tony mckegney family tony mckegney family

Tony McKegneny (c.) with his sons, Dan (l.), and Robert. The conversation about black players in hockey is often a binary one even during Black History Month. 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. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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. 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. He was told teams were interested in trading for him, but the Nordiques didn't let him go. That's where he met Guy Carbonneau, who was in his first full professional season. He still remembers, almost 50 years later, the smile on Saunders's face when he was told he wasn't going back to his old team. The goal is to make stereotypes disappear by making people from all backgrounds feel welcome, celebrated, and empowered on an equal playing field. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. All Rights Reserved. However, the team now had a new farm team, the Fredericton Express, and the organization wanted Saunders to play there. "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. So, we laughed about it later on over a few beers. 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. Statistics of Tony McKegney, a hockey player from Montreal, PQ born Feb 15 1958 who was active from 1973 to 1993. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. 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. He decided to sign as a free agent with the Nordiques because he felt they would give him the best opportunity to play right away plus, he would be reunited with Demers. Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. Stay tuned to Die By the Blade over the course of the month as we continue to highlight Black players in Buffalo Sabres history. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted by a white family in Sarnia, Ont. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. The Buffalo Sabres recently unveiled a partnership with local artist Edreys Wajed in honor of Black History Month. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Search instead in Creative? {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, City mourns Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno as investigation into fatal fire launches, Buffalo firefighter makes 'ultimate sacrifice' in blaze that may have sparked backdraft, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst, Vandal damages 'brokenhearted' Russell Salvatore's tribute park in Lancaster, Chad Hall's departure from Buffalo Bills to Jaguars remains a bit of a mystery. He sat down with Donnovan Bennett to discuss the struggles, success and lessons that came. Did that ever dissuade you at all from getting into the game? Who was the first Black player to top 40 goals in an NHL season? Collect, curate and comment on your files. Comments are welcome while open. You sort of never felt like you were different. Then he was dealt to the Nordiques in a massive swap involving Quebecs Real Cloutier. Look, there's a Black player who did what some people said he couldn't. McKegney scored 31 goals in 1986-87, 29 of them after being traded to the New York Rangers. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. 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. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Some hockey portraits on this site are licensed from Images on Ice, Hockeys Photo Agency. 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. "People just forget me because I didn't play. 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. McKegney still does alumni work for the Sabres and Red Wings. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Born: February 15,1958 inMontreal,Quebec ca, Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32ndoverall), 1978NHLAmateur. Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Tony McKegney. (OHL). 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. Throughout 15 years of professional hockey, I'm lucky enough to say that there are many moments I'm proud of. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. So that support carried over all the negative stuff that happened. There weren't many black players in the junior league at the time. The second person to achieve (and ultimately surpass) this milestone? Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. * Some data is missing to provide a correct summary. 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. Highlighting Black players throughout Buffalo Sabres history. Playing hockey at a high level is difficult enough without navigating the pressures of racism in society or figuring out how to respond to the supposed "fan" with a sign that says, "McKegney, grab a basketball" behind the Zamboni entrance. He played in Detroit for only 14 games before being traded back to the Quebec Nordiques on December 4, 1989 in exchange for Robert Picard and Greg Adams. 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Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features. by Jarome Iginla. 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. He talked about him, his brother Ian, and his mother who lives in Kincardine. Boards and the whole thing. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. But I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. And my brother was four years older than me and and took a lot more abuse than I did. I don't talk much about the taunts and racial slurs I faced in youth and minor hockey. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. He appeared in 363 regular-season games with Buffalo, putting up 127 goals and adding 141 assists. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. They were there for me for the most part. He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 goals and 78 points. Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. Still, I'd been thinking about that particular goal mark for a while. During my career, I know I tried my hardest not to think about them at all. He jumped to the AHL's Hershey. "I literally got through the game, went into this closet, and I just cried. It was wintertime and my dad had floodlights out there. I showed up there and I remember sitting on my adoptive mothers knee and looking out the dining room window at this ice rink. Jets, Hockey Night in Canada: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada: Oilers vs. 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. When I came along, obviously there were comments made, but I was so focused on what was happening on the ice. Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. He said, Just turn on the red light, which means scoring a goal. 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. One was Saunders. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. And obviously we watched the games, the Leafs and the Red Wings on TV back in the six-team league. Tony McKegney Height, Weight & Measurements At 63 years old, Tony McKegney height is 1.85 m and Weight 91 kg. All Rights Reserved. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular season's 80 games. TM: We never really talked about it much. 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. It can be difficult to talk about how those views affect you as a person. I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. A year later, the left winger was ready to join the pros. They're too neat; too objective. In fact, I think their parents were thinking about saying, Look, why dont you just go play soccer, because it was so bad as far as the remarks. So, I reached out. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) - Ability to add additional data to your career profile: Videos, Images, Social Media, Referrals, Fitness Testing Results and much more! As part of the NHL's celebration of Black History Month, NHL.com will highlight great moments and important figures in black hockey history each day throughout February. I think his biggest value to our club has been his ability to score, Blues coach Jacques Martin said. It's the number of Black players who have ever scored 40 goals in an NHL season. Saunders spent most of his career thinking he was the only black player out there. 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. But he was reassigned to the minors. Saunders, 63, who now lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has since retired and written a book about his life. He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. 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. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. 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. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Contents 1 Playing Career 2 Post-Playing Career 3 Career Statistics 4 Accolades 5 Personal Life Playing Career Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 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. But I always wanted to be, and knew I could be, a dominant player. Akim Aliu hasnt had the same ability to bounce back from his difficult treatment in the game. Amateur Teams: Kingston Canadians. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. 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. 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. 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. Tony McKegney was born on February 15, 1958. Tony McKegney. (Tony) McKegney will need to be working on his paddle stroke or riding as a passenger. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994.