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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. He clashed with head coach
359:
as the Flames' all-time leading goal scorer. His 174 career goals was the most in the Flames' tenure in
Atlanta, and he was second to Lysiak with 383 points. Vail transferred with the franchise when it relocated to Canada, becoming the
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Vail and his ex-wife Sylvia have two children: Scott and
Natasha. He returned to Atlanta following his career, ultimately settling in
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organization in a community relations capacity and served as an in-arena analyst for the team's radio broadcasts.
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301:, appearing in 23 games. He scored two goals and nine assists, but spent the majority of the season in the
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Vail scored 22, 35 and 28 goals in his following three seasons and set a career high with 83 points in
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238:. At the time of his 1981 trade to Detroit, Vail was the Flames' franchise leader in goal scoring.
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278:, scoring 48 goals and 105 points combined between the two teams. Vail was selected by both the
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380:. Stating that "Eric Vail and the Calgary Flames were no longer compatible", General Manager
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419:, where he managed a nightclub. When the NHL returned to Atlanta in 1999, Vail joined the
309:. Since he played fewer than 25 NHL games in his first season, Vail was still considered a
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407:. Vail scored 20 goals and 49 points for Adirondack then retired following the season.
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and a draft pick on
November 10, 1981. Vail scored 10 goals in 52 games with Detroit.
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336:, the only such appearance of his career. He also made his only appearance with the
317:. He led all rookies with 39 goals and had 60 points on the campaign. Vail won the
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as he scored only 16 goals. Vail rebounded to score 32 goals and 71 points in
403:(AHL) affiliate, for ten games in 1981–82, then left him there for the entire
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as the NHL's rookie of the year, the first player in Flames history to do so.
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The Red Wings were similarly frustrated with Vail. They demoted him to the
368:. He had 28 goals and 64 points in 64 games in his first season in Calgary.
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1606:
Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL
450:
340:, scoring four goals in nine games for the fourth place Canadians at the
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61:
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1655:"Atlanta Thrashers Tab Former Atlanta Flames Player Eric Vail"
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Choosing to play with the Flames, Vail made his NHL debut in
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Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
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435:
226:
in 1975 as the NHL's rookie of the year and played in the
1685:
Biographical information and career statistics from
1563:. International Ice Hockey Federation. p. 525.
1544:Simmons, Steve (1980-11-13). "Flames "Big Train"".
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84:220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
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376:, forcing the team to make a move early in the
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8:
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324:Injuries reduced Vail's offensive output in
438:
1703:
1608:. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. p. 877.
1588:. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 132.
1524:
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262:and improving to 73 points in 60 games in
21:
1584:Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean, eds. (2007).
1533:. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 27.
1630:"Calgary wheels Vail to the Motor City"
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254:(OHA). He spent two seasons with the
199:player who played nine seasons in the
16:Canadian ice hockey player (born 1953)
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7:
219:for the first time in club history.
1828:Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds players
258:, scoring 48 points in 59 games in
1823:Quebec Nordiques (WHA) draft picks
1586:2007–08 Calgary Flames Media Guide
14:
1561:IIHF Guide & Record Book 2012
1548:. Calgary Flames Hockey Club: 33.
230:. Also in 1977, Vail played with
76:6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
1803:National Hockey League All-Stars
1531:1980–81 Calgary Flames Fact Book
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191:(born September 16, 1953) is a
1798:Ice hockey people from Timmins
1559:Podnieks, Andrew, ed. (2011).
215:. He helped Calgary reach the
1:
342:World Ice Hockey Championship
236:World Ice Hockey Championship
1808:Niagara Falls Flyers players
1783:Canadian ice hockey forwards
1758:Adirondack Red Wings players
1699:The Internet Hockey Database
1661:. 2000-12-30. Archived from
1818:Omaha Knights (CHL) players
1813:Oklahoma City Stars players
649:Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
432:Regular season and playoffs
272:Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
246:Vail played three years of
217:1981 NHL playoff semifinals
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1763:Atlanta Flames draft picks
252:Ontario Hockey Association
1788:Detroit Red Wings players
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1604:Podnieks, Andrew (2003).
1529:Ornest, Leo, ed. (1980).
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1636:. 1981-11-11. p. C1
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1778:Calgary Flames players
1768:Atlanta Flames players
1718:Calder Memorial Trophy
417:Lawrenceville, Georgia
401:American Hockey League
334:1977 NHL All-Star Game
319:Calder Memorial Trophy
292:1973 WHA Amateur Draft
290:, 29th overall at the
284:1973 NHL Amateur Draft
282:, 21st overall at the
228:1977 NHL All-Star Game
224:Calder Memorial Trophy
201:National Hockey League
36:Vail (right) with the
1773:Calder Trophy winners
1672:– via Highbeam.
1506:. Hockey Hall of Fame
1311:Adirondack Red Wings
605:Niagara Falls Flyers
303:Central Hockey League
1695:Hockey-Reference.com
1265:Adirondack Red Wings
559:Niagara Falls Flyers
397:Adirondack Red Wings
256:Niagara Falls Flyers
1504:"Eric Vail profile"
1177:Oklahoma City Stars
512:Sarnia Legionnaires
332:. He played in the
1691:Eliteprospects.com
405:1982–83 AHL season
268:1972–73 OHA season
56:September 16, 1953
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1727:Succeeded by
1570:978-0-7710-9598-6
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1220:Detroit Red Wings
427:Career statistics
386:Detroit Red Wings
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382:Cliff Fletcher
378:1981–82 season
362:Calgary Flames
355:, Vail passed
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276:Sudbury Wolves
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209:Calgary Flames
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203:(NHL) for the
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1710:Denis Potvin
1667:. Retrieved
1663:the original
1658:
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1638:. Retrieved
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1508:. Retrieved
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187:
1748:1953 births
1349:NHL totals
390:Gary McAdam
232:Team Canada
222:He won the
1742:Categories
1697:, or
1693:, or
1689:, or
1669:2012-08-25
1640:2012-08-25
1510:2012-08-25
1476:References
374:Al MacNeil
357:Tom Lysiak
197:ice hockey
109:Played for
52:1953-09-16
421:Thrashers
189:Eric Vail
163:WHA draft
146:NHL draft
93:Left wing
25:Eric Vail
1216:1981–82
688:1972–73
508:1969–70
451:Playoffs
399:, their
286:and the
274:and the
193:Canadian
89:Position
68:, Canada
1687:NHL.com
1402:
1307:1982–83
1260:1981–82
1172:1981–82
1129:1981–82
1084:1980–81
1041:1979–80
998:1978–79
955:1977–78
912:1976–77
869:1975–76
826:1974–75
779:1973–74
732:1973–74
644:1972–73
601:1971–72
554:1970–71
465:League
366:1980–81
353:1979–80
349:1978–79
330:1976–77
326:1975–76
315:1974–75
299:1973–74
264:1971–72
260:1970–71
250:in the
234:at the
195:former
66:Ontario
62:Timmins
40:in 1978
1612:
1567:
1428:Canada
1399:Event
458:Season
311:rookie
139:Canada
136:
81:Weight
73:Height
1396:Team
1393:Year
517:WOJHL
462:Team
351:. In
1723:1975
1610:ISBN
1565:ISBN
1423:1977
1417:PIM
1414:Pts
1364:281
1314:AHL
1224:NHL
1181:CHL
1136:NHL
1093:NHL
1048:NHL
1005:NHL
962:NHL
919:NHL
876:NHL
833:NHL
696:OHA
653:OHA
623:122
608:OHA
503:PIM
211:and
169:1973
152:1973
104:Left
100:Shot
46:Born
1469:18
1449:18
1405:GP
1361:476
1358:260
1355:216
1352:591
1329:33
1270:AHL
1239:35
1108:23
1063:22
1020:53
977:16
934:22
891:34
848:46
805:30
789:NHL
758:54
742:CHL
711:30
668:50
580:76
564:OHA
500:Pts
487:PIM
482:Pts
364:in
313:in
1744::
1657:.
1632:.
1594:^
1519:^
1483:^
1466:5
1463:1
1460:4
1457:9
1446:5
1443:1
1440:4
1437:9
1433:WC
1411:A
1408:G
1379:6
1376:11
1367:20
1344:0
1326:49
1323:29
1320:20
1317:74
1301:—
1286:0
1274:10
1254:—
1236:24
1233:14
1230:10
1227:52
1211:—
1196:0
1166:—
1151:0
1123:0
1105:64
1102:36
1099:28
1096:64
1078:2
1060:53
1057:25
1054:28
1051:77
1035:2
1017:83
1014:48
1011:35
1008:80
992:0
974:58
971:36
968:22
965:79
949:0
931:71
928:39
925:32
922:78
906:0
888:47
885:31
882:16
879:60
863:—
845:60
842:21
839:39
836:72
820:2
802:11
793:23
773:—
755:28
752:18
749:10
746:37
726:2
708:45
705:26
702:19
699:25
683:—
665:60
662:31
659:29
656:38
638:—
620:73
617:48
614:25
611:60
595:—
577:48
574:30
571:18
568:59
548:—
533:—
491:GP
468:GP
344:.
294:.
207:,
64:,
54:)
1643:.
1618:.
1573:.
1513:.
1373:6
1370:5
1341:2
1338:1
1335:1
1332:5
1298:—
1295:—
1292:—
1289:—
1283:7
1280:4
1277:3
1251:—
1248:—
1245:—
1242:—
1208:—
1205:—
1202:—
1199:—
1193:3
1190:3
1187:0
1184:3
1163:—
1160:—
1157:—
1154:—
1148:5
1145:1
1142:4
1139:6
1120:0
1117:0
1114:0
1111:6
1075:4
1072:1
1069:3
1066:4
1032:1
1029:1
1026:0
1023:2
989:2
986:1
983:1
980:2
946:4
943:3
940:1
937:3
903:0
900:0
897:0
894:2
860:—
857:—
854:—
851:—
817:0
814:0
811:0
808:1
799:9
796:2
770:—
767:—
764:—
761:—
723:2
720:1
717:1
714:4
680:—
677:—
674:—
671:—
635:—
632:—
629:—
626:—
592:—
589:—
586:—
583:—
545:—
542:—
539:—
536:—
530:—
527:—
524:—
521:—
497:A
494:G
477:A
472:G
50:(
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