Mike Vernon

At 61 years old, Mike Vernon has this physical status:

Michael "Mike" Vernon (born February 24, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers.

He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, with the Flames in 1989 and the Red Wings in 1997.

He appeared in five NHL All-Star Games, was named a second team All-Star in 1989, shared the William M. Jennings Trophy in 1996 and was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the playoffs in 1997.

Vernon won over 300 games in his NHL career. Vernon was a standout goaltender in junior for the Calgary Wranglers of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

He was named both goaltender of the year and most valuable player in 1982 and 1983.

He was loaned to the Portland Winterhawks for the 1983 Memorial Cup and was named the top goaltender of the tournament in leading Portland to the championship. Selected by the Flames in the third round, 56th overall, in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Vernon began his professional career in 1982 and ended it 20 years later, also in Calgary.

The Flames retired his number 30 in 2007 and he was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

Vernon represented Canada internationally on two occasions, winning a bronze medal at the 1983 World Junior Championship and silver at the 1991 World Championship.

Personal life

Vernon was born February 24, 1963, in Calgary. His father Martin worked in construction and was president of the South Calgary community hockey organization where young Mike played his youth hockey. Vernon attended Central Memorial High School and Henry Wise Wood Senior High School. He was always a goaltender, often joining his father for practices by age four and always focusing on the goaltenders. He considered his mother Lorraine his first coach and claimed his introduction to goaltending came from his family: "I had three brothers and when it came time to play hockey, they always said the same thing: 'Get Mikey, he'll play net.'"

Vernon and his wife Jane were married three days after his 1994 trade to Detroit. The couple have four children: daughter Amelia and three sons, Matthew, John and William. Matthew is currently a goalie with the Colorado College Tigers of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The couple live in Calgary, but maintain a home in Invermere, British Columbia. Following his hockey career, Vernon has become involved in real estate development in the Windermere region near Invermere. He was also an investor in the Bear Mountain resort near Victoria, British Columbia.

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Playing career

Vernon, a native of Calgary, played his junior hockey in his hometown. In 1979-80, the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League came first, followed by the Calgary Wranglers of the Western Hockey League. He played in 59 games in his first WHL season, 1981–81, posting a 33–171 record before leading the team to the WHL finals, where the Wranglers lost the best-of-seven title to the Victoria Cougars, four games to three. He attracted the Calgary Flames' attention when they selected him with their third round pick, 56th overall, at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

Vernon played for the Wranglers from 1981–82, where he set a record of 22–14–3 shutouts. He was named a WHL All-Star at Goal, was named WHL Top Goaltender Award and named WHL Most Valuable Player of the Year. Despite the fact that the Wranglers were cut from the playoffs, junior rules of the time allowed the league champion to borrow an additional goaltender for the Memorial Cup tournament. Vernon accepted an invitation to the Portland Winter Hawks' 1982 tournament, where the team came third (both teams had two victories and two losses). Vernon made his professional debut after the tournament, appearing in one playoff match for the Oklahoma City Stars in the Central Hockey League.

Vernon spent three seasons with the Wranglers, 1982–83, but the Flames had to recall him to the NHL due to injuries sustained during the season. Vernon made his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings on December 12, 1982. Vernon lost six goals in the first two periods before being suspended in a 7–3 loss. Vernon played in one other game, also losing, before returning to the WHL as the WHL's top goaltender and most valuable player. Vernon was also a member of the Canadian World Junior Championship in 1982, winning two games in three appearances and assisting Canada in winning the bronze medal.

Vernon was back in the Winter Hawks for the 1983 Memorial Cup, but not without controversy. Lethbridge Broncos first requested that he join their team for the tournament, but the team's coach declined, so he was unable to participate. Vernon's denial, as well as the fact that he was allowed to join the rival Winter Hawks, who were hosting the tournament, were astonish to the Broncos. Vernon led Portland to the championship after winning all three games he started. While the Winter Hawks became the first American team to win the Memorial Cup, he was named winner of the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy as the most valuable goaltender of the tournament.

Vernon, who appeared as a professional in 1982–83, spent the majority of the year with the Colorado Flames, where he was named to the league's second all-star team after posting a record of 38–1320 games. He returned to the Flames in 1983-84, but due to a loss, he returned to the CHL. He migrated to the Moncton Golden Flames of the American Hockey League (AHL) for 1984–85, and considered to be Calgary's goaltender of the future. Vernon's year was a disappointment as he suffered throughout the year. He made only 10 of his 41 starts and set a goal against average (GAA) of 3.94. Vernon was the fourth goaltender on the Flames' depth chart during the 1985–86 season, behind Lemelin, Marc D'Amour, and Rick Kosti. He played for Moncton in the AHL and the Salt Lake Golden Eagles of the International Hockey League in the first half of the season (IHL).

The Flames brought Vernon up to play an exhibition game against Soviet club Dynamo Moscow during the 1986 Super Series, despite what was ultimately a franchise losing streak, wishing to rest Lemelin and suffering a minor injury to backup Marc D'Amour. Vernon was outstanding in goal, leading the Flames to a 4-3 win. Vernon was given his first regular season debut against the Vancouver Canucks on January 9, 1986. It was 9–1 loss to the Hartford Whalers, Calgary's 11th consecutive loss. He led the team to a 5–4 overtime victory, snaping the streak. It was also Vernon's first appearance in a league. On February 26, he shuts down in his first appearance as a coach, especially against Vancouver, after a stretch in which Vernon went two months without losing in which he got off.

Three of Vernon's nine regular season victories came against the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary's first round opponent in the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs. Vernon was chosen the starter for the series despite the fact that he had only 21 games of NHL experience. He led the Flames to a three-game sweep of Winnipeg, followed by seven-game series victories over the Oilers and St. Louis Blues to lead the Flames into the Stanley Cup Final, where the Flames will face the Montreal Canadiens and rookie goaltender Patrick Roy in five games.

Vernon earned his spot as the Flames' starting goaltender in 1986-87, finishing third in the NHL with 30 wins. His 39 victories in the following season were second in the league, one behind Grant Fuhr. He appeared in the 1988 All-Star Game for the first time in four years, and the Flames won the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top team in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Flames were upset by the Oilers.

The 1988–89 season was one of Vernon's finest. With 37 wins, he led all NHL goaltenders in victories and finished second with a 2.65 GAA. He was named to the second All-Star team and was instrumental in Calgary's setting the best record in the league. In the election for the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender, he came in second second second second second to Roy. The Flames were strong favorites to beat Vancouver in the first round in the 1989 playoffs, but the Canucks forced Calgary to a seventh and deciding match in the series. Vernon was forced to make a spectacular glove save on a Stan Smyl breakaway during overtime. Vernon's career was defined by that save, which was later referred to as "the save that won the Cup." Joel Otto, the team's captain, beat Vancouver and then went on to defeat the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal Canadiens to win Calgary's first Stanley Cup title.

Vernon ranked sixth in the following seasons in 1989-90 and second in 1990-91 with 31. He was elected to the starting lineup of both the 1990 and 1991 All-Star Games by fan vote. He was the backup goaltender for Team Canada at the 1991 World Championships, and although he missed both games he played in, Vernon and the Canadians received the silver medal. Despite his Flames' success, Vernon was often chastised for giving in weak goals, and the fans in Calgary were booing him frequently. Some fans had chosen to direct insult their family in the stands, prompting his parents to refrain from attending games. Vernon said he would have to have a thick skin to play a good deal." Fans of hockey games are extremely emotional. They're passionate. They don't like seeing their team give up goals."

Vernon also suffered with recurring back pains that occasionally forced him out of the game. Vernon became the 38th goaltender in league history to win 200 games, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 14, 1992. He appeared in his fifth All-Star Game in 1992-93 and was selected to play his sixth season the following season but had to cancel due to a knee injury. The Flames felt it was time to hand over the starting goaltender duties to Trevor Kidd after nearly ten years with Vernon as Calgary's starting goaltender. Vernon was traded by the Detroit Red Wings in 1994 in exchange for defenceman Steve Chiasson. Vernon had been negotiating a contract with the Red Wings since the previous season.

Vernon, according to Detroit, would help with the young goaltender Chris Osgood's development. Vernon, Detroit's top goaltender from 1994-95, set a 19–6–4 record and helped the Red Wings win the Presidents' Trophy. The Red Wings advanced to the 1995 Stanley Cup Final, their first appearance in the championship series since 1966, but the New Jersey Devils took the Red Wings in four games. Following the season, Vernon and the Red Wings had trouble finding an agreement on a new one. Vernon and his agent retaliated after Vernon and his agent accepted a two-year, US$5.45 million contract that the team claimed to have ended, leading to arbitration. The arbitrator sided with the Red Wings, making Vernon an unrestricted free agent. The two parties eventually agreed on a two-year deal, but no financial terms were disclosed.

Vernon won 21 games against just 7 regulation losses as the Red Wings posted a new NHL record in regular season with 62 victories. The William M. Jennings Trophy was awarded to Vernon and Osgood as the team's goaltending pair with the fewest goals against. Vernon was the backup goaltender to Osgood during the 1996-97 season but he became the 13th player in NHL history to win 300 games. In a game in which he also fought Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy, he reached his milestone on March 26, 1997 against the Colorado Avalanche.

After Osgood's slow start in the regular season, head coach Scotty Bowman made the team's starter in the 1997 playoffs. He set a record of 16.4 GAA in the post-season and was named the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs as Detroit defeated its first Stanley Cup championship in 42 years. Putting Vernon in a situation where the Red Wings would have to trade a goaltender due to the waiver draft, Detroit decided to trade Vernon to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for two draft picks on August 18, 1997.

Vernon formed a good team with veteran Kelly Hrudey, and produced a solid effort for the team. Vernon played two full seasons with the Sharks, winning 30 games in 1997–98 and then leading the team to the playoffs in both 1998 and 1999. Vernon, on the other hand, became expendible thanks to Steve Shields' return to his role as well as the pressure on rookie Evgeni Nabokov's role. Vernon was traded to the Florida Panthers (along with a draft pick) in exchange for Radek Dvok on December 30, 1999. Vernon, who was notably happy with the Sharks, was caught off guard by the trade: "Head Coach Darryl Sutter) told me to be ready for the second half of the season. Vernon said, "I was energized and ready to play." "I was completely thrown for a loop because I felt like we now had all the pieces to compete for the Stanley Cup." "I was so dissatisfied."

A few weeks before the game, goaltender Trevor Kidd dislocated his shoulder. Vernon appeared in 34 games with the Panthers, winning 18, and guiding them to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Despite his popularity, when it came time for the Panthers to shield a goaltender in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft Panthers GM Bryan Murray went with Trevor Kidd, who was ten years younger than Vernon. Trevor Kidd pushed Vernon out of the picture much as he did in Calgary years before. Vernon was drafted by the Minnesota Wild but was immediately traded to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Dan Cavanaugh and an eighth round pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Vernon, who served in Calgary on a stringent sentence six years ago, was shocked to learn he was returning to the Flames. Vernon said, "You're joking."

"I'm going where?

"You have to be kidding me."

Vernon, 37, was expected to split goaltending duties with Fred Brathwaite as he began his career. He played in 41 games from 2000 to 2001, winning 12 games, losing 23 games, and seeing a 3.23 GAA. He appeared in 18 games in 2001-2002, but his GAA increased to 2.76, but he only won two. Vernon resigned after the season, announcing it on September 13, 2002. With 385, fourth among goalies in playoff appearances at 138 and fifth in playoff victories with 77, he won his seventh all-time in regular season victories. He competed in four Stanley Cup finals, winning two Stanley Cup finals.

On his time with the Flames, Vernon set virtually every franchise goaltending record. His regular season records, which included games played (526), wins (262) and minutes played (29,650), were all broken by Miikka Kiprusoff, but he remains the team's champion in playoff games played (81) and wins (43). Vernon was honoured by the Flames on February 6, 2007, when he resigned his #30 jersey. After Lanny McDonald, he was the second player in franchise history to have his number retired. In 2010, Vernon was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Vernon retired to the ice 2011 to participate in the Heritage Classic outdoor game.

Glenn Hall, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, regarded Vernon as one of the best goaltenders of his time: "I always thought Grant Fuhr was the best goalie of his time," he said. Vernie was never far away, but I always thought it was very close." Vernon said that playing against Fuhr and Patrick Roy aided him in his development. He started his career as a stand-up goaltender, but after watching them play, he learned to embrace aspects of the butterfly style. Standing only 5 feet (9 inches (1.75 m) tall, he relied on speed and reflexes to be a good goaltender in the NHL.

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