In the early 1990s, the Detroit Red Wings were a high-flying team that could score goals but struggled to win when it mattered most. That narrative seemed to change after they signed Stanley Cup champion goaltender, Mike Vernonfrom Calgary. It wasn’t just any hockey trade; it was a move to help Detroit get the job done by winning the Stanley Cup.
Completing the task
Before Vernon arrived, Detroit already had a strong team that wanted superstars Steve Yzermanwas often labeled as a group that couldn’t win it all. Vernon helped change that narrative. He brought the grit of a Stanley Cup champion to a locker room that seemed tired of not getting the job done. Reflecting on the movement, Vernon noted:
“Playing for the Red Wings extended my career. There were 10 years between both Cups in Calgary and Detroit, but it was to prove to myself that I could still play in the league.”
By the 1997 Stanley Cup PlayoffsVernon was an absolute wall. His stellar performance in net for Detroit during the Stanley Cup Finals was legendary. He suppressed Philadelphia and helped Detroit to one Stanley Cup Championship. He finished the postseason with an astonishing GAA of 1.76, ending a forty-two year drought and rightfully earning the title. Conn Smythe Trophy.
A legacy of mentorship
Perhaps Mike Vernon’s greatest gift to Detroit was the time he spent with his goaltender Chris Osgood. Watching the veteran goaltender handle the pressure of the 1997 Stanley Cup run, for example, served as a master class for Osgood.
Even though Mike Vernon was traded to San Jose shortly after his 1997 Playoff MVP performance – a move that has fans and columnists alike Mitch Albom, who had an immediate reaction“You’ve got to be kidding me!” – the foundation had already been laid. Osgood took those veteran lessons and immediately led Detroit to another one Stanley Cup in 1998.
The Mike Vernon trade didn’t just win one trophy; it taught a legendary franchise exactly how to become a champion.
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