Phil Housley

Lore & Background

Housley was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres as an 18-year-old from high school in the first round of the 1982 NHL entry draft and immediately made the team, spending no time in the minor leagues. He played centre throughout his youth hockey career before switching to defense in high school. As a 10-year-old Squirt-level player, he scored 108 goals in one season, and improved to 113 goals at the peewee level. At age 18, he became the only high school student selected to compete for Team USA at the 1982 Ice Hockey World Championships, playing as a centreman. He was the first American-born player and first high school player to be selected in the draft. Housley was named to the opening night roster of the Buffalo Sabres for the 1982–83 season, finishing the season setting a Sabres rookie record with 47 assists. On March 18, 1984, he became the youngest defenceman in NHL history to score 30 goals in a single season. In his eight seasons with Buffalo, he recorded 60-point seasons in each of them. He was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1990, and in his final season with Winnipeg he peaked with 97 points (18 goals, 79 assists) and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. He later played for the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Reader's Guide

Phil Housley's significance lies in his career as an offensive-minded defenseman who set records for American-born players in points (1,232) and games played (1,495) by the time he retired, though each record was subsequently surpassed. He was selected to the NHL All-Star Game seven times as a player. Internationally, he won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey as part of the American team. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. After retiring as a player, Housley became a head coach at Stillwater Area High School in Minnesota from 2004 to 2013. He served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 2007 and 2011, and as head coach for Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, winning the gold medal. He later served as an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators, head coach of the Buffalo Sabres for two seasons, assistant coach for the Arizona Coyotes and New York Rangers, and was hired as an associate coach for the Los Angeles Kings in 2026.

Did You Know?

• Housley was the first American-born player and first high school player selected in the NHL entry draft.
• He scored 108 goals as a 10-year-old Squirt-level player and 113 goals at the peewee level.