Michael Vernon
Hockey Athlete - Inducted 2010
Michael Vernon was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, and played minor hockey with the AJHL Calgary Canucks and the WHL Calgary Wranglers. He was a member of the Portland Winterhawks that won the 1983 Memorial Cup. During the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Mike Vernon was the Calgary Flames second selection (56th overall).
Vernon set several Calgary Flames franchise goaltending records including: most games played (526); most minutes played (29,650) and most wins (262). During the 1988-89 season, the team won a franchise record fifty-four games and the Stanley Cup. Mike Vernon was the major part of the team’s success.
Vernon was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in June 1994. The next season (1995-96) he was awarded the William Jennings Trophy. In 1997, Vernon got to hoist the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for his outstanding play.
Mike Vernon was selected to the NHL All-Star team on five occasions and was named a Second Team All-Star in 1989. He had five seasons with 30+ wins and ten seasons with 20+ wins. He is tied with Ron Hextall for fourth in scoring by a goaltender in one season with seven points. He is ranked fifth in career playoff games (138) and fifth in minutes played during the playoffs (8,214).
Vernon also competed internationally for Team Canada at the 1993 World Junior Championships in Leningrad, winning a bronze medal, and at the 1991 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, winning a silver medal.
Mike Vernon is considered one of the top NHL goaltenders in his era. He also played for the San Jose Sharks and the Florida Panthers and then returned to the Calgary Flames for two more seasons prior to retiring in 2002. The Flames retired Vernon’s No. 30 jersey on February 6, 2007.
After Induction
2011 - Vernon returned to the ice to play in the alumni game at the Heritage Classic outdoor game.
