Eric Vail
Eric Vail | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born |
Timmins, Ontario, Canada | September 16, 1953||||||||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||||||||
Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||||||||
Position | Left wing | ||||||||
Shot | Left | ||||||||
Played for |
Atlanta Flames Calgary Flames Detroit Red Wings | ||||||||
National team |
NHL Draft |
21st overall, WHA Draft |
29th overall, 1973 Quebec Nordiques | ||||||
Playing career | 1973–1983 |
Eric Vail (born September 16, 1953) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings. He helped Calgary reach the 1981 NHL playoff semifinals for the first time in club history.
He won the
Playing career
Vail played three years of
Choosing to play with the Flames, Vail made his NHL debut in
Injuries reduced Vail's offensive output in 1975–76 as he scored only 16 goals.[3] Vail rebounded to score 32 goals and 71 points in 1976–77. He played in the 1977 NHL All-Star Game, the only such appearance of his career.[1] He also made his only appearance with the
Vail scored 22, 35 and 28 goals in his following three seasons and set a career high with 83 points in 1978–79.[1] In 1979–80, Vail passed Tom Lysiak as the Flames' all-time leading goal scorer.[2] His 174 career goals was the most in the Flames' tenure in Atlanta, and he was second to Lysiak with 383 points.[5] Vail transferred with the franchise when it relocated to Canada, becoming the Calgary Flames in 1980–81. He had 28 goals and 64 points in 64 games in his first season in Calgary.[1]
Though he averaged nearly 30 goals per season, the Flames often felt Vail was playing below his capability. He was considered to have one of the best shots in the league, but was often accused of coasting on the ice and carried a reputation for "living large" off the ice.[6] He clashed with head coach Al MacNeil, forcing the team to make a move early in the 1981–82 season. Stating that "Eric Vail and the Calgary Flames were no longer compatible", General Manager Cliff Fletcher sent the team's all-time leading scorer to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Gary McAdam and a draft pick on November 10, 1981.[7] Vail scored 10 goals in 52 games with Detroit.[1]
The Red Wings were similarly frustrated with Vail. They demoted him to the Adirondack Red Wings, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for ten games in 1981–82, then left him there for the entire 1982–83 AHL season.[6] Vail scored 20 goals and 49 points for Adirondack then retired following the season.[1]
Personal life
Vail and his ex-wife Sylvia have two children: Scott and Natasha.[2] He returned to Atlanta following his career, ultimately settling in Lawrenceville, Georgia, where he managed a nightclub.[6] When the NHL returned to Atlanta in 1999, Vail joined the Thrashers organization in a community relations capacity and served as an in-arena analyst for the team's radio broadcasts.[8]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1969–70 | Sarnia Legionnaires
|
WOJHL
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1970–71
|
Niagara Falls Flyers | OHA | 59 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1971–72
|
Niagara Falls Flyers | OHA | 60 | 25 | 48 | 73 | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1972–73
|
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHA | 38 | 29 | 31 | 60 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1972–73 | Sudbury Wolves | OHA | 25 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
1973–74 | Omaha Knights | CHL | 37 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1973–74 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 23 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
1974–75 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 72 | 39 | 21 | 60 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1975–76 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 60 | 16 | 31 | 47 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1976–77 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 78 | 32 | 39 | 71 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
1977–78 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 79 | 22 | 36 | 58 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
1978–79 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 80 | 35 | 48 | 83 | 53 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
1979–80 | Atlanta Flames | NHL | 77 | 28 | 25 | 53 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
1980–81 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 64 | 28 | 36 | 64 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1981–82 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981–82 | Oklahoma City Stars | CHL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981–82 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 52 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981–82 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982–83 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 74 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
NHL totals | 591 | 216 | 260 | 476 | 281 | 20 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 6 |
International
Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977
|
Canada
|
WC | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 18 | |
Senior totals | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 18 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Eric Vail profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
- ^ a b c Ornest, Leo, ed. (1980). 1980–81 Calgary Flames Fact Book. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 27.
- ^ Simmons, Steve (1980-11-13). "Flames "Big Train"". Flames Magazine. Calgary Flames Hockey Club: 33.
- ISBN 978-0-7710-9598-6.
- ^ Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean, eds. (2007). 2007–08 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 132.
- ^ ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
- ^ "Calgary wheels Vail to the Motor City". Calgary Herald. 1981-11-11. p. C1. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
- ^ "Atlanta Thrashers Tab Former Atlanta Flames Player Eric Vail". Atlanta Inquirer. 2000-12-30. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2012-08-25 – via Highbeam.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database