Michael Vernace

Michael "Mike" Vernace (born May 26, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Michael Vernace
Born (1986-05-26) May 26, 1986
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Colorado Avalanche
Tampa Bay Lightning
Adler Mannheim
Rögle BK
Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
Rungsted Seier Capital
NHL Draft 201st overall, 2004
San Jose Sharks
Playing career 2006–2018

Playing career

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Vernace grew up playing most of his minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, finishing his minor career with the 2001–02 Mississauga Reps Bantams. After that season, Vernace was a 9th round choice (163rd overall) in the 2001 OHL Priority Selection by the Brampton Battalion.

The following season, Vernace was assigned by the Battalion to the OHA Jr.A. Bramalea Blues.

Vernace was drafted 201st overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft from the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League. He attended Chaminade College School for his high school education.

On June 1, 2006, Vernace was traded by the Sharks to the Colorado Avalanche for a 6th round drafts pick and was signed to an entry level contract.[1] Vernace made his professional debut with the Arizona Sundogs of the CHL before joining the Avalanche's affiliate the Albany River Rats of the AHL in the 2006–07 season.

Vernace joined new Avalanche affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, for their inaugural season in the 2007–08 season, leading the Monsters in games played with 79. After spending the majority of the 2008–09 season with the Monsters, Vernace received his first NHL call-up on March 16, 2009.[2] He made his NHL debut with the Avalanche in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild on March 17, 2009.[3]

After not being offered a contract with the Avalanche, Vernace a free agent, signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Thrashers on July 30, 2009.[4] On September 26, 2009, Vernace was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, for the beginning of the 2009–10 season.[5] After 47 games with the Wolves, Vernace was then reassigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs on March 10, 2010.[6] He recorded 4 assists in 18 post season games to help the Bulldogs reach the Western Conference finals.

On June 23, 2010, Vernace was traded by the Thrashers, along with Brett Sterling and a 7th round selection in 2010 NHL Entry Draft, back to the Sharks for future considerations in order to help the Thrashers facilitate an earlier trade of Dustin Byfuglien from the Chicago Blackhawks.[7]

Unable to come to terms with San Jose, Vernace signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 29, 2010, to a one-year, two-way contract.[8]

In the 2011–12 season, on December 2, 2011, Vernace was traded by the Lightning, along with James Wright, to the Florida Panthers for Mike Kostka and Evan Oberg.[9] Assigned to AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, his tenure was short lived when on February 25, 2012, Vernace was traded by the Panthers to the New York Rangers, along with a third round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, for Wojtek Wolski, Vernace's former teammate from the Brampton Battalion.[10]

After two seasons within the Rangers organization, Vernace left as a free agent to sign his first European contract in Germany on a one-year deal with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga on August 8, 2013.[11] After 18 points in 51 games with Mannheim, Vernace belatedly signed in the Swedish second division the following season, signing for the remainder of the 2014–15 season with Rögle BK on December 11, 2014.[12]

Vernace played two seasons in Europe, before opting for a return to North America and with the 2015–16 season underway, signed a contract with the Brampton Beast of the ECHL on October 28, 2015.[13]

Career statistics
Vernace (right) while with the Connecticut Whale, defending against Brett Connolly (left)
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04 Bramalea Blues OPJHL 33 3 12 15 16 — — — — —
2003–04 Brampton Battalion OHL 2 1 1 2 0 11 2 3 5 8
2004–05 Brampton Battalion OHL 68 12 38 50 42 6 2 2 4 0
2005–06 Brampton Battalion OHL 68 10 62 72 54 11 1 5 6 6
2006–07 Arizona Sundogs CHL 24 3 11 14 20 — — — — —
2006–07 Albany River Rats AHL 30 1 11 12 35 — — — — —
2007–08 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 79 3 26 29 59 — — — — —
2008–09 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 65 3 14 17 52 — — — — —
2008–09 Colorado Avalanche NHL 12 0 0 0 8 — — — — —
2009–10 Chicago Wolves AHL 47 2 10 12 29 — — — — —
2009–10 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 15 0 1 1 23 18 0 4 4 8
2010–11 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 10 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2010–11 Norfolk Admirals AHL 68 7 21 28 60 6 0 2 2 8
2011–12 Norfolk Admirals AHL 22 2 10 12 23 — — — — —
2011–12 San Antonio Rampage AHL 22 0 4 4 7 — — — — —
2011–12 Connecticut Whale AHL 21 1 1 2 20 9 0 2 2 0
2012–13 Connecticut Whale AHL 69 8 27 35 51 — — — — —
2013–14 Adler Mannheim DEL 51 1 17 18 34 4 0 0 0 2
2014–15 Rögle BK Allsv 18 1 3 4 44 — — — — —
2015–16 Brampton Beast ECHL 56 5 31 36 117 — — — — —
2015–16 Stockton Heat AHL 5 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2016–17 Brampton Beast ECHL 23 2 11 13 12 — — — — —
2016–17 Alba Volán Székesfehérvár EBEL 14 2 3 5 10 — — — — —
2017–18 Rungsted Seier Capital DEN 48 6 12 18 74 14 1 3 4 41
NHL totals 22 0 1 1 10 — — — — —

Awards and honours
Award Year
OHL
First All-Rookie Team 2004–05
gollark: You put curse of binding on a neural interface?
gollark: Oh, do you have one of those new neural interface viruses?
gollark: Alternatively, an async programming framework.
gollark: I just had a great idea: *monad support*.
gollark: You know C#, you can do it.

References
  1. "Avalanche acquires defensive prospect". Colorado Avalanche. 2006-06-01. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  2. "Avalanche recalls Vernace". Colorado Avalanche. 2009-03-16. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  3. "Defensemen make debuts in Avs' loss". Denver Post. 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
  4. "Thrashers sign unrestricted free agents, Josh Gratton and Mike Vernace". Atlanta Thrashers. 2009-07-30. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
  5. "Thrashers assign nine players from training camp roster". Atlanta Thrashers. 2009-09-26. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  6. "Wolves get Stewart, Bulldogs add Vernace". The AHL. 2010-03-10. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
  7. "Sharks playing a role in deal thats sending Dustin Byfuglien to Eastern Conference". Mercury News. 2010-06-23. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  8. "Lightning sign trio of defencemen". TSN. 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  9. "Lightning trade Wright, Vernace to Panther for Kostka, Oberg". The Sports Network. 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  10. "Panthers acquire Wolski from Rangers for Vernace, pick". The Sports Network. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  11. "Eagles commit Mike Vernace" (in German). Adler Mannheim. 2013-08-08. Archived from the original on 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  12. "Canadian back ready for Rogle" (in Swedish). Rögle BK. 2014-12-11. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  13. "Former NHLer and Battalion legend Vernace joins beast". Brampton Beast. 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
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