But on the. Stay tuned to Die By the Blade over the course of the month as we continue to highlight Black players in Buffalo Sabres history. Id like to make the best of the last couple of years.. * Some data is missing to provide a correct summary. 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. The more hockey lives up to those ideals, the better we'll all be. Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. Part one focused on diversity and race in hockey, while part two reflected back on their time with the Sabres/Amerks. I loved basketball, football, baseball, golf. I remember I was tired when a shot from the point came my way. I dont have any theory why Tony has played with so many teams. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. Tony McKegney was bom in Montreal, Quebec, in February of 1958 to a Nigerian father and Canadian mother. TM: I liked all sports. 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. Subscribe: bit.ly/3925J0FVisit Sabres.com for moreFollow: twitter.com/BuffaloSabresLike: facebook.com/buffalosabresF. It's the number of Black players who have ever scored 40 goals in an NHL season. - Improve your search rank He talked about him, his brother Ian, and his mother who lives in Kincardine. He was following in the footsteps of his older brother Ian McKegney (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. Still, I'd been thinking about that particular goal mark for a while. Forward Born Feb 15 1958 -- Montreal, PQ [65 yrs. And obviously we watched the games, the Leafs and the Red Wings on TV back in the six-team league. Jarome Iginla gave me a very nice compliment when he said he felt he was at home on the ice and in the school yard, because he could say, Hey, Tony McKegney, hes playing in the NHL. He felt like he belonged on a hockey rink because I was out there. Tony McKegney was born in Montreal, Canada. Im sure it affected me. Buffalo looks to bounce back with a clean slate against another tough team. Who was the first Black player to top 40 goals in an NHL season? But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. Today we look at former NHL forward Tony McKegney. 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. Hes had the most success. He played in St. Louis for two years. Get all the latest stats, news, videos and more on Tony McKegney Approaching the All-Star break, McKegney led the club with 26 goals. 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. Showing Editorial results for sabres tony mckegney. Did that ever dissuade you at all from getting into the game? It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. SN: What were the conversations like between you and your brother about the abuse he faced? He is 64 years old. They were there for me for the most part. I wanted to be as good as my brothers. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. It certainly didn't add up when I was moving to St. Louis before the start of the season. 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. Tony was born on February 15, 1958 in Montreal, Quebec.. Tony is one of the famous and trending celeb who is popular for being a Ice Hockey. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. Tony McKegney has never won a Stanley Cup as a player. Overall, his NHL career saw him appear in 912 regular season games and accrue 639 points. Some hockey portraits on this site are licensed from Images on Ice, Hockeys Photo Agency. And my brother was four years older than me and and took a lot more abuse than I did. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. So that support carried over all the negative stuff that happened. He would play 23 games with the San Diego Gulls in 1992-93 before retiring. He learned to fight, to defend himself, but mainly he tried to keep scoring. The next season, his agent Art Kaminsky told him that must have meant the Nordiques wanted to keep him, so he went into training camp intent on making an impression. By midseason, people started to notice. The hockey portion and the support from teammates and my parents and other hockey parents all the way along got me through it. Saunders decided that was it. by The things he went through were things I experienced in my time. In February 1988, I was interviewed for an article called "Tony McKegney Makes His Mark in the NHL," where I talked about how the season was going and importance of role models. 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. Former NHL forward Tony McKegney has been charged with impaired driving on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. There were a few other (skaters) that were sort of up and down.. 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. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Tony McKegney, 1958-02-15 Montral, QC, CAN Canada. His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. 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. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. Relatives: Brother Ian McKegney. When you and your teammates compete together, practice together, eat together, and grow up together, you start to see people for who they are. Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? Some may find that number low. "I could not imagine [why] this guy wasn't given a better opportunity," Bassin said. (Born onFebruary 15, 1958) -- Tony McKegney was something of a pioneer in the world of hockey. "I believe if he wasn't a black individual he would have played [more] in the NHL. However, the Bills' statement does not specify that Frazi. He was told teams were interested in trading for him, but the Nordiques didn't let him go. 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. I remember starting the season with 10 goals in the first 15 games and getting a lot of ice time. Tony McKegney had 320 goals over his career. Mike Harrington: His team looks good, even without Alex Tuch. It was a simple chip-in that just dribbled through the goalie's pads. Boards and the whole thing. It barely made it over the line. That's where he met Guy Carbonneau, who was in his first full professional season. It can be difficult to talk about how those views affect you as a person. And the NHL has done a great job with helping. A t-shirt with this logo is available for purchase here, with a portion of proceeds going to Breaking Barriers. 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. Before Jarome was an NHL superstar and represented Canada in three Olympics, he was just like every other Canadian kid playing ball hockey in the school yard -- except he stood out for looking different than the 'typical' hockey player. He is also aware of his role-model responsibilities as one of only five blacks currently playing in the league. Like I said, numbers never tell the whole story. All Rights Reserved. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. Reality doesn't always add up. After completing the 1990-91 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Tony would spend a season in Italy with HC Varese as well as three games with the Canadian National Team. More Tony McKegney videos. The sport that Saunders loved so much, the sport he says shaped him into the person he has become, has also broken his heart many times. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. 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. Why did you feel like that was necessary? The funny thing is that Im starting to enjoy the game more than I ever have, he said. 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. 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. Its just something I never envisioned when I was growing up seeing five black hockey players playing in the same game. Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. And between the benches, one of the guys said it would be termed as a black-on-black crime. Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. . Saunders spent most of his career thinking he was the only black player out there. 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. The key is for him to keep working.. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. 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. To see your localized preferences, please enable geolocation services in your browser settings. Buffalo Sabres Schedule, Roster, News, and Rumors | Die By The Blade, Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney, Game Thread: Sabres vs. They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. 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. 8 9 25 25 10 7 14 11. 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. (Tony) McKegney will need to be working on his paddle stroke or riding as a passenger. Want to more about Him? Contents 1 Playing Career 2 Post-Playing Career 3 Career Statistics 4 Accolades 5 Personal Life Playing Career If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. And if those people were wrong about his future in hockey, what else might they be wrong about? 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. They're too neat; too objective. One house seemed perfect for me and my wife, Sue. 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. He says he has moved on. WHA hat tricks courtesy Scott Surgent. It's something that most Black players at the time trained themselves to do, even though we shouldn't have needed to. Odds & lines subject to change. Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features. "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 signed with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association, but that news generated a great deal of hate mail, etc., in the South. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Year By Year Fight Totals. Enter your email address to get a new one. TM: I just would tell them to persevere. Pioneers like Willie O'Ree, Angela James and Grant Fuhr will be featured. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. 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. SN: How has it impacted you as youve moved on from the game? Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. 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. He has three 30-goal seasons. I know there werent very many [black players]. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Saunders was the third highest-scorer at training camp. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. Tony McKegney was born on February 15, 1958. If you said Tony McKegney, you are correct. SN: Given what you went through in your career, does it make it tougher to hear stories of the abuse faced by players who came after you? You sort of never felt like you were different. Lightning. Of course, sports will never make us color blind, and colorblindness is not the goal. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 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. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. 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. Enter Search Term. Jets, Hockey Night in Canada: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada: Oilers vs. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media account that can be used to sign in here. 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. However, the team now had a new farm team, the Fredericton Express, and the organization wanted Saunders to play there. Never fully comfortable: Maple Leafs Kerfoot and the trade he dodged, Canucks commit to re-tooling over re-building with Hronek addition, On a career heater, Nugent-Hopkins four-point night helps Oilers ground Jets. 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. I always loved the game, but I didn't see myself reflected in it. When submitting content, please abide by our, Hockey Night in Canada: Senators vs. Blue Jackets on Sportsnet, Watch Hockey Night in Canada with Steve Dangle: Oilers vs. So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games. Tony McKegney I was trying to convey something that I think is still true today: Sports can be the common denominator that brings people together. The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. Thats basically what got me where I am today., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. McKegney scored 37 goals in 1980-81. Tony McKegney's birthday is on 15-Feb-1958 and was born on Saturday. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. Just like society as a whole, the hockey community still has a lot of hard work to do. Next, select your favourite teams and leagues and well show you their latest news and scores in the My Favourites section of the home page. So, we laughed about it later on over a few beers. After leaving the NHL, he had a long, successful career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. "We just felt like other Canadian boys and wanted to play hockey.". Even reporters, players were coming up to me saying, 'What's going on, Bernie?'". Looking back on his incredible career and contribution, McKegney shared with me the pleasure, pain and purpose hockey brought to his life. He believes the colour of his skin is part of the reason he didn't. SN: What were the conversations like with your parents about it? BIOGRAPHY. Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. He continued to score despite playing no more than three seasons with the same team for the rest of his career. After scoring eight goals in 52 games as a rookie in 1978-79, he scored 23 in his second NHL season 37 in 1980-81.