Ex-Wings goalie Mike Vernon 'flabbergasted' with Hall of Fame nod; Zetterberg must wait

The wait is going to last another year for Henrik Zetterberg.

The Red Wings' former star Wednesday again missed out on into induction of the Hockey Hall of Fame, but a dream came true for another former Red Wing: Goaltender Mike Vernon, who made his mark with the Calgary Flames before winning a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 1997.

The Hall named three goaltenders to its 2023 class, along with American goalie Tom Barrasso and Swedish goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Canadian women's player Caroline Oullette and Canadian center Pierre Turgeon round out the 2023 player class and will be inducted Nov. 13 in Toronto.

Former head coach Ken Hitchcock and former player agent Pierre Lacroix will be inducted in the builder category.

Vernon played three seasons for the Red Wings, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff Most Valuable Player) in 1997, as the Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. Vernon helped the Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1995, where they lost to the New Jersey Devils.

Vernon also won a Stanley Cup in 1989 with his hometown Calgary Flames.

"The game has meant a lot to me throughout my life," Vernon said during a conference call. "We grew up a hockey family and it was bred in us at an early age. This is quite the honor and I'm flabbergasted."

Vernon, 60, has been eligible for the Hall since 2005. Vernon had a 385-273-92 career record, with a 2.98 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.

"I thought Lanny (McDonald) was calling me for a golf game," said Vernon, of Hall chairman of the board Lanny McDonald, a former Calgary teammate. "It's an emotional time for me, and it might be a long time coming. But it's still worth it. It's such an honor."

One of Vernon's highlights as a Red Wing was fighting Colorado goaltender Patrick Roy in the epic March 26, 1997 Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche fight-fest that every die-hard Wings fan remembers.

Interestingly, the much shorter Vernon won the fight against the taller Roy, while the Wings later rallied for a 6-5 overtime victory that may have focused the Wings on their Stanley Cup run that spring.

Zetterberg, who was on the Hall ballot for a second year, will have to wait again.

To gain admission, a candidate has to get a minimum 75% of the vote — appearing on at least 14 of the 18 ballots — to earn induction.

Zetterberg finished his career with 960 points (337 goals, 623 assists in 1,082 games) and was captain of the Red Wings for the final six years of his career. He ranks fifth in Wings' history in goals, assists and points.

Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2008 and is one of only 30 players to also secure the Triple Gold Club in hockey, having won a Stanley Cup, world championship and Olympic gold medal.

Zetterberg was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame earlier this year.

The Red Wings have had a lengthy list of players drafted late and emerge as fine players. But Zetterberg was a complete surprise, being drafted 210th overall, in the seventh round of the 1999 Entry Draft.

Former Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood and defenseman Niklas Kronwall also were not elected in Wednesday's vote.

Also not getting a phone call was goaltender Curtis Joseph, who played two seasons with the Wings. Joseph won 454 games, the most of any goalie currently not in the Hall of Fame. Osgood, incidentally, is next on the list with 401 victories. Ryan Miller (East Lansing/Michigan State) follows Joseph and Osgood with 391 career victories, all more than Vernon.

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tkulfan