Andrew Verner
Encyclopedia
Andrew Verner is a retired Canadian
ice hockey
goaltender
. He most recently played for Sheffield Steelers
, in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League
.
for the Peterborough Petes
. He was drafted 34th overall by the Edmonton Oilers
in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft
, but spent three seasons playing in the American Hockey League
for the Cape Breton Oilers
and never managed to play in the NHL.
Since 1995, Verner has played in European leagues, beginning with a spell in Austria for EHC Lustenau
, followed by a season in Finland
's SM-liiga
with HPK
where he served as the team's starting goalie. He then spent two seasons in Sweden
playing in the Elitserien
with Malmö IF
. He moved to the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany
, spending two seasons with the Kölner Haie
and two seasons with the Hannover Scorpions
. He returned to Austria to play for EC KAC
in 2003 and stayed with the team until 2008 where he joined the Newcastle Vipers in the United Kingdom
.
He spent the 08/09 season playing for the Newcastle Vipers in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League. At the end of that season he was made a free agent before signing for Sheffield Steelers
in October '09 as a replacement for injured goalie Kevin Reiter
. In 2010, Verner retired after playing 17 professional seasons.
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...
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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. He most recently played for Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
, in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
.
Playing career
Verner played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey LeagueOntario 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....
for the Peterborough Petes
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
. He was drafted 34th overall by the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft
1991 NHL Entry Draft
The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The draft was famous for the controversy surrounding star first overall draft pick, touted by some observers to be The Next One, Eric Lindros, who was drafted by the...
, but spent three seasons playing in 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...
for the Cape Breton Oilers
Cape Breton Oilers
The Cape Breton Oilers were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team relocated from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1988 and was renamed for Cape Breton Island. Home games were played in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, at Centre 200...
and never managed to play in the NHL.
Since 1995, Verner has played in European leagues, beginning with a spell in Austria for EHC Lustenau
EHC Lustenau
EHC Oberschieder Lustenau is an ice hockey team in Lustenau, Austria. They play in the Austrian National League, the second level of ice hockey in Austria.-History:...
, followed by a season in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
with HPK
HPK
HPK is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Hämeenlinna, Finland at the Hämeenlinnan jäähalli. HPK was established in 1929. The full name of the club is HPK-Edustusjääkiekko Ry and the team is sometimes promoted as the "Hockey Playing Knights", with the logo representing a knight...
where he served as the team's starting goalie. He then spent two seasons in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
playing in the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
with Malmö IF
Malmö Redhawks
The Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey club from Malmö, Sweden. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien .-History:...
. He moved to the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, spending two seasons with the Kölner Haie
Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.The team colours are red and white....
and two seasons with the Hannover Scorpions
Hannover Scorpions
The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. The team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. Their games are played at TUI Arena of the Expo Plaza...
. He returned to Austria to play for EC KAC
EC KAC
EC KAC is a professional ice hockey team in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League. The team plays their home games in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria at Stadthalle Klagenfurt...
in 2003 and stayed with the team until 2008 where he joined the Newcastle Vipers in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
He spent the 08/09 season playing for the Newcastle Vipers in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League. At the end of that season he was made a free agent before signing for Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
in October '09 as a replacement for injured goalie Kevin Reiter
Kevin Reiter
Kevin Reiter is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing in the Central Hockey League with the Fort Wayne Komets...
. In 2010, Verner retired after playing 17 professional seasons.