Michael Vernace is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 professional ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 defenseman who currently plays for the Norfolk Admirals

Norfolk Admirals

The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:...

 of the American Hockey League

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

, under contract to the Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

 organization of the NHL

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

.

Playing career

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

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft

2004 NHL Entry Draft

The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...

 from the Brampton Battalion

Brampton Battalion

The Brampton Battalion are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Brampton, Ontario and started playing in 1998.-History:The Brampton Battalion were granted an expansion franchise on December 3, 1996...

 of the Ontario Hockey League

Ontario Hockey League

The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

. He attended Chaminade College School

Chaminade College School

Chaminade College School is an all-boys Catholic secondary school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Founded in 1964 by the Archdiocese of Toronto, it opened its doors in September, 1965...

 for his high school education.

On June 1, 2006, Vernace was traded by the Sharks to the Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...

 for a 6th round drafts pick and was signed to an entry level contract. Vernace made his professional debut with the Arizona Sundogs

Arizona Sundogs

The Arizona Sundogs are a double-A minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Prescott Valley, Arizona that began play in the Central Hockey League in 2006 and celebrated its fifth anniversary season in 2010-11...

 of the CHL

Central Hockey League

The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....

 before joining the Avalanche's affiliate the Albany River Rats

Albany River Rats

The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :...

 of the AHL in the 2006–07

2006–07 AHL season

The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals....

 season.

Vernace joined new Avalanche affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, for their inaugural season in the 2007–08

2007–08 AHL season

The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:...

 season, leading the Monsters in games played with 79. After spending the majority of the 2008–09

2008–09 NHL season

The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

 season with the Monsters, Vernace received his first NHL call-up on March 16, 2009. He made his NHL debut with the Avalanche in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 on March 17, 2009.

After not being offered a contract with the Avalanche, Vernace a free agent, signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Thrashers

Atlanta Thrashers

The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...

 on July 30, 2009. On September 26, 2009, Vernace was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves

Chicago Wolves

The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...

, for the beginning of the 2009–10 season. After 47 games with the Wolves, Vernace was then re-assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs

Hamilton Bulldogs

The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...

 on March 10, 2010. 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

Brett Sterling

Brett Stewart Sterling is a professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the St.Louis Blues of the National Hockey League.-Early life:Sterling, who is Jewish, was born in Los Angeles, California...

 and a 7th round selection in 2010 NHL Entry Draft

2010 NHL Entry Draft

The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial record of 11 American-trained players were selected in...

, back to the Sharks for future considerations in order to help the Thrashers facilitate an earlier trade of Dustin Byfuglien

Dustin Byfuglien

Dustin Ray Byfuglien is an American professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. His known nickname is "Big Buff," made up by his teammates...

 from the Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

.

Unable to come to terms with San Jose, Vernace signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...

 on July 29, 2010, to a one year, two-way contract

Two-way contract

A two-way contract is a professional sports contract which stipulates that an athlete’s salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play in...

.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...	Team	League		GP	G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...	A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...	Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...	PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003–04	Bramalea Blues Bramalea Blues The Bramalea Blues were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Bramalea, Ontario, Canada. Their final two seasons were played in Brampton, Ontario at the Powerade Centre. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League but also used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. They joined...	OPJHL		33	3	12	15	16		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Brampton Battalion Brampton Battalion The Brampton Battalion are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Brampton, Ontario and started playing in 1998.-History:The Brampton Battalion were granted an expansion franchise on December 3, 1996...	OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....		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 Arizona Sundogs The Arizona Sundogs are a double-A minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Prescott Valley, Arizona that began play in the Central Hockey League in 2006 and celebrated its fifth anniversary season in 2010-11...	CHL Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....		24	3	11	14	20		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals....	Albany River Rats Albany River Rats The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :...	AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...		30	1	11	12	35		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:...	Lake Erie Monsters Lake Erie Monsters The Lake Erie Monsters are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They began play in the 2007–08 AHL season at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...	AHL		79	3	26	29	59		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...	Lake Erie Monsters	AHL		65	3	14	17	52		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...	Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...	NHL		12	0	0	0	8		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11...	Chicago Wolves Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...	AHL		47	2	10	12	29		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...	AHL		15	0	1	1	23		18	0	4	4	8
2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...	Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...	NHL		10	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:...	AHL		68	7	21	28	60		6	0	2	2	8
NHL totals				22	0	1	1	10		—	—	—	—	—

Awards and honours

Award	Year
Ontario Hockey League Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
First All-Rookie Team	2004–05 2004-05 OHL season The 2004–05 OHL season was the 25th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The J. Ross Robertson Cup was won by the London Knights, defeating the Ottawa 67's...

External links