Mike Vernon is a legend of the game, with over 300 NHL wins, two Stanley Cups, and five All-Star appearances. But he also allowed 2,000 goals during his career—yet he only remembers one of them, for the most hilarious reason.
Vernon wasn’t the tallest goalie in the NHL, standing at just 5-foot-7, making him a rare breed in a position usually dominated by giants. But he learned to play the game his way—and did it to perfection. Vernon was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023, a long-overdue recognition.
He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and the Detroit Red Wings in 1997. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with the Red Wings, and only 17 goalies in league history have more wins than him.
Mike Vernon remembers one allowed goal
Vernon played in the NHL for 19 seasons, also representing the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers. Naturally, with such a long career, he lost many games—and allowed plenty of goals. But Vernon doesn’t remember any of those goals—except for one. And he remembers it for a hilarious reason.
According to The Athletic, the opening segment of Hockey Night in Canada for years featured a highlight of a Wayne Gretzky goal. Gretzky scored the goal as he skated down the left side of the ice before beating Vernon high. Vernon was forced to watch the goal every week for years, and today, all he can do is laugh about it.
“Marc Savard (now an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs) was looking up my stats,” Vernon said. “He said, ‘Vernie, you let in 2,000 goals. That’s a lot of goals.’ I said, ‘Well, if you know me, I don’t remember any of them—except for one: Wayne Gretzky scoring that goal in overtime. You’d think it was the only goal the guy ever scored!’”
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