ECHL: Icemen Add First New Face

After the departure of Charles Williams and both Olof Linbolm and Parker Gahagen yet to be signed, the Icemen crease has been a desolate spot this offseason. Now with the season just over two months out, the Icemen look to be adding some fresh talent in net. Goaltender Matt Vernon has agreed to terms with the team, becoming the first goalie to be added to the 2023-24 roster. He also becomes the first new name to appear on the Icemen roster, a list that has been fast filling full of familiar faces.

Vernon got his professional start last season with the Reading Royals of the ECHL’s North Division. Only appearing in two games for the Royals, Vernon posted a .904 save percentage and 2.40 goals against average. Prior to joining the Royals line-up, Vernon played at the collegiate level for Colorado College. Vernon made 12 appearances in net for Colorado College during the 2022-23 season, ending his collegiate playing career with a .905 save percentage and 2.57 goals against average – a pretty consistent carryover in numbers from the college to pro levels. Before his four seasons of college hockey, Vernon played for the Aberdeen Wings, a junior team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). In addition to winning the Robertson Cup to close out the 2018-19 season and his time with the Wings, Vernon was also given numerous other honors, including Goaltender of the Year, and was named the Robertson Cup’s Most Valuable Player.

It’s easy to find where the netminder’s compete level comes from. Vernon’s father, Mike Vernon, was active in the NHL from 1986-2002. In that period, the elder Vernon won the Stanley Cup twice, once in 1989 with the Calgary Flames and again in 1997 with the Detroit Red Wings. With Detroit’s 1997 cup win, Mike Vernon was also awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy – the NHL’s MVP award. He was recently named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the 2022-23 Hall of Fame class.

The Icemen now have nine players signed on for the upcoming 2023-24 season, which begins October 21st.