Vernon played for Florida during the 1999-2000 season, helping lead the team to the playoffs
Vernon played for Florida during the 1999-2000 season, helping lead the team to the playoffs
For the second straight year, a former Florida Panthers goaltender is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Last year, Panthers legend Roberto Luongo, the first player to have his jersey number retired by the team, was honored with a place in the Hall of Fame.
This time it's a tendy who was only in South Florida for a brief period.
Mike Vernon played 34 of his 782 NHL games with the Panthers.
The two-time Stanley Cup Champion helped Florida reach the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they were swept out of the first round by eventual Cup winner, the New Jersey Devils.
Vernon was acquired in a mid-season trade by the Panthers after starting goaltender Trevor Kidd was injured during a skills competition event.
It caused quite a stir as the event was mandatory for players yet had no meaning in terms of the season they were playing.
Kidd would have to miss several months and Vernon was called in to replace him on a Panthers squad that was being led by electric goal scorer Pavel Bure.
The season was shaping up to be Florida's return to the postseason after they had qualified both in 1996 and 1997 but then failed to get in for two years.
Vernon was 36 years old at the time, but he had playoff pedigree and veteran presence.
He finished with a 18-13-2 record with Florida, holding a .919 save percentage and 2.54 goals against average. During the playoffs he was 0-4 with a 3.04 GAA and .912 save percentage.
Those postseason games would be Vernon's last.
He finished his career with Calgary, his hometown team that drafted him and where he spent his first 11 years in the league.
Vernon ended his career with 385 wins (or 462 wins if you include the playoffs), two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy. He was also an NHL All-Star in 1988-89 and shared the William Jennings trophy with teammate Chris Osgood for their efforts with Detroit in the 1995-96 season.
Vernon becomes the seventh former Panthers player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Luongo, Bure, Ed Belfour, Dino Ciccarelli, Igor Larionov and Joe Nieuwendyk.