Vail played three years of junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). He spent two seasons with the Niagara Falls Flyers, scoring 48 points in 59 games in 1970–71 and improving to 73 points in 60 games in 1971–72. He split the 1972–73 OHA season between the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the Sudbury Wolves, scoring 48 goals and 105 points combined between the two teams. Vail was selected by both the Atlanta Flames, 21st overall at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft and the Quebec Nordiques, 29th overall at the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft.\n', '

Choosing to play with the Flames, Vail made his NHL debut in 1973–74, appearing in 23 games. He scored two goals and nine assists, but spent the majority of the season in the Central Hockey League (CHL) with the Omaha Knights. Since he played fewer than 25 NHL games in his first season, Vail was still considered a rookie in 1974–75. He led all rookies with 39 goals and had 60 points on the campaign. Vail won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL\'s rookie of the year, the first player in Flames history to do so.\n', '

Injuries reduced Vail\'s offensive output in 1975–76 as he scored only 16 goals. 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. He also made his only appearance with the \n', 'national team, scoring four goals in nine games for the fourth place Canadians at the World Ice Hockey Championship.\n', '

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