Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. He appeared in 363 regular-season games with Buffalo, putting up 127 goals and adding 141 assists. The things he went through were things I experienced in my time. Of course, I also thought about the bonus clause in my contract, which promised $15,000 if I happened to score 40 goals (that was a lot of money in those days). 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. He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. 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. 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. "They always came up with their hardest stuff, their elbows and what-not, and tried to punish me.". Statistics of Tony McKegney, a hockey player from Montreal, PQ born Feb 15 1958 who was active from 1973 to 1993. McKegney scored 31 goals in 1986-87, 29 of them after being traded to the New York Rangers. Just like society as a whole, the hockey community still has a lot of hard work to do. But Jarrett believes Saunders deserved to be there. And obviously we watched the games, the Leafs and the Red Wings on TV back in the six-team league. I said, "I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. All rights reserved. SN: How has it impacted you as youve moved on from the game? Other blacks are forward Dirk Graham of the Minnesota North Stars, goaltender Eldon Pokey Reddick and forward Paul Neufeld of the Winnipeg Jets. Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? / Special to NHL.com, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. An error has occurred while trying to update your details. McKegney spent less than two years with the Nordiques, and had several more stops around the NHL during the next several seasons. Of his 13 years in the NHL, he spent the most time with the Sabres. All Rights Reserved. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Obviously, I know Im on the back 9 - if you want to compare it to golf. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular seasons 80 games. 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. - Verification Badge on your profile, Post a scouting report/trivia/player comment in English (visible here). 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. (OHL). Tony McKegney, former NHLer and ambassador for, Hockey is for Everyone, congratulates a participant during the clinic sponsored by the NHL and the. McKegney left the NHL after 1990-91 with 639 points (320 goals, 319 assists). Bassin knew Saunders was getting racist taunts, but said Saunders always handled it in stride and never let it get to him. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. Some may find that number low. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. It seemed very normal to me, and no one in our neighborhood or city really treated us any different, he said. Tony McKegney. "I got a lot of feedback from people in Canada that they were accepted in the schoolyard or outdoor rink because they could point to me as being a person of color playing in the National Hockey League. The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. He is a member of famous with the age 63 years old group. Saunders didn't seem bitter or disappointed about not quite making it in the NHL, Jarrett said. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. You get one kick at the can, as they say, in life. Halls contract with the Bills had expired, although left unanswered is whether the team made an effort to retain him or Hall simply was rea. . McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted by a white family in Sarnia, Ont. 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. I've always been a player that plays on enthusiasm, and I was just losing my zest for the game.". Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. I guess, if you could say, the guy thats done the best is probably Grant Fuhr, McKegney said of the Edmonton goalie. 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. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. I remember the reporter asking me about growing up in a town where there were only two Black families among 50,000 people. SN: If you had a chance to talk to the young African-Canadian and African-American kids coming into the game, what would you tell them that you wish youd known? 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. Looking back on his incredible career and contribution, McKegney shared with me the pleasure, pain and purpose hockey brought to his life. I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments. Im sure it affected me. 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. Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. TM: We just sort of stayed away from it. They were around five and six years old. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. He would play 23 games with the San Diego Gulls in 1992-93 before retiring. 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. He stayed through 1983 and was a regular almost all of the time. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. 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 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). Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. All Rights Reserved. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) Another referee determined he made a kicking motion and gave him a match penalty. Go beyond the basics. 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. The funny thing is that Im starting to enjoy the game more than I ever have, he said. Saunders doesn't want to come off as someone lamenting what could have been. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. He was released on his own recognizance by City Court. Hes been an All-Star. '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. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. 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. That's the biggest compliment for me.". Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. It was never published. I remember starting the season with 10 goals in the first 15 games and getting a lot of ice time. by Hockey was like that for me -- I was constantly focused on numbers. SN: What were the conversations like with your parents about it? McKegney was born in Montreal and adopted by a white family in Sarnia. We didn't recognize that password reset code. TM: Its wonderful. 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. He says he has moved on. It was a personal best for me -- the first and only time I'd join the NHL's 40-goal club. "We were so influenced by Hockey Night in Canada," he said, of himself and John. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.. 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. After leaving the NHL, he had a long, successful career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He says he doesn't watch much anymore. McKegney vividly recalls the support from his parents - Lowry McKegney, a retired chemist, and Cathy McKegney. And I know they weren't alone in their thoughts. They're too neat; too objective. 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At the same time, he's disappointed that he's been excluded from conversations about the first black players in the NHL. Stay tuned to Die By the Blade over the course of the month as we continue to highlight Black players in Buffalo Sabres history. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. 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. 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. I'd been chasing that red light since I started playing hockey at 3 years old. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. I showed up there and I remember sitting on my adoptive mother's knee and looking out the dining . 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. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. Tony was adopted by the McKegney family when he was an infant. 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. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 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 could not imagine [why] this guy wasn't given a better opportunity," Bassin said. I was at a Queens University hockey game. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Tony sun sign is Aquarius and his birth flower is Violet & Primrose. Throughout 15 years of professional hockey, I'm lucky enough to say that there are many moments I'm proud of. And my teammates treated me like I was not any different than anybody. But I had a rink in my backyard, my own playground. How does that make you feel? Drafted 1974, 1 #2 overall by Kingston Canadians in the OHL Priority Selection, Cult/Star player for Kingston Frontenacs. TM: We never really talked about it much. My dad felt he could do something for the amount of kids that were homeless or without parents per se.. 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? McKegney, while striving to help provide black youths more opportunity, will never forget the chance given him by Lowry McKegney, 70. 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. "I literally got through the game, went into this closet, and I just cried. After scoring 36 goals for the Sabres in 1982-83, McKegney was traded to the Quebec Nordiques. Of course, sports will never make us color blind, and colorblindness is not the goal. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32nd overall), 1978 NHL Amateur. It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. 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. Tony McKegney was born in Montreal, Canada. Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. Brother: Ian McKegney NHL Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. He sat down with Donnovan Bennett to discuss the struggles, success and lessons that came. Join our linker program. In this article, we covered Tony McKegney's net worth, wiki, bio, career, height, weight, pics, family, affairs, car, salary, age, facts, and other details in 2022.
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