CALGARY, Alberta, March 9 (UPI) -- The Calgary Flames sent veteran goaltender Mike Vernon to the minor leagues Saturday, possibly to showcase him for a trade.
The Flames assigned Vernon to St. John of the American Hockey League and recalled goaltender Kay Whitmore, who will serve as Roman Turek's backup.
Vernon has played in only 12 games this season, his 17th in the NHL, going 1-6-1 with a 2.98 goals-against average and a porous .883 save percentage.
Despite his lack of playing time and production, Vernon still might be able to help a team down the stretch. He excelled in a brief stint with Florida two years ago after helping Detroit win the Stanley Cup in 1997.
Although the 39-year-old Vernon is a solid presence in the locker room, the Flames would like to get rid of his $2.75 million salary.
Vernon is in his second stint with the Flames, for whom he played his first nine NHL seasons. He was 37-6-5 during their Stanley Cup run in 1988-89 and left five years later.
Vernon went on to play three seasons with Detroit and three more with San Jose. He was dealt to Florida during the 1999-2000 season and returned to Calgary last year.
