games, the Leafs and the Red Wings on TV back in the six-team league. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. Then he was dealt to the Nordiques in a massive swap involving Quebecs Real Cloutier. 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. by Position: LW Shoots: Left. I just felt defeated," he said. All rights reserved. They started out with walker-type things out on the ice, and then they graduated to the point where they were scrimmaging, McKegney said. 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. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Its a very expensive sport, and its more of a suburbia sport, McKegney said. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted by a white family in Sarnia, Ont. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. You sort of never felt like you were different. The key is for him to keep working.. He played in St. Louis for two years. He says he doesn't watch much anymore. by Well give you the latest news when it becomes available, or feel free to add some more selections to My Favourites. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. 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. 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. 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. At age 5, I started playing organized hockey. 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. I was too timid to talk to a girl. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. It was a personal best for me -- the first and only time I'd join the NHL's 40-goal club. The second person to achieve (and ultimately surpass) this milestone? Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. Saunders, a right-winger, played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80 and 1980-81. My first time playing against another black hockey player was probably my third year in the NHL, Grant Fuhr and Ray Neufeld. 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. I relied on the support of my teammates who were always there for me. Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Hockey Reference Database. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. That's how good he was.". He learned to fight, to defend himself, but mainly he tried to keep scoring. And if those people were wrong about his future in hockey, what else might they be wrong about? He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. 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. I was at a Queens University hockey game. And the support I got from teammates just carried me through some difficult situations. And my teammates treated me like I was not any different than anybody. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. "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. At the age of 20, Tony signed a contract with the now defunct World Hockey Associations (WHA) team in Birmingham, Alabama only to see the owner illegally renege on the deal after fans threatened to boycott the team for having added a black player to its roster. "It felt like they were ripping out my heart. There was nothing special about the goal. (Born onFebruary 15, 1958) -- Tony McKegney was something of a pioneer in the world of hockey. Check out the Black Girl Hockey Club, a non-profit organization that focuses on making hockey more inclusive for Black women, their family, friends and allies. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. We present them here for purely educational purposes. But sometimes it comes back to haunt you. Most historical data provided by Dan Diamond and Associates. Fast forward to 1987-88, and my performance in the NHL was helping to prove the stereotypes wrong. Hes been an All-Star. He vowed his sons would never play, but his eldest, Jonathan, had other plans. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. "I literally got through the game, went into this closet, and I just cried. Do you have a sports website? McKegney, while striving to help provide black youths more opportunity, will never forget the chance given him by Lowry McKegney, 70. But by capitalizing on circumstances known by few, he has become an example for blacks who would aspire to playing in the National Hockey League. 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. I didnt talk to many people about it. It appears the Sabres have made a few late deals. It was wintertime and my dad had floodlights out there. My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. My dad felt he could do something for the amount of kids that were homeless or without parents per se.. Saunders doesn't want to come off as someone lamenting what could have been. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Hes had the most success. 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 . 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. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. Like I said, numbers never tell the whole story. 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. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. But I know my brother took a lot more abuse than I did because I saw it. TM: I liked all sports. It's not the 40 goals I scored. He said, Just turn on the red light, which means scoring a goal. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. However, the Bills' statement does not specify that Frazi. When he left, he was the all-time leading scorer. Or write about sports? I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. Tony McKegneny (c.) with his sons, Dan (l.), and Robert. Look, there's a Black player who did what some people said he couldn't. Wikifamouspeople has ranked Tony McKegney as of the . I just had this conversation with one of my former teammates, and he said, We just treated you like one of us brothers.. His first encounter with racism happened while he was playing junior hockey after his family moved to Ajax, Ont., during his senior year of high school. The focus was just on playing hockey. 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. Join our linker program. TM: I heard some stories about the tough guys like George Laraque, Peter Worrell and Donald Brashear, and apparently it was absolutely brutal for those guys in Quebec. He is 64 years old. I wanted to be as good as my brothers. It was my 10th season in the League, and I'd gotten more comfortable over time. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). Then the Buffalo Braves were there, the basketball team. And my brother was four years older than me and and took a lot more abuse than I did. He played four games with the Nordiques at the end of the 1979-80 season, the team's first season in the NHL. Please contact us. Its just something I never envisioned when I was growing up seeing five black hockey players playing in the same game. Tony McKegney had 639 points over his career. When sports are at their best, that's what they can do. And it wasn't hard to find a different place to live in St. Louis, which is a wonderful city that I've always enjoyed.

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