tony mckegney family

I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. The Montreal-born left wing was a big scorer in junior hockey, finishing with 135 points (58 goals . 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. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. I wanted to be the best hockey player from my hometown. Saunders scored twice in his debut, and it quickly became clear to Bassin he should have been playing at a higher level. I guess, if you could say, the guy thats done the best is probably Grant Fuhr, McKegney said of the Edmonton goalie. / Special to NHL.com, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. Showing Editorial results for sabres tony mckegney. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Jonathan freaked out. Lightning. 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. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.. 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. It's the kind of impact that wins, losses, and point totals can't capture. As of 2018 Tony McKegney is 59 years years old. His NHL career ended with nine games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1990-91, but he went on to play for the Canadian National Team, overseas in Italy with Varese HC and in the IHL with the San Diego Gulls before hanging up the skates in 1993. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. "It was just time. 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. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. He appeared in 363 regular-season games with Buffalo, putting up 127 goals and adding 141 assists. TM: I heard some stories about the tough guys like George Laraque, Peter Worrell and Donald Brashear, and apparently it was absolutely brutal for those guys in Quebec. Reality doesn't always add up. Tony McKegney is a well known Ice Hockey. He played four games with the Nordiques at the end of the 1979-80 season, the team's first season in the NHL. The funny thing is that Im starting to enjoy the game more than I ever have, he said. Clearly, Jarome recognized that the 'typical' hockey player could be anyone who loves the game and plays it well. "I could not imagine [why] this guy wasn't given a better opportunity," Bassin said. Tony McKegney was bom in Montreal, Quebec, in February of 1958 to a Nigerian father and Canadian mother. And I know they weren't alone in their thoughts. Editor's note: As part of the NHL celebrating Black History Month throughout February, NHL.com will present first-person essays by some of the game's key Black players and executives. So that support carried over all the negative stuff that happened. 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As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. Things just felt right that year. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. Tony McKegney is an Ice Hockey Player who was born on February 15, 1958 in Canada. Theres another occasion where Ray Neufeld and I got into a scuffle. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. He was a 4x 30-goal scorer and set career highs in 1988 with 40 . When I started in the league, I never would have guessed. Born 1958-02-15 in Montral, Quebec. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games. Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. TM: No, not really. Still, I'd been thinking about that particular goal mark for a while. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. Even reporters, players were coming up to me saying, 'What's going on, Bernie?'". To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. "I could deal with it individually, but to see my son go through it was just overwhelming.". I tried to, basically, suppress a lot of those feelings back then, and I just buried a lot of things. Instead, he was drafted 32nd-overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1978 and went on to score over 320 goals. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. When you and your teammates compete together, practice together, eat together, and grow up together, you start to see people for who they are. Of his 13 years in the NHL, he spent the most time with the Sabres. So, for me, there were just so many good influences. But I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. I'm certainly proud to have been one of the first consistent Black players in the NHL. Look, there's a Black player who did what some people said he couldn't. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. I'd been chasing that red light since I started playing hockey at 3 years old. And it wasn't hard to find a different place to live in St. Louis, which is a wonderful city that I've always enjoyed. 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. There have been 93 black players in the NHL. 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. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Transaction information may be incomplete. 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. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. 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. If I could be half the man my father was, Id be doing pretty well, he said. A couple of weeks ago, Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada gave the McKegney family a shout out during the Saturday night broadcast, recognizing McKegney as part of Black History month. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular season's 80 games. McKegney still does alumni work for the Sabres and Red Wings. of 1 My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. Enter Search Term. 2023 Getty Images. I went to [Daley] and said, Hey, how are you doing and how are you feeling? I just wanted to reach out and say, Been there, just keep at it. 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. Dont forget to read the Q&A we did with several Black players who spent time with the Buffalo Sabres organization. One of his teammates even offered to rent his apartment to Saunders, thinking he would need one since he'd be there long term. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. Tony currently does periodic work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association and the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team. 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. 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. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. As a teenager, he played for Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. Some hockey portraits on this site are licensed from Images on Ice, Hockeys Photo Agency. You get one kick at the can, as they say, in life. Hes had the most success. I was scared to say a peep in class. "We just felt like other Canadian boys and wanted to play hockey.". He talked about him, his brother Ian, and his mother who lives in Kincardine. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. Born: February 15,1958 inMontreal,Quebec ca, Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32ndoverall), 1978NHLAmateur. SN: How has it impacted you as youve moved on from the game? Enter your email below and we'll send you another email. He vowed his sons would never play, but his eldest, Jonathan, had other plans. 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. Year By Year Fight Totals. 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). More Tony McKegney videos. I remember the reporter asking me about growing up in a town where there were only two Black families among 50,000 people. By midseason, people started to notice. But on the. He says he doesn't watch much anymore. We celebrate Willie ORee, the first black player in the NHL, and maybe mention Mike Marson, who was the second, then the conversation shifts all the way to the unprecedented diversity we see in the game today. Bernie Saunders, one of the NHL's first black players, never thought he would find himself coaching youth hockey. Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. . I remember I was tired when a shot from the point came my way. ST. LOUIS (AP) _ If not for an early twist of fate, Tony McKegney would probably not be plying his talents in a sport that is essentially all white.

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