Saunders scored twice in his debut, and it quickly became clear to Bassin he should have been playing at a higher level. Did that ever dissuade you at all from getting into the game? One was Saunders. Just like society as a whole, the hockey community still has a lot of hard work to do. Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. Throughout 15 years of professional hockey, I'm lucky enough to say that there are many moments I'm proud of. Tony McKegney had 320 goals over his career. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Pioneers like Willie O'Ree, Angela James and Grant Fuhr will be featured. Id like to make the best of the last couple of years.. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. You have permission to edit this article. These brave athletes are actively changing hockey culture for the better. 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. Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney - Die By The Blade Born: February 15,1958 inMontreal,Quebec ca, Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32ndoverall), 1978NHLAmateur. When I started in the league, I never would have guessed. Bassin knew Saunders was getting racist taunts, but said Saunders always handled it in stride and never let it get to him. 1989-1990 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (1) 1987-1988 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (4) 1986-1987 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (1) 1985-1986 Postseason Fight Card NHL (2) 1983-1984 Regular Season Fight Card NHL (1) All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Tony McKegney Reality doesn't always add up. After scoring 36 goals for the Sabres in 1982-83, McKegney was traded to the Quebec Nordiques. Jarrett won the scoring title and says he couldn't have done it without Saunders at his side. Enter your email below and we'll send you another email. 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. Black History Month spotlight: McKegney opens doors, fills nets (OHL). I just felt defeated," he said. I showed up there and I remember sitting on my adoptive mothers knee and looking out the dining room window at this ice rink. 1978 round 2 #32 overall by Buffalo Sabres, OMJHL His older brother John was the first to lace up skates. Go inside the Hockey Reference Database. Even reporters, players were coming up to me saying, 'What's going on, Bernie?'". Go beyond the basics. He is a member of famous with the age 63 years old group. 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. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. Tony McKegney. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Lightning. 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. 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. We didn't recognize that password reset code. While in Minnesota, he joined the late John Mariucci and Cal Peterson to form an inner-city hockey league for youths. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. So, for me, there were just so many good influences. 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. He scored a goal in that game and got a standing ovation from the crowd. 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. 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. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. When you and your teammates compete together, practice together, eat together, and grow up together, you start to see people for who they are. Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. 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. Most historical data provided by Dan Diamond and Associates. Look, there's a Black player who did what some people said he couldn't. 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. Get all the latest stats, news, videos and more on Tony McKegney Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. SN: When you got to the league was it a lonely existence for you? There weren't many black players in the junior league at the time. 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. Sabres Send Asplund to Nashville for 7th Rounder, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline: Open Thread & How To Watch. tony mckegney family Tony Mckegney - ABC7 Chicago Former Sabres player charged for violating order of protection "It was just time. Relatives: Brother Ian McKegney. SN: Trevor was able to persevere. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. Enter Search Term. He learned to fight, to defend himself, but mainly he tried to keep scoring. 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. SN: How has it impacted you as youve moved on from the game? He would like for both to be able to remember their father in an NHL uniform. Amateur Teams: Kingston Canadians. 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. Stay tuned to Die By the Blade over the course of the month as we continue to highlight Black players in Buffalo Sabres history. 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. Taking into account various assets, Sue's net worth is greater than $50,000 - $99,999; and makes between $20 - 29,999 a year. But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: McKegney was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. 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.". He says he has moved on. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. Well give you the latest news when it becomes available, or feel free to add some more selections to My Favourites. 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. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media account that can be used to sign in here. "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. Want to more about Him? As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. Enter Search Term. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. It seemed very normal to me, and no one in our neighborhood or city really treated us any different, he said. I was at a Queens University hockey game. That's where he met Guy Carbonneau, who was in his first full professional season. A centre, he said the way they clicked on the ice was as though they'd been playing together forever. 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. "People just forget me because I didn't play. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. It's something that most Black players at the time trained themselves to do, even though we shouldn't have needed to. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. 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. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. An oddity on the ice - CBC John Kreiser, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. It's a big deal that Grant, Willie, and now Jarome have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tony McKegney has a great family story - Kincardine Independent One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. '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. 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. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. 82 Tony Mckegney Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images 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. Do you have a blog? 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. NHL Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Theres another occasion where Ray Neufeld and I got into a scuffle. It made me angry, made me sad. Hockey made me gave me all the confidence in the world.". 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. 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. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? Overall, his NHL career saw him appear in 912 regular season games and accrue 639 points. And the NHL has done a great job with helping. 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. More Tony McKegney videos. He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. Drafted 1974, 1 #2 overall by Kingston Canadians in the OHL Priority Selection, Cult/Star player for Kingston Frontenacs. Saunders was the third highest-scorer at training camp. I tried to, basically, suppress a lot of those feelings back then, and I just buried a lot of things. Other than that, I hadnt played against another black hockey player my whole life. Buffalo Sabres Schedule, Roster, News, and Rumors | Die By The Blade, Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney, Game Thread: Sabres vs. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. 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. * Some data is missing to provide a correct summary. So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games. It is the 10th NHL season for McKegney, who will be 30 on Feb. 15, and one that he would like to make his best. McKegney still does alumni work for the Sabres and Red Wings. It was never published. Find out more. TM: It just made me want to be better. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. My dad felt he could do something for the amount of kids that were homeless or without parents per se.. He even scored 40 goals for St. Louis in 1987-88. Q&A: Tony McKegney on the NHL's overlooked generation of black players Will the Sabres make some moves today to improve their post-season chances? McKegney, Tony 1958- | Encyclopedia.com by Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. Looking back on his incredible career and contribution, McKegney shared with me the pleasure, pain and purpose hockey brought to his life. He jumped to the AHL's Hershey. 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. Browse 82 tony mckegney stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Obviously, I know Im on the back 9 - if you want to compare it to golf. As of 2018 Tony McKegney is 59 years years old.
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