Tony McKegney

Anthony Syiid McKegney (born February 15, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1978–79 until 1990–91. He is the first Black player in NHL history to score 40 goals in a season.

Career McKegney was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. On June 8, 1983, after five seasons with the Sabres, he was traded along with centers Andre Savard and J.F. Sauve to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for winger Real Cloutier and Quebec's first-round draft pick in the 1983 draft.

McKegney was born in Montreal, to a Nigerian father and Canadian mother, but was adopted soon thereafter, and raised by a white family in Sarnia, Ontario. As a teenager he played Jr. 'B' hockey in Sarnia. 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. At age twenty, Tony McKegney signed a contract with the now defunct World Hockey Association’s (WHA) Birmingham Bulls, 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. However, the WHA’s loss became the NHL’s gain, as McKegney would go on to score over 300 career goals, including 40 in the 1987-88 season. His total of 78 points in one season would remain the highest ever recorded by a black player until Jarome Iginla's breakout 2001-2002 campaign. He registered nine 20-goal seasons in a career that lasted over 900 games.

After finishing the 1990-91 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, McKegney would spend a season in Italy with HC Varese, as well as three games with the Canadian National Team.

Terry Crisp, who was on the Canadian National Team coaching staff was named the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning for their inaugural season in 1992-93, raising McKegney's hopes that he could mount an NHL comeback with the club. He felt that he could be a veteran leader for the expansion club, but he didn't crack the roster and instead played 23 games with the San Diego Gulls in 1992-93 before retiring.

McKegney currently does periodic work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association and the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team.

Achievements and awards OMJHL First All-Star Team (1977) OMJHL Second All-Star Team (1978)

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1974–75 Kingston Canadians OMJHL 52 27 48 75 36 8 5 7 12 0 1975–76 Kingston Canadians OMJHL 65 24 56 80 20 7 5 6 11 2 1976–77 Kingston Canadians OMJHL 66 58 77 135 30 14 13 10 23 14 1977–78 Kingston Canadians OMJHL 55 43 49 92 19 5 3 3 6 0 1978–79 Hershey Bears AHL 24 21 18 39 4 1 0 0 0 0 1978–79 Buffalo Sabres NHL 52 8 14 22 10 2 0 1 1 0 1979–80 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 23 29 52 24 14 3 4 7 2 1980–81 Buffalo Sabres NHL 80 37 32 69 24 8 5 3 8 2 1981–82 Buffalo Sabres NHL 73 23 29 52 41 4 0 0 0 2 1982–83 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 36 37 73 18 10 3 1 4 4 1983–84 Quebec Nordiques NHL 75 24 27 51 23 7 0 0 0 0 1984–85 Quebec Nordiques NHL 30 12 9 21 12 — — — — — 1984–85 Minnesota North Stars NHL 27 11 13 24 4 9 8 6 14 0 1985–86 Minnesota North Stars NHL 70 15 25 40 48 5 2 1 3 22 1986–87 Minnesota North Stars NHL 11 2 3 5 16 — — — — — 1986–87 New York Rangers NHL 64 29 17 46 56 6 0 0 0 12 1987–88 St. Louis Blues NHL 80 40 38 78 82 9 3 6 9 8 1988–89 St. Louis Blues NHL 71 25 17 42 58 3 0 1 1 0 1989–90 Detroit Red Wings NHL 14 2 1 3 8 — — — — — 1989–90 Quebec Nordiques NHL 48 16 11 27 45 — — — — — 1990–91 Quebec Nordiques NHL 50 17 16 33 44 — — — — — 1990–91 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 9 0 1 1 4 2 0 0 0 4 1991–92 Varese HC ITA 16 15 13 28 70 6 8 2 10 12 1991–92 Varese HC Alp 17 18 14 32 55 — — — — — 1991–92 Canada Intl 3 2 2 4 6 — — — — — 1992–93 San Diego Gulls IHL 23 8 5 13 38 3 0 1 1 4 NHL totals 912 320 319 639 517 79 24 23 47 56

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1978 Canada WJC 6 2 6 8 0