When the Detroit Red Wings went hunting last summer for a goaltender to take them to the Stanley Cup, their search took them to Calgary and Mike Vernon. Exactly a year later
Vernon backstopped the Detroiters to their first Stanley Cup final appearance in 29 years, recording a goals-against average below 2.00 as the Red Wings eliminated Dallas, San Jose and Chicago en route to the finale. There, they ran into a white-hot New Jersey Devils club that swept the Wings in four games for that franchise's inaugural Cup crown.
"You need good goaltending to win and Mike has delivered," said Detroit coach Scott Bowman before the final. "He's made big saves at the right times."
The 10-year veteran played in his third Cup final and his first since the 1988-89 season, when he helped the Calgary Flames capture their first league title in franchise history. Vernon tied a league playoff mark that year with 16 victories and he finished the playoffs with a brilliant 2.26 goals-against average in 22 games. The Calgary native's performance during the regular season that year earned him a spot on the league's second all-star team and he was runner-up to Patrick Roy in the Vezina Trophy (top goaltender) voting.
Vernon emerged as a key figure in Calgary's march to the Stanley Cup final in 1985-86. He spent time that year in Moncton (AHL), Salt Lake City (IHL) and Calgary, appearing in 18 games with the parent club. But the five-time all-star was the main man in the nets for the playoffs, appearing in 21 of 22 games as the Flames went to the final before losing to Montreal.
Calgary's all-time goaltending leader in victories with 248, Vernon played junior in his hometown and was named the Western Hockey League's premier netminder in 1982 and 1983. He played for Team Canada's silver-medal team at the 1991 World Hockey Championship.