He would play 23 games with the San Diego Gulls in 1992-93 before retiring. Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments. It seemed very normal to me, and no one in our neighborhood or city really treated us any different, he said. SN: The numbers of black players at all levels has increased. I just pushed the stereotypes to the background and kept hockey in the forefront. Sabres Host Lightning in Saturday Matinee. That's the biggest compliment for me.". He played four games with the Nordiques at the end of the 1979-80 season, the team's first season in the NHL. "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. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. 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. "Everything Bernie Saunders has, he earned, in spite of [whether] there's been prejudice along the way.". Transaction information may be incomplete. While in Minnesota, he joined the late John Mariucci and Cal Peterson to form an inner-city hockey league for youths. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. 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. He stayed through 1983 and was a regular almost all of the time. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. I didnt talk to many people about it. Tony McKegney was born on February 15, 1958. One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. More Tony McKegney videos. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. He heard the N-word on the ice and from fans in the stands, and opponents always made sure to finish their checks on him. 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. Coming into the next season, he thought he was a shoo-in to make the team. Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32nd overall), 1978 NHL Amateur. - Verification Badge on your profile, Post a scouting report/trivia/player comment in English (visible here). 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. Years later, I found out I was one of the reasons why. 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. Saunders didn't seem bitter or disappointed about not quite making it in the NHL, Jarrett said. Tony played for the Buffalo Sabres for 5 years until June 8, 1983 when he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques along with Andre Savard, Jean-Francois Sauve and Buffalo's third-round choice in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Real Cloutier and Quebec's first-round pick in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Tony currently does periodic work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association and the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team. I ignored that coach, of course. I was trying to convey something that I think is still true today: Sports can be the common denominator that brings people together. They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. SPORTSNET: What was your first exposure to the game of hockey? Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Sign up for Stathead Hockey - first month free. 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. It was never published. There is one number, though, that says a lot about the season I had in 1987-88. Complete record of every goal scored or assisted by the player. "It was just time. He learned to fight, to defend himself, but mainly he tried to keep scoring. "It felt like they were ripping out my heart. 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. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. Tony McKegney. Instead, he was drafted 32nd-overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1978 and went on to score over 320 goals. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. He was a role model." Embed from Getty Images Getty Images Sport Graig Abel Still, I'd been thinking about that particular goal mark for a while. After playing for Pickering, Saunders got a full scholarship to Western Michigan University and played there for four years. 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). I relied on the support of my teammates who were always there for me. It was a simple chip-in that just dribbled through the goalie's pads. I just tried to shut everything else out. He says he doesn't watch much anymore. 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. 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. "The theme for the next few days is clear: Hey Kevyn, the lonely eyes of Sabres fans are turned to you,"Mike Harrington writes. Comments are welcome while open. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. He is also aware of his role-model responsibilities as one of only five blacks currently playing in the league. Jets, Hockey Night in Canada: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada: Oilers vs. Highlighting Black players throughout Buffalo Sabres history. I guess, if you could say, the guy thats done the best is probably Grant Fuhr, McKegney said of the Edmonton goalie. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. 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. McKegney, while striving to help provide black youths more opportunity, will never forget the chance given him by Lowry McKegney, 70. I suppressed a lot of things over the years. When I came along, obviously there were comments made, but I was so focused on what was happening on the ice. 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. Buffalo Sabres Schedule, Roster, News, and Rumors | Die By The Blade, Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney, Game Thread: Sabres vs. And that was the Buffalo Sabres. I remember starting the season with 10 goals in the first 15 games and getting a lot of ice time. 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. 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. Other than that, I hadnt played against another black hockey player my whole life. It's something that most Black players at the time trained themselves to do, even though we shouldn't have needed to. I showed up there and I remember sitting on my adoptive mother's knee and looking out the dining . But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. It barely made it over the line. 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. We didn't recognize that password reset code. 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. TM: I knew John because we were teammates, we were roommates, and it seemed out of character for him. It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. 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. The things he went through were things I experienced in my time. Tony was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. A year later, the left winger was ready to join the pros. Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. Dont forget to read the Q&A we did with several Black players who spent time with the Buffalo Sabres organization. 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. ago] Height 6.01 -- Weight 200 [185 cm/91 kg] Drafted by Buffalo Sabres - round 2 #32 overall 1978 NHL Amateur Draft Regular Season Playoffs; 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. So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games. WHA hat tricks courtesy Scott Surgent. Tony McKegney was bom in Montreal, Quebec, in February of 1958 to a Nigerian father and Canadian mother. Today, were giving a quick shoutout to former Buffalo Sabres forward Justin Bailey. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. SN: Was there a brotherhood among the black players in the league? McKegney was arrested June 23 and pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal contempt on July 8, according to court records. Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. . 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. Part of the reason McKegney wants to continue a while longer is because of sons Daniel, 2 1/2 , and Robert, 7 months. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular seasons 80 games. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. Bassin knew Saunders was getting racist taunts, but said Saunders always handled it in stride and never let it get to him. I think his biggest value to our club has been his ability to score, Blues coach Jacques Martin said. It's not the 40 goals I scored. Saunders, 63, who now lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has since retired and written a book about his life. Enter Search Term. To encourage thoughtful and respectful conversations, first and last names will appear with each submission to CBC/Radio-Canada's online communities (except in children and youth-oriented communities). Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Things just felt right that year. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). They started out with walker-type things out on the ice, and then they graduated to the point where they were scrimmaging, McKegney said. Position: LW Shoots: Left. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. 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. Hockey made me gave me all the confidence in the world.". 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. of 1 Former NHL forward Tony McKegney has been charged with impaired driving on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Tony McKegney has never won a Stanley Cup as a player. 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. But sometimes it comes back to haunt you. Collect, curate and comment on your files. 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 erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. McKegney vividly recalls the support from his parents - Lowry McKegney, a retired chemist, and Cathy McKegney. 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. McKegney was born in Montreal and adopted by a white family in Sarnia. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! Showing Editorial results for sabres tony mckegney. TM: I liked all sports. Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. 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. Would you like to create an account so you can see these Favourites on your other devices too? 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 *} Want to more about Him?
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