It's an interesting discussion. If you compare overall with the contribution of other players in the hall than Vernon should be inducted however if you compare with goaltenders only then maybe not.
Historically the hall of fame is not been kind to goaltenders. There are 35 in the hall so despite making up 1/6 of the ice time they only represent close to 1/8 of hall of famers. Also the hall does not like goalies who played in the 80s. Looking back 9 goalies were inducted in the 60s, 7 in the 70s, and 8 in the 80s. In the 90s and 00s when the 80s goalies had retired only 3, Smith, Roy, Fuhr made the hall.
I would like to see the hall threshold for players raised and the one for goalies lowered to have close to 1/6 proportion. Also the case can be made that goalies from the 80s are being given a raw deal. Yeah their stats are not good but the high scoring of the time can also be attributed to diluted rosters with horrible defence. Goalies were still an integral part of a team and should be judged against their contemporaries.
With this updated assessment the case is stronger for Vernon. His wins show he had a lengthy successful career as one of the league top goalies and he was also the best in the world for a time in 88/89 and in 96 winning the Conn Smythe. Along with Vernon you can also make a case for Hextall and Vanbiesbrouck.
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Vernon was a good goalie, but he isn't that impressive on paper and he doesn't stand out against the large and growing number of goalies that are on the HHOF cusp.Vernon's career:
That doesn't even consider the current generation of goalies that had or are having similar careers (e.g. Luongo, Lundqvist, Rinne, Kipper, Price, Nabokov)
It's not a travesty that Vernon isn't in the HHOF. Like Huntwhale said two posts above, he belongs in the HHOVG
Vernon was a good goalie, but he isn't that impressive on paper and he doesn't stand out against the large and growing number of goalies that are on the HHOF cusp.Vernon's career:
That doesn't even consider the current generation of goalies that had or are having similar careers (e.g. Luongo, Lundqvist, Rinne, Kipper, Price, Nabokov)
It's not a travesty that Vernon isn't in the HHOF. Like Huntwhale said two posts above, he belongs in the HHOVG
Kolzig is another that could be thrown into the same conversation IMO.
Vernon is in a pretty elite group for sure, but I think there are probably a few goalies that could be considered snubbed using the same criteria.
I do think he was under appreciated though and it was too bad he was practically ran out of town. Some fans were too hard on him. If the Flames retired numbers, he would be on my short list for sure.
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Vernon could have just as easily won the '89 Conn Smythe as well.
Maybe we wouldn't even be having this conversation if he had.
He was my personal choice in 89. Also, if the Flames had won the Cup in 1986, he would most-likely have won it that year too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
If the Flames retired numbers, he would be on my short list for sure.
Well, have I got news for you!
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The fact that we can name a bunch of other goalies who should probably also be in the Hall isn't a sign that Vernon shouldn't be in. It's a sign that the Hall needs to adjust its criteria for goalies, to better align with the criteria for position players.
I think Luongo is going to present a problem for them. There's going to be a push to put Luongo in, but I don't know how they can justify it while Vernon and Barrasso aren't in, plus the other players mentioned. Both the Canucks and the Panthers are lacking in players in the HHOF who are readily identifiable with their teams (although the Sedins will change that in a couple of years for Vancouver). Luongo is arguably the only player who played the majority of his career in Florida with even a shot of making the Hall any time soon.
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Anecdotally, throughout the course of my life I have had tens of people tell me about the time they met Vernon and what a jerk he was. Sounded like one of a kind in that regard. I can’t think of another celebrity or hockey player that I have heard multiple stories about through friends.
I haven’t met him myself, but that feeling is definitely out there. Not like that reaallly matters.
Anecdotally, throughout the course of my life I have had tens of people tell me about the time they met Vernon and what a jerk he was. Sounded like one of a kind in that regard. I can’t think of another celebrity or hockey player that I have heard multiple stories about through friends.
I haven’t met him myself, but that feeling is definitely out there. Not like that reaallly matters.
I have never met him so I can't say. I was more referring to him hurting the Flames. I have never heard him ripping the organization, did I miss something?
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I have never met him so I can't say. I was more referring to him hurting the Flames. I have never heard him ripping the organization, did I miss something?
The Hockey Guy recently made a good video summing up Vernon's career. Based on his take, it seems like Flames fans are just as much to blame for any animosity. As is management.
Vernon was jeered in the 1990s, and when he was traded back to the organization, he was shocked, and not in a good way.
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