Tony McKegney is an Ice Hockey Player who was born on February 15, 1958 in Canada. So, we laughed about it later on over a few beers. Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. Lightning. 2023 Getty Images. Part one focused on diversity and race in hockey, while part two reflected back on their time with the Sabres/Amerks. Buffalo Sabres Schedule, Roster, News, and Rumors | Die By The Blade, Celebrating Black History Month: Tony McKegney, Game Thread: Sabres vs. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! [RELATED: Black History Month coverage |Hockey Is For Everyone coverage]. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. 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. 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. SN: When you got to the league was it a lonely existence for you? I feel that I had a pretty good upbringing. Look, there's a Black player who did what some people said he couldn't. 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. by 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. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. His best season came with the St. Louis Blues in 1987-88, when he had NHL career highs of 40 goals and 78 points. TM: No, not really. McKegney needed less than a season to join Buffalo during the 1978-79 campaign. They were there for me for the most part. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Join our linker program. He jumped to the AHL's Hershey. And I still struggle with that to this day, with the trauma that I faced and went through. Enter Search Term. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. Its a very expensive sport, and its more of a suburbia sport, McKegney said. BIOGRAPHY. He played four games with the Nordiques at the end of the 1979-80 season, the team's first season in the NHL. Customize your lineup with your favourite leagues and teams. His point production dropped off, but he was still eventually called up to the big club. There were a few other (skaters) that were sort of up and down.. The judge ordered McKegney, while on probation, to complete all assessments, counselling and treatments directed by his probation supervisor to deal with issues arising from domestic. Tony McKegney Height, Weight & Measurements At 63 years old, Tony McKegney height is 1.85 m and Weight 91 kg. When I came along, obviously there were comments made, but I was so focused on what was happening on the ice. All rights reserved. He heard the N-word on the ice and from fans in the stands, and opponents always made sure to finish their checks on him. There have been 93 black players in the NHL. When he was still a toddler, his family moved to the Toronto area. The Montreal-born left wing was a big scorer in junior hockey, finishing with 135 points (58 goals . Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday that former Buffalo Sabres winger Tony McKegney was arraigned before a Buffalo City Court Judge back on. . of 1 From the time he was in the crib, Jonathan was obsessed with the sport, and so he followed in his father's footsteps. Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. 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. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. He was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 1994. 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. Go beyond the basics. That is a great start and I am looking forward to rooting for the Black players drafted in the past few years who are going to carry on this legacy. They were playing Ottawa and there were five black players in the game on the two teams combined. You get to keep that mask on and Im out there for everybody to see. So, I told Grant, jokingly, that I was envious of him. 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. Sue maintains relationships with many people -- family, friends, associates, & neighbors -- including Daniel Mckegney, Daniel Mckegney, Marilynn Habberfie, Roger Habberfield and Tony Mckegney. He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. I relied on the support of my teammates who were always there for me. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. However, the Bills' statement does not specify that Frazi. 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. Tony McKegney It can be difficult to talk about how those views affect you as a person. So, there was a lot of black athletes in town in Buffalo. 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. Forward Born Feb 15 1958 -- Montreal, PQ [65 yrs. Please contact us. He was released on his own recognizance by City Court. 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. TM: He brought up a lot of memories for me, ugly memories. *I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. Its basically black children. Tony was adopted by the McKegney family when he was an infant. Buy his book. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. To see your localized preferences, please enable geolocation services in your browser settings. He was assigned to the Syracuse Firebirds, one of the Nordiques' farm teams, where he became a fan favourite. It's the kind of impact that wins, losses, and point totals can't capture. 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. "We were so influenced by Hockey Night in Canada," he said, of himself and John. The focus was just on playing hockey. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. It was my 10th season in the League, and I'd gotten more comfortable over time. He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. Its just something I never envisioned when I was growing up seeing five black hockey players playing in the same game. Tony McKegney spoke about his experience being one of the few black players in the NHL and how the league has progressed since his playing days. 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. 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. People had a certain amount of respect for us athletically.. Im sure it affected me. SPORTSNET: What was your first exposure to the game of hockey? Buffalo looks to bounce back with a clean slate against another tough team. 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 . Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Brother: Ian McKegney Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. Back in 1988, I'm not sure if I realized what it really meant. While in Minnesota, he joined the late John Mariucci and Cal Peterson to form an inner-city hockey league for youths. 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. Tony McKegney had 320 goals over his career. Fast forward to 1987-88, and my performance in the NHL was helping to prove the stereotypes wrong. TONY MCKEGNEY: I was adopted when I was 18 months old and I moved [in with my adoptive family]. And my brother was four years older than me and and took a lot more abuse than I did. Saunders decided that was it. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. How does that make you feel? Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. After scoring 36 goals for the Sabres in 1982-83, McKegney was traded to the Quebec Nordiques. 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. I suppressed a lot of things over the years. '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. Hockey players like Akim Aliu, Mark Fraser, and Matt Dumba are just a few of the guys using their voice in meaningful ways. Search instead in Creative? 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. Saunders scored twice in his debut, and it quickly became clear to Bassin he should have been playing at a higher level. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. 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. Theres another occasion where Ray Neufeld and I got into a scuffle. 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. My mindset was focused on maintaining a consistent level of play to succeed in the National Hockey League. If I could be half the man my father was, Id be doing pretty well, he said. 32) of the 1978 NHL Draft. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. My first time playing against another black hockey player was probably my third year in the NHL, Grant Fuhr and Ray Neufeld.