There weren't many black players in the junior league at the time. The more hockey lives up to those ideals, the better we'll all be. 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. Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. by All rights reserved. He is also aware of his role-model responsibilities as one of only five blacks currently playing in the league. Tony McKegney * Some data is missing to provide a correct summary. The hockey portion and the support from teammates and my parents and other hockey parents all the way along got me through it. Because you never forget scoring 40 in one year. Jets, Hockey Night in Canada: Maple Leafs vs. Canucks on Sportsnet, Hockey Night in Canada: Oilers vs. Other than that, I hadnt played against another black hockey player my whole life. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. These brave athletes are actively changing hockey culture for the better. Tony McKegney. 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? How does that make you feel? You may have created an account with another Rogers Media account that can be used to sign in here. I feel that I had a pretty good upbringing. He said, Just turn on the red light, which means scoring a goal. So, I reached out. Former NHL forward Tony McKegney has been charged with impaired driving on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. 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. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. And I followed the advice that the great Willie O'Ree has given so many times: channel your energy into lighting the red light. Brent Jarrett played with him in Kalamazoo, Mich.,that season. John Kreiser, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. 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. At age 5, I started playing organized hockey. Of course, sports will never make us color blind, and colorblindness is not the goal. "I literally got through the game, went into this closet, and I just cried. But I had a rink in my backyard, my own playground. It's not the 40 goals I scored. He has three 30-goal seasons. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. by Tony McKegney (born Anthony Syiid McKegney on February 15, 1958) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played in the NHL for 13 seasons from 197879 until 199091. There hadnt been many blacks in the NHL when he arrived, but hopefully his talent made quite a few people color-blind. Tony McKegney is an Ice Hockey Player who was born on February 15, 1958 in Canada. 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; '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. Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. 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. Hockey players like Akim Aliu, Mark Fraser, and Matt Dumba are just a few of the guys using their voice in meaningful ways. I was at a Queens University hockey game. 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. There isnt enough recent news in your lineup. 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. Wikifamouspeople has ranked Tony McKegney as of the . As a teenager, he played for Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. All rights reserved. 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 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. His best season came with the St. Louis Blues in 1987-88, when he had NHL career highs of 40 goals and 78 points. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Hockey made me gave me all the confidence in the world.". Saunders says it's tremendous. Last seen in the 1992-1993 season with the San Diego Gulls (IHL). He stayed through 1983 and was a regular almost all of the time. After playing in 64 games for the Rangers, Tony was traded to the St. Louis Blues on May 28, 1987 along with Rob Whistle in exchange for Bruce Bell and future considerations. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. If you are experiencing difficulties logging in or are a subscriber getting a paywall, please try one or more of the following steps. McKegney was 20, playing junior hockey for Kingston in the Ontario Hockey Association, when the Buffalo Sabres made him their second-round choice in the 1978 draft. 8 9 25 25 10 7 14 11. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. You have permission to edit this article. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. Instead, he was drafted 32nd-overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1978 and went on to score over 320 goals. McKegney spent less than two years with the Nordiques, and had several more stops around the NHL during the next several seasons. 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. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. He is to appear in court in Belleville, Ontario, on May 18. He was the fifth black man to play in the league. We reserve the right to close comments at any time. 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. Saunders says he is happy and has had a good life, thanks in large part to the sport that broke his heart. They were there for me for the most part. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. 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. But I know my brother took a lot more abuse than I did because I saw it. Want to more about Him? Search instead in Creative? After leaving the NHL, he had a long, successful career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. "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. Highlighting Black players throughout Buffalo Sabres history. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. And obviously we watched the games, the Leafs and the Red Wings on TV back in the six-team league. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. That's how good he was.". 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. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. It made me angry, made me sad. I just felt defeated," he said. And the support I got from teammates just carried me through some difficult situations. Born: February 15,1958 inMontreal,Quebec ca, Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32ndoverall), 1978NHLAmateur. There were a few other (skaters) that were sort of up and down.. I take my hat off to Grant. "We were so influenced by Hockey Night in Canada," he said, of himself and John. With St. Louis, a team decimated this season by injuries, his presence has been more valued than ever was expected. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. The coach noticed Saunderscrying in the stands, wanting to be with John, and invited him to play, too. It brought back some ghosts and nightmares, memories for me, which I hadnt thought about in a while. Even reporters, players were coming up to me saying, 'What's going on, Bernie?'". If you said Tony McKegney, you are correct. 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. 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. 6-0 , 200lb (183cm, 90kg) Born: February 15 , 1958 (Age: 64-344d) in Montreal, Quebec ca. I think his biggest value to our club has been his ability to score, Blues coach Jacques Martin said. But sometimes it comes back to haunt you. Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. Why did you feel like that was necessary? I've always considered it a great compliment to play a small part in Jarome's story. But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. Amateur Teams: Kingston Canadians. I remember the reporter asking me about growing up in a town where there were only two Black families among 50,000 people. So Bassin gave him that chance. 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. We had a hockey rink, actually, in our back yard that my parents made each year.. By midseason, people started to notice. I suppressed a lot of things over the years. We use cookies to improve your experience. Do you have a blog? Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. Tony McKegney, former NHLer and ambassador for, Hockey is for Everyone, congratulates a participant during the clinic sponsored by the NHL and the. He was released on his own recognizance by City Court. Today, were giving a quick shoutout to former Buffalo Sabres forward Justin Bailey. His supporters created a fan club. McKegney scored 31 goals in 1986-87, 29 of them after being traded to the New York Rangers. - Improve your search rank He even scored 40 goals for St. Louis in 1987-88. Tony McKegney player profile, stats and championships. Find out more. He jumped to the AHLs Hershey Bears and then the Sabres, making his NHL debut in the 1978-79 season. Transaction information may be incomplete. 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. "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". Look, there's a Black player who did what some people said he couldn't. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Tony McKegney, 1958-02-15 Montral, QC, CAN Canada. 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. Id like to make the best of the last couple of years.. Enter Search Term. BIOGRAPHY. Sometimes what has been said in the past is that once hes established he doesnt produce as much. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. 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. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. TM: Its wonderful. If my career took some pressure off of him, or anyone who looks like us, I'm very proud of that. 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 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. tony mckegney family https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 ICC ICC https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images . McKegney needed less than a season to join Buffalo during the 1978-79 campaign. "I believe if he wasn't a black individual he would have played [more] in the NHL. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Data Provided By Youre going to do well in the NHL. I just praised him, knowing that he was a great player and he was going to play in the NHL for a long time. Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. *I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. "I could deal with it individually, but to see my son go through it was just overwhelming.".