Hes been an All-Star. Dating & Relationship status He is currently single. I was too timid to talk to a girl. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. However, the team now had a new farm team, the Fredericton Express, and the organization wanted Saunders to play there. He played in St. Louis for two years. This is especially true for a sport like hockey, where community, respect, and teamwork have always been important values. Hockey-Reference utilizes Official NHL data for current NHL seasons. 6-0 , 200lb (183cm, 90kg) Born: February 15 , 1958 (Age: 64-344d) in Montreal, Quebec ca. Sometimes what has been said in the past is that once hes established he doesnt produce as much. "I could not imagine [why] this guy wasn't given a better opportunity," Bassin said. Lightning. The Bulls released McKegney from his contract, and he joined the Sabres as their second-round draft choice. Its just something I never envisioned when I was growing up seeing five black hockey players playing in the same game. Never fully comfortable: Maple Leafs Kerfoot and the trade he dodged, Canucks commit to re-tooling over re-building with Hronek addition, On a career heater, Nugent-Hopkins four-point night helps Oilers ground Jets. Saunders scored twice in his debut, and it quickly became clear to Bassin he should have been playing at a higher level. It was wintertime and my dad had floodlights out there. They started out with walker-type things out on the ice, and then they graduated to the point where they were scrimmaging, McKegney said. Its basically black children. Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Sabres Memories is presented by BCBSWNY. It was like, all the emotions from my career, my life: it was too much for me," the elder Saunders said. 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. In Tony's second stint in Quebec, he played in 98 games for the team until January 29, 1991 when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Jacques Cloutier. Thats the greatest compliments Ive received from the younger people. Complete record of every goal scored or assisted by the player. Only once has he played in fewer than 60 of the regular seasons 80 games. But on the. Bailey, who is biracial, currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is in his second season with the organization. So what does Sabres GM Kevyn Adams do this week? There have been 93 black players in the NHL. I was there in the audience watching the games, and I heard the comments that were [made about him]. Throughout 15 years of professional hockey, I'm lucky enough to say that there are many moments I'm proud of. Amateur Teams: Kingston Canadians. He learned to fight, to defend himself, but mainly he tried to keep scoring. TM: I had several concussions, so thats not been a good scenario for me. His best season came with the St. Louis Blues in 1987-88, when he had NHL career highs of 40 goals and 78 points. From the time he was in the crib, Jonathan was obsessed with the sport, and so he followed in his father's footsteps. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. {* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}, Comment and participate in our online community. It's not the 40 goals I scored. Enter Search Term. So I did the only thing I could do: I focused on perseverance. He was a role model." Embed from Getty Images Getty Images Sport Graig Abel Join our linker program. And I'll always be proud of the 40-goal season I had in 1987-88, the wonderful camaraderie of that Blues team, and the little chip-in that somehow found its way into the net. 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 *} 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. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Playing hockey at a high level is difficult enough without navigating the pressures of racism in society or figuring out how to respond to the supposed "fan" with a sign that says, "McKegney, grab a basketball" behind the Zamboni entrance. Since then, he has played for five NHL teams - Buffalo, Quebec, Minnesota, New York and St. Louis - scoring a career-high 37 goals in 1980-81. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Bernie Saunders played 10 games for the Quebec Nordiques, but he and others say his career would have been longer if he wasnt black. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). McKegney still does alumni work for the Sabres and Red Wings. Some hockey portraits on this site are licensed from Images on Ice, Hockeys Photo Agency. TM: Its wonderful. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Taking into account various assets, Sue's net worth is greater than $50,000 - $99,999; and makes between $20 - 29,999 a year. Why did you feel like that was necessary? If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. One house seemed perfect for me and my wife, Sue. Until we get rinks in the inner (American) cities, I dont think thats going to change.. Bailey has appeared in three games with the Canucks this season and was placed on injured reserve on February 12 with an upper-body injury. It can be difficult to talk about how those views affect you as a person. [RELATED: Black History Month coverage |Hockey Is For Everyone coverage]. "We just felt like other Canadian boys and wanted to play hockey.". But I had a rink in my backyard, my own playground. That fast-forwarding tends to bypass the magical middle and the stories of many players who felt alone but nonetheless accomplished great things, opening opportunities for those who followed. Frequently Asked Questions about the NHL and Hockey, Subscribe to Stathead Hockey: Get your first month FREE. (Tony McKegney, the fourth black player, debuted in 1978). We present them here for purely educational purposes. That's the biggest compliment for me.". Right before he went to college, Mike Marson and Bill Riley, the second and third black men in the NHL, made their debuts. He was also able to open doors and create a level of acceptance for young black players who could point to him and his contemporaries as successes. His first encounter with racism happened while he was playing junior hockey after his family moved to Ajax, Ont., during his senior year of high school. Tony McKegney, former NHLer and ambassador for, Hockey is for Everyone, congratulates a participant during the clinic sponsored by the NHL and the. He became a standout in hockey while playing junior, scoring 135 points in 66 games in 1976-77. He was assigned to the Syracuse Firebirds, one of the Nordiques' farm teams, where he became a fan favourite. When submitting content, please abide by our, Hockey Night in Canada: Senators vs. Blue Jackets on Sportsnet, Watch Hockey Night in Canada with Steve Dangle: Oilers vs. I just tried to shut everything else out. Important: An official team/league url or a team document must be provided for us to update player stats. Check out the Black Girl Hockey Club, a non-profit organization that focuses on making hockey more inclusive for Black women, their family, friends and allies. 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. At age 5, I started playing organized hockey. Obviously, I know Im on the back 9 - if you want to compare it to golf. If I could be half the man my father was, Id be doing pretty well, he said. His supporters created a fan club. Tony McKegney (r.) with brothers Mike (l.) and Steve in front of their house in Sarnia, Ontario in 1970. I think his biggest value to our club has been his ability to score, Blues coach Jacques Martin said. Please contact us. McKegney left the NHL after 1990-91 with 639 points (320 goals, 319 assists). But on the ice, Saunders was still alone. 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. 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. Gambling problem? He believes his call up was a reward for his performance in the minors. Approaching the All-Star break, McKegney led the club with 26 goals. 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. Hockey made me gave me all the confidence in the world.". Bassin knew Saunders was getting racist taunts, but said Saunders always handled it in stride and never let it get to him. They were there for me for the most part. The McKegney brothers (l-r), Mike, Tony, Ian and friends on their backyard rink in Sarnia, Ontario in 1962. My older brother, Mike, was drafted in the NHL, first black player ever drafted by the Montreal Canadians. 8 9 25 25 10 7 14 11. 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. It's like a catch-22.". Buffalo looks to bounce back with a clean slate against another tough team. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. The goal is to make stereotypes disappear by making people from all backgrounds feel welcome, celebrated, and empowered on an equal playing field. But while Saunders was playing the role of helping others, he believes the Habs didn't really have any incentive to help him, since the team had its own players to develop. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Tony currently does periodic work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association and the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team. He has no evidence, he says, but he figures race had something to do with it. When I started in the league, I never would have guessed. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. 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. I feel for them all and support them unequivocally. Brother: Ian McKegney
"We were so influenced by Hockey Night in Canada," he said, of himself and John. Things just felt right that year. It saddens me to hear the accounts of the current crop of Black players and other players of color that are still facing the same obstacles and ugly behavior that I encountered when I was their age. 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. 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? "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.