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Tony currently does periodic work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association and the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team. My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. 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. Gambling problem? "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". Amateur Teams: Kingston Canadians. 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. Tony McKegney weighed 200 lbs (90 kg) when playing. He says he doesn't watch much anymore. It barely made it over the line. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994. It's the number of Black players who have ever scored 40 goals in an NHL season. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. 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. I showed up there and I remember sitting on my adoptive mothers knee and looking out the dining room window at this ice rink. I ignored that coach, of course. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. Tony was adopted by the McKegney family when he was an infant. 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. It's a big deal that Grant, Willie, and now Jarome have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. McKegney still does alumni work for the Sabres and Red Wings. However, the Bills' statement does not specify that Frazi. SN: Was there a brotherhood among the black players in the league? So I did the only thing I could do: I focused on perseverance. Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32nd overall), 1978 NHL Amateur. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. And I followed the advice that the great Willie O'Ree has given so many times: channel your energy into lighting the red light. 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 was also able to open doors and create a level of acceptance for young black players who could point to him and his contemporaries as successes. He was the fifth black man to play in the league. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. He was assigned to the Syracuse Firebirds, one of the Nordiques' farm teams, where he became a fan favourite. Overall, his NHL career saw him appear in 912 regular season games and accrue 639 points. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. '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. "It felt like they were ripping out my heart. But I always wanted to be, and knew I could be, a dominant player. Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox! He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 . Tony McKegney - Wikipedia Tony McKegney, former NHLer and ambassador for, Hockey is for Everyone, congratulates a participant during the clinic sponsored by the NHL and the. "The theme for the next few days is clear: Hey Kevyn, the lonely eyes of Sabres fans are turned to you,"Mike Harrington writes. There were a few other (skaters) that were sort of up and down.. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Brother: Ian McKegney I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. The subtext of the situation was clear: Because I'm a Black man, there were certain things the homeowner felt like I couldn't or shouldn't do. Tony McKegney - Elite Prospects He even scored 40 goals for St. Louis in 1987-88. But I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. Today we look at former NHL forward Tony McKegney. 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. Buffalo looks to bounce back with a clean slate against another tough team. Because you never forget scoring 40 in one year. Complete record of every goal scored or assisted by the player. I know there werent very many [black players]. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. by He jumped to the AHL's Hershey. All rights reserved. Your existing password has not been changed. Tony McKegney Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Some hockey portraits on this site are licensed from Images on Ice, Hockeys Photo Agency. He sat down with Donnovan Bennett to discuss the struggles, success and lessons that came. Brent Jarrett played with him in Kalamazoo, Mich.,that season. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. And I know they weren't alone in their thoughts. "I was incredulous. Akim Aliu hasnt had the same ability to bounce back from his difficult treatment in the game. With a Premium subscription, you'll get access to over 30 tools, features and benefits. "They always came up with their hardest stuff, their elbows and what-not, and tried to punish me.". Oilers' Mike Green out three to four weeks with knee injury, Islanders re-assign Josh Ho-Sang to Blues' AHL affiliate. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. 2023 Getty Images. Saunders says he is happy and has had a good life, thanks in large part to the sport that broke his heart. 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. Saunders decided that was it. Tony McKegney - Hockey Fights I probably should have, and I never did that. Saunders didn't seem bitter or disappointed about not quite making it in the NHL, Jarrett said. TM: I liked all sports. 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. At the same time, he's disappointed that he's been excluded from conversations about the first black players 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. There is one number, though, that says a lot about the season I had in 1987-88. In Tony's second stint in Quebec, he played in 98 games for the team until January 29, 1991 when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jacques Cloutier. 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. Former NHL star sent to jail | The Kingston Whig Standard 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. It was wintertime and my dad had floodlights out there. Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. But I had a rink in my backyard, my own playground. Drafted 1974, 1 #2 overall by Kingston Canadians in the OHL Priority Selection, Cult/Star player for Kingston Frontenacs. Comments are welcome while open. I was trying to convey something that I think is still true today: Sports can be the common denominator that brings people together. At age 5, I started playing organized hockey. The Buffalo native was drafted by the Sabres 52nd overall in 2013 and began his pro career with the Sabres and Amerks. 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. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. These brave athletes are actively changing hockey culture for the better. Highlighting Black players throughout Buffalo Sabres history. Sabres Tony Mckegney Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images of 1 Search instead in Creative? Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. It certainly didn't add up when I was moving to St. Louis before the start of the season. Previously, in the early '80s, one of my team's assistant coaches advised me to start dating a Black woman instead of Sue for similarly ignorant and bigoted reasons. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. Of course, sports will never make us color blind, and colorblindness is not the goal. 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. 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. WHA hat tricks courtesy Scott Surgent. [RELATED: Black History Month coverage |Hockey Is For Everyone coverage]. (approx 1 - 2 per week). His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. Tony McKegney has not been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. 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. 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 retrospect, I can now see how it was an important milestone for people who look like me: No Black player had ever scored 40 goals in a season not until that game against Winnipeg, where a little chip-in ended up making history. Tony McKegney Stats and News | NHL.com 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. Theres another occasion where Ray Neufeld and I got into a scuffle. Black History Month essay: Tony McKegney | NHL.com I was too timid to talk to a girl. Lightning. 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.