Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,147
Always a touchy topic with him. Off the bat you think "oh yeah" then you get into your "what if" thinking when he was in Calgary and remember only his playoff failures. Look, a lot of Flames blew those first round losses in the '90s not just Vernon. But lets analyze his career first.
Record: 385-273-92. Playoffs 77-56
Two Cups. One in '89 and one in '97
Played in 4 Cup finals. Never played for Canada Cup teams
Second team all-star in '89. Led the league in wins in '89
Conn Smythe Trophy in '97
So all of that is pretty good IMO. I mean off the top off my head I cant think of a goalie that won a Cup(s) and was named to an all-star team to not make the Hall. Some have only done one or the other. Cheevers jsut won his two Cups and Giacomin was named to the 1st or 2nd all-star team 5 times. Vernon has both, plus a Conn Smythe, plus 385 wins. When you say it that way how can you not put him in?
Then again you have to look at his consistency, and this is what bothers me the most about Vernon. He was great in leading Calgary to the Cup finals in '86. He wouldnt have been a bad choice for the Conn Smythe in '89. Remember how he shut the door on the Canucks in OT? But then you have his '90 collapse by letting a floater into the net that eliminates the Flames followed by some questionable goaltending in the '91 and '94 playoffs. There are far too many times when you see visions of Vernon getting beat for an overtime goal (Gretzky '88) and I think that hurts him.
He then lost the '95 Cup finals against a pop-gun offence in New Jersey. Then he came out of nowhere in the '97 finals and won the Conn Smythe, although it wasnt a lock. He then disapeared pretty much for the last 5 years of his career. What bugged you about him was his lack of stringing together a few great seasons. Luongo for example is a guy who is stringing a bunch of elite seasons in a row which make you forget his Florida debacle. Vernon doesnt have that. There arent 5 years in a row where he was spectacular. In other words, we can induct him and have a lot of good tings to say about him, or we dont and there isnt a huge fuss
Record: 385-273-92. Playoffs 77-56
Two Cups. One in '89 and one in '97
Played in 4 Cup finals. Never played for Canada Cup teams
Second team all-star in '89. Led the league in wins in '89
Conn Smythe Trophy in '97
So all of that is pretty good IMO. I mean off the top off my head I cant think of a goalie that won a Cup(s) and was named to an all-star team to not make the Hall. Some have only done one or the other. Cheevers jsut won his two Cups and Giacomin was named to the 1st or 2nd all-star team 5 times. Vernon has both, plus a Conn Smythe, plus 385 wins. When you say it that way how can you not put him in?
Then again you have to look at his consistency, and this is what bothers me the most about Vernon. He was great in leading Calgary to the Cup finals in '86. He wouldnt have been a bad choice for the Conn Smythe in '89. Remember how he shut the door on the Canucks in OT? But then you have his '90 collapse by letting a floater into the net that eliminates the Flames followed by some questionable goaltending in the '91 and '94 playoffs. There are far too many times when you see visions of Vernon getting beat for an overtime goal (Gretzky '88) and I think that hurts him.
He then lost the '95 Cup finals against a pop-gun offence in New Jersey. Then he came out of nowhere in the '97 finals and won the Conn Smythe, although it wasnt a lock. He then disapeared pretty much for the last 5 years of his career. What bugged you about him was his lack of stringing together a few great seasons. Luongo for example is a guy who is stringing a bunch of elite seasons in a row which make you forget his Florida debacle. Vernon doesnt have that. There arent 5 years in a row where he was spectacular. In other words, we can induct him and have a lot of good tings to say about him, or we dont and there isnt a huge fuss