tony mckegney family

Carbonneau, a Hall of Famer who played and coached for the Canadiens and now works as an analyst, remembers Saunders as an honest player and hard worker someone who could do pretty much anything on the ice and served as a veteran presence on the team. It was a personal best for me -- the first and only time I'd join the NHL's 40-goal club. However, the team now had a new farm team, the Fredericton Express, and the organization wanted Saunders to play there. I've always been a player that plays on enthusiasm, and I was just losing my zest for the game.". Pseudonyms will no longer be permitted. McKegney has remained in the NHL largely because of his skating skills, his durability and the steadiness he mentioned. Halls contract with the Bills had expired, although left unanswered is whether the team made an effort to retain him or Hall simply was rea. He believes the colour of his skin is part of the reason he didn't. / Special to NHL.com, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. 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. The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. Throughout 15 years of professional hockey, I'm lucky enough to say that there are many moments I'm proud of. He got out of his contract, went back to Michigan and started playing for the Kalamazoo Wings, an International Hockey League team, while establishing himself at Upjohn, a pharmaceutical company. Pioneers like Willie O'Ree, Angela James and Grant Fuhr will be featured. 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). And the support I got from teammates just carried me through some difficult situations. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). Hes been an All-Star. Draft: Buffalo, 2nd round (32nd overall), 1978 NHL Amateur. Tony McKegney is 64 years old today because Tony's birthday is on 02/15/1958.Tony McKegney currently lives in East Amherst, NY; in the past Tony has also lived in Saint Louis MO, Detroit MI and Buffalo NY.Tony also answers to Tony S Mckegney, Anthony S Mckegney and Anthony F Mckegney, and perhaps a couple of other names. 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. Bassin knew Saunders was getting racist taunts, but said Saunders always handled it in stride and never let it get to him. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. The funny thing is that Im starting to enjoy the game more than I ever have, he said. There were three future Hall of Famers who made us all better. The second person to achieve (and ultimately surpass) this milestone? I just tried to shut everything else out. All Rights Reserved. Early Life and Family: Education: Tony McKegney Net Worth: I always loved the game, but I didn't see myself reflected in it. 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. SN: When you got to the league was it a lonely existence for you? SN: Trevor Daley went through a difficult, racially insensitive experience with John Vanbiesbrouck. SN: If you had a chance to talk to the young African-Canadian and African-American kids coming into the game, what would you tell them that you wish youd known? One of his greatest disappointments is not being included in conversations about the first black NHL hockey players, but he insists he feels no animosity. I wanted to be the best, that was a driving force. Part one focused on diversity and race in hockey, while part two reflected back on their time with the Sabres/Amerks. Join our linker program. So I did the only thing I could do: I focused on perseverance. But on the. So, we laughed about it later on over a few beers. 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. But he was reassigned to the minors. I loved basketball, football, baseball, golf. Browse 82 tony mckegney stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The hockey portion and the support from teammates and my parents and other hockey parents all the way along got me through it. Jarome Iginla gave me a very nice compliment when he said he felt he was at home on the ice and in the school yard, because he could say, Hey, Tony McKegney, hes playing in the NHL. He felt like he belonged on a hockey rink because I was out there. He retired from the NHL in 1991 with 320 goals and 639 points. Tony McKegney has not been elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame. This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Tony McKegney. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The next day, the other team's coach called to apologize for what had happened, which Saunders found promising a sign that things were changing, albeit slowly. 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, former NHLer and ambassador for, Hockey is for Everyone, congratulates a participant during the clinic sponsored by the NHL and the. He vowed his sons would never play, but his eldest, Jonathan, had other plans. We had a hockey rink, actually, in our back yard that my parents made each year.. People weren't used to seeing a Black player succeed on the ice. Tony McKegney Height, Weight & Measurements At 63 years old, Tony McKegney height is 1.85 m and Weight 91 kg. - Ability to add additional data to your career profile: Videos, Images, Social Media, Referrals, Fitness Testing Results and much more! Saunders was born in Montreal in 1956. One referee, trying to break up the scuffle, grabbed Jonathan from behind. McKegney needed less than a season to join Buffalo during the 1978-79 campaign. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2023. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. I just felt defeated," he said. He talked about him, his brother Ian, and his mother who lives in Kincardine. 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. A year later, the left winger was ready to join the pros. 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. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. "It was just time. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Tony McKegney. And if those people were wrong about his future in hockey, what else might they be wrong about? Well give you the latest news when it becomes available, or feel free to add some more selections to My Favourites. So, for me, there were just so many good influences. I remember the dedication that my parents put into it when we were younger, driving us to rinks at 7 in the morning, he said. 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. - Premium Design on your profile page (optional) Unlimited access for the whole family until Feb 21. '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. TM: It just made me want to be better. Tony McKegney erased any doubt that a black player could be a prominent goal-scorer in the NHL. Boards and the whole thing. 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. So that support carried over all the negative stuff that happened. McKegney still does alumni work for the Sabres and Red Wings. My dad felt he could do something for the amount of kids that were homeless or without parents per se.. Caught off balance, his foot went flying in the air. "It felt like they were ripping out my heart. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. And between the benches, one of the guys said it would be termed as a black-on-black crime. Saunders didn't seem bitter or disappointed about not quite making it in the NHL, Jarrett said. 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. The focus was just on playing hockey. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. Look, there's a Black player who did what some people said he couldn't. 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. You sort of never felt like you were different. That's the biggest compliment for me.". Buy his book. While in Chteauguay, he played for Jacques Demers, who went on to coach the Nordiques and Montreal Canadiens. Height, Weight & Physical Stats: Tony McKegney is 6 feet 1 inches tall and weight 90.7 kilograms. All rights reserved. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. He paved the way for me. At age 5, I started playing organized hockey. 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. Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. You may have created an account with another Rogers Media account that can be used to sign in here. Saunders said at the time, O'Ree was more of a mythical figure than anything else. By checking this box, I agree to the terms of service and privacy policy of Rogers Media. 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. Obviously, I know Im on the back 9 - if you want to compare it to golf. He was assigned to the Syracuse Firebirds, one of the Nordiques' farm teams, where he became a fan favourite. 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. He was the fifth black man to play in the league. "Everything Bernie Saunders has, he earned, in spite of [whether] there's been prejudice along the way.". Most recently in the IHL with San Diego Gulls. SN: How did it make you feel when you saw it? 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. McKegney was selected 32nd overall in 1978 after scoring 92 points with the Kingston Canadians. I pride myself in being maybe the first black player to play consistently in the league, McKegney said. 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.". Tony currently does periodic work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association and the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team. He continued to score despite playing no more than three seasons with the same team for the rest of his career. The goal is to make stereotypes disappear by making people from all backgrounds feel welcome, celebrated, and empowered on an equal playing field. Most of his limited NHL experience came with Buffalo; he also had a brief stint with the Philadelphia Flyers and their AHL affiliate. Do you have a blog? Of course, sports will never make us color blind, and colorblindness is not the goal. It was like, all the emotions from my career, my life: it was too much for me," the elder Saunders said. So I found myself focused on a number, 40, throughout the last stretch of games.



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