Search instead in Creative? He was told teams were interested in trading for him, but the Nordiques didn't let him go. We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. He is 64 years old. Thats basically what got me where I am today., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. As a teenager, he played for Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. An oddity on the ice - CBC Keep reading with unlimited digital access. But I think sports probably helped a lot, because we were known as athletes and so forth. "I believe if he wasn't a black individual he would have played [more] in the NHL. We didn't recognize that password reset code. Tony McKegney Goal vs. Toronto 12/13/80 - YouTube That's how good he was.". So, for me, there were just so many good influences. Black History Month essay: Tony McKegney | NHL.com 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? Caught off balance, his foot went flying in the air. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. Hockey made me gave me all the confidence in the world.". And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: Former Sabres player charged for violating order of protection 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. 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. 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McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. Another referee determined he made a kicking motion and gave him a match penalty. Saunders, 63, who now lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has since retired and written a book about his life. Former NHL star McKegney conflicted by USA Hockey hiring of There were five centermen on that team who were great passers, and when you're playing with so many good centermen, you're going to get chances every game. McKegney left the NHL after 1990-91 with 639 points (320 goals, 319 assists). The key is for him to keep working.. Back in 1988, I'm not sure if I realized what it really meant. John Kreiser, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. Enter your email address to get a new one. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. 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. So, there was a lot of black athletes in town in Buffalo. 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. 'I loved the game, but the game didn't love me': How hockey shaped one of NHL's first black players on and off the ice | CBC News Loaded. The subtext of the situation was clear: Because I'm a Black man, there were certain things the homeowner felt like I couldn't or shouldn't do. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. He is a member of famous with the age 63 years old group. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular season's 80 games. Saunders scored twice in his debut, and it quickly became clear to Bassin he should have been playing at a higher level. I probably should have, and I never did that. They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. 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. Gambling problem? There was nothing special about the goal. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. "I loved the game, but the game didn't love me.". In fact, I didn't play against another Black hockey player for nearly 18 years -- when Ray Neufeld, Grant Fuhr, and I were all active in the League. When I started in the league, I never would have guessed. Tony McKegney had 639 points over his career. McKegney was born in Montreal, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games. Continue reading to discover who is Tony McKegney. And there was a ton of it, ugly stuff. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Tony McKegney, 1958-02-15 Montral, QC, CAN Canada. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:33AM. tony mckegney family I take my hat off to Grant. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994. But I know my brother took a lot more abuse than I did because I saw it. 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. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. Stay tuned to Die By the Blade over the course of the month as we continue to highlight Black players in Buffalo Sabres history. 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. The more hockey lives up to those ideals, the better we'll all be. 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. When the last road trip started, I thought about how meaningful it would be to end the season with a goal total that was a round number. At the age of 20, Tony signed a contract with the now defunct World Hockey Associations (WHA) team in Birmingham, Alabama only to see the owner illegally renege on the deal after fans threatened to boycott the team for having added a black player to its roster. People weren't used to seeing a Black player succeed on the ice. 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. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. The year after he graduated, he had offers from a few teams. Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. 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. And between the benches, one of the guys said it would be termed as a black-on-black crime. 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. Or write about sports? I know there werent very many [black players]. Want to more about Him? And that was the Buffalo Sabres. {{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. "I got a lot of feedback from people in Canada that they were accepted in the schoolyard or outdoor rink because they could point to me as being a person of color playing in the National Hockey League. Sue G McKegney, 63 - Buffalo, NY - Has Court or Arrest Records - MyLife Who was the first Black player to top 40 goals in an NHL season? Go inside the Hockey Reference Database. All rights reserved. SPORTSNET: What was your first exposure to the game of hockey? Do you have a sports website? Its basically black children. Tony McKegney Tells His Story of How He Came to Buffalo | Sabres SN: What were the conversations like between you and your brother about the abuse he faced? He learned to fight, to defend himself, but mainly he tried to keep scoring. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. McKegney would remain with the Sabres through the 1982-83 season before enjoying a lengthy NHL career that took him across the United States and into Canada.