{allcanada} American trailblazer Phil Housley gets his Hall of Fame moment

 

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Former Buffalo Sabres player Brent Peterson recalls that when first round draft pick Phil Housley showed up for training camp in 1982 "he looked like he was 12 years old.

"He was baby-faced and he had such a slight build," Peterson said. "But as soon as (Housley) stepped on the ice, we knew he could play. We were wowed by his skills."

Housley, a Minnesota native, became the first American to jump from high school hockey to the NHL and his two decades of dominance as a puck-moving defenseman will be celebrated Monday when he is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Chris Pronger, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom and Angela Ruggiero are the other players being inducted.

"I think Phil opened the door for other Americans because he was so good," said Scotty Bowman, who drafted Housley.

Housley registered 65 points in 22 games for South St. Paul High School in 1981-82, and Sabres scout Rudy Migay began lobbying for the team to draft him. However, Bowman didn't get a chance to see him because Housley's team didn't make the high school tournament. Finally, Migay convinced Bowman to come and watch Housley's last junior game for the St. Paul Vulcans.

"Oh my God, on his first rush he went through everybody," Bowman recalled. "I said, 'Boy, we have to get this guy because we were looking for a defenseman, especially an offensive one."

The Sabres owned the No. 6 pick that season, and the Washington Capitals were selecting No. 5 and were also looking at a defenseman. Bowman made a deal with Capitals general manager Roger Crozier that guaranteed that the Sabres would either get Scott Stevens or Housley. The Capitals drafted Stevens, leaving Housley for Buffalo.

As a rookie, Housley scored 17 goals. In his second season, he scored 31 goals. It was like he was a Lamborghini on a road full of jalopies.

"His skating ability was unbelievable," Peterson said.

Because he came from an American high school background, opponents had trouble believing what they saw from Housley.

"He scored more goals than Bobby Orr did in his second season," Bowman remembered.

Housley said he never gave any thought to the reality that he was trying to defy the odds by jumping from high school to the big leagues.

"You are just playing a game you love," he said. "I didn't think, 'What if this happens or that happens?' I just lived in the moment. I knew I had a lot of prove."

Housley was so gifted offensively that Bowman also used him at center occasionally when he needed a spark. He had played center in youth hockey, but his high school coach Doug Woog had converted him to defense.

"Bowman didn't ever say too much," Housley said. "He just kind of let you find your way."

At 5-10, 180, Housley didn't look he could survive in a league that celebrated intimidation. But Housley didn't just survive, he thrived.

"They tried to go after him, but he was too fast," Bowman said. "He never got hurt."

On March 3, 1994, Housley passed Joey Mullen to become the highest-scoring American-born player in NHL history and he held that title until Mike Modano passed him on Nov. 7, 2007.

Housley retired in 2003, and he's still the highest-scoring American defenseman with 1,232 points. Modano remains the only American-born player with more points.

"Phil Housley was the kind of defenseman every team wanted to have on its roster," said USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean. "Quick, skilled, physical when he had to be, and one of the most prolific scorers from the blue line in the history of the game."

His selection to the Hall of Fame is long overdue, although his long wait may be fitting for a player who always had to prove himself.  Housley played in an era when Paul Coffey, Denis Potvin, Ray Bourque and then Chris Chelios were getting much of the attention on defense.

Bowman said he believes Housley's long wait was more about circumstance than a snub of Housley.

"The field every year is so strong," Bowman said. "People on the committee look at Stanley Cups won and individual awards. There were so many good defensemen in his era."

Housley played for seven teams without winning a Stanley Cup, and he never won a Norris Trophy. But he scored 15 or more goals for the first 11 seasons of his career.

"Can you imagine what it would be like today if Phil stepped out of high school and played in the NHL now with social media the way it is now?" said USA Hockey's Jim Johannson who played youth hockey against Housley in Minnesota. "And he was playing in Buffalo, and back then you didn't see Buffalo games on television."

Housley is probably drawing more attention and respect for his coaching ability than he did as a player. It wasn't his master plan to launch a coaching career.

"For 21 years I had an itinerary of what I was supposed to do," Housley said. "Then I retired, it was like, 'What am I going to do now?' "

Legendary American coach Lou Vairo had asked Housley to assist him with a U.S. National team 15 years ago and then recruited him again in 2004 to help in preparing a U.S. National Team Development program for a tournament.

Housley also coached high school hockey in Stillwater, Minn. "That's where I fell in love with it," Housley said.

Today, he's a Nashville Predators assistant coach and is on the radar to land a head coaching job in the NHL. He teaches fundamental, high percentage hockey. The funny thing is that isn't how he played. He was a risk-taker of the highest order.

"I tell my guys, don't do as I did," Housley said, laughing. "Do as I say … but I do say if you have the offensive instincts, go "

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