Me and The Flames: A Passion Sparked by Mike Vernon

Mike Vernon sparked my interest in goaltenders and my love for the Calgary Flames.

I grew up in Saskatchewan, where it was winter pretty much half of the year. It wasn't like the mild Alberta winters I am being spoiled with now either. It was damn cold...nearly every day, and the amounts of snow was just ridiculous. Of course it was right in the middle of the good old flatland prairies too so there was a good chance of a blistering wind howling with the bitter cold. It didn't matter. My family and friends would still go out and play the best game on the planet. The only good thing about the bitter conditions is when you got a slash on the shin, you didn't feel a thing. We would go out and…