An error has occurred while trying to update your details. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. Tony McKegney is an Ice Hockey Player who was born on February 15, 1958 in Canada. - EP Contact Book listing of your profile (optional) Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. A centre, he said the way they clicked on the ice was as though they'd been playing together forever. He played six games and didn't score, but played well. 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. 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. Instead, he was drafted 32nd-overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1978 and went on to score over 320 goals. There isnt enough recent news in your lineup. The Montreal-born left wing was a big scorer in junior hockey, finishing with 135 points (58 goals . Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. 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. Buy his book. "I could not imagine [why] this guy wasn't given a better opportunity," Bassin said. He believes he could have had a 10-year career in the NHL if he had been given a proper shot. However, the Bills' statement does not specify that Frazi. Height, Weight & Physical Stats: Tony McKegney is 6 feet 1 inches tall and weight 90.7 kilograms. by There hadnt been many blacks in the NHL when he arrived, but hopefully his talent made quite a few people color-blind. 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 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. 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 hockey was a window of opportunity because we saw people from our area making it. All Rights Reserved. I probably should have, and I never did that. 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. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. His older brother John was the first to lace up skates. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32nd overall), 1978 NHL Amateur. I ignored that coach, of course. At the same time, he's disappointed that he's been excluded from conversations about the first black players in the NHL. Oilers' Mike Green out three to four weeks with knee injury, Islanders re-assign Josh Ho-Sang to Blues' AHL affiliate. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Saunders, 63, who now lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has since retired and written a book about his life. Anytime I faced adversity, I said, Okay, Im going to put a couple of pucks in the net today for sure. And I was just going to show everybody that I was as good or better than them. Approaching the All-Star break, McKegney led the club with 26 goals. They're too neat; too objective. The conversation about black players in hockey is often a binary one even during Black History Month. 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. Subscribe: bit.ly/3925J0FVisit Sabres.com for moreFollow: twitter.com/BuffaloSabresLike: facebook.com/buffalosabresF. After scoring 36 goals for the Sabres in 1982-83, McKegney was traded to the Quebec Nordiques. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular seasons 80 games. I'm certainly proud to have been one of the first consistent Black players in the NHL. Enter Search Term. 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. Reality doesn't always add up. There were a few other (skaters) that were sort of up and down.. Tony McKegney weighed 200 lbs (90 kg) when playing. I don't talk much about the taunts and racial slurs I faced in youth and minor hockey. 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. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Its basically black children. Saunders was sent back to the minors, without any explanation. Thats basically what got me where I am today., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. He would like for both to be able to remember their father in an NHL uniform. Sabres Send Asplund to Nashville for 7th Rounder, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline: Open Thread & How To Watch. With St. Louis, a team decimated this season by injuries, his presence has been more valued than ever was expected. It was never published. 710K subscribers Tony McKegney is one of the pioneers of breaking the colour barrier within the NHL. "I was incredulous. 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. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. Other blacks are forward Dirk Graham of the Minnesota North Stars, goaltender Eldon Pokey Reddick and forward Paul Neufeld of the Winnipeg Jets. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. Boards and the whole thing. It's like a catch-22.". He was a role model." Embed from Getty Images Getty Images Sport Graig Abel So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games. He said, Just turn on the red light, which means scoring a goal. TM: I just would tell them to persevere. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Please contact us. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. "The theme for the next few days is clear: Hey Kevyn, the lonely eyes of Sabres fans are turned to you,"Mike Harrington writes. Or write about sports? He scored a goal in that game and got a standing ovation from the crowd. Customize your Sportsnet lineup for the latest news from your favourite leagues and teams. Saunders was a shy, quiet kid with a remarkable work ethic, Bassin recalls. Do you have a sports website? The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The things he went through were things I experienced in my time. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Contents 1 Playing Career 2 Post-Playing Career 3 Career Statistics 4 Accolades 5 Personal Life Playing Career It was a personal best for me -- the first and only time I'd join the NHL's 40-goal club. Wikifamouspeople has ranked Tony McKegney as of the . 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 *} By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. NHL Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. They were there for me for the most part. Showing Editorial results for sabres tony mckegney. 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. All Rights Reserved. Before Jarome was an NHL superstar and represented Canada in three Olympics, he was just like every other Canadian kid playing ball hockey in the school yard -- except he stood out for looking different than the 'typical' hockey player. Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney - Die By The Blade - Verification Badge on your profile, Post a scouting report/trivia/player comment in English (visible here). To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. It was wintertime and my dad had floodlights out there. Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features. The more hockey lives up to those ideals, the better we'll all be. I was too timid to talk to a girl. 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. On June 15, 1989, Tony was traded to the Detroit Red Wings along with Bernie Federko in exchange for Adam Oates and Paul MacLean. He is 64 years old. You sort of never felt like you were different. Gambling problem? (Tony) McKegney will need to be working on his paddle stroke or riding as a passenger. And that was the Buffalo Sabres. He paved the way for me. 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. McKegney spent less than two years with the Nordiques, and had several more stops around the NHL during the next several seasons. Sometimes what has been said in the past is that once hes established he doesnt produce as much. His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. So, there was a lot of black athletes in town in Buffalo. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. - Connect directly with players, coaches, teams, scouts and agents (optional) He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. Tony McKegney Height, Weight & Measurements At 63 years old, Tony McKegney height is 1.85 m and Weight 91 kg. Tony McKegney (front, second from r.) and his Sarnia Bees teammates of the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League in 1973. Enter your email below and we'll send you another email. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. Sign up for EP Premium and verify your profile to access these benefits. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. 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 appeared in 363 regular-season games with Buffalo, putting up 127 goals and adding 141 assists. 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. Saunders didn't seem bitter or disappointed about not quite making it in the NHL, Jarrett said. He stayed through 1983 and was a regular almost all of the time. "We just felt like other Canadian boys and wanted to play hockey.". Id like to make the best of the last couple of years.. I've always been a player that plays on enthusiasm, and I was just losing my zest for the game.". "People just forget me because I didn't play. That's where he met Guy Carbonneau, who was in his first full professional season. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. Like I said, numbers never tell the whole story. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Jarome told me that he felt comfortable at the school yard because he could point to me and say, "Look, Tony McKegney's playing in the NHL.". Theres another occasion where Ray Neufeld and I got into a scuffle. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. 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. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. by He was assigned to the Syracuse Firebirds, one of the Nordiques' farm teams, where he became a fan favourite. He continued to score despite playing no more than three seasons with the same team for the rest of his career. Caught off balance, his foot went flying in the air.